IP Philippines launches patents, trademarks exhibit
 

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) recently opened the “Powering Creativity and Innovation” exhibition at the Innovation Area. The show, the culminating event in a series of activities organized by the office, celebrates the Intellectual Property Code’s 11th anniversary in June.

 
IP Philippines Director General Atty. Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr. (middle) with the WIPO Gold Medal Awardees (from left) Dr. Virgilio Malang, inventor of the patient side-turning hospital bed; Marlita Carlita Rex-Doran, inventor of the alternative fuel for cooking; Mrs. Yasmin Espiritu-Malang, co-inventor of the patient side-turning hospital bed and; Mr. Eric Ngo, inventor of the electricity-saving fluorescent lamp.

On display at the Innovation Area are creations of four Filipino inventors conferred with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Gold Medal Awards, the discovery of a multi-awarded Filipino scientific researcher in the field of mango propagation, and two renowned Filipino trademarks. Innovation Area, located at IP Philippines’ ground floor, also marks its first year this month.

The exhibit items include a patient side-turning hospital bed created by Dr. Virgilio Malang together with his wife Yasmin Espiritu-Malang; the electricity-saving “fluorescent lamp ballast combined with electronic starter and resonant capacitor for reducing input current” with the brand name Nutec invented by Eric Ngo and; the alternative fuel for cooking of Marlita Carlita Rex-Doran. The four inventors received the WIPO Gold Medal Awards for their creations.

The WIPO Award for Inventors started in 1979 to help stimulate inventive and innovative activity around the world.  The award program aims “to improve the image of inventors through the recognition of their merits as creators of substantive input to national wealth and development especially in developing countries.” A total of close to 1,000 WIPO Gold Medal Awards have been issued to over 100 nations comprised mostly of developing countries and countries in transition.

The exhibition likewise showcases Dr. Ramon Barba’s “A Method of Promoting Flowering of Mango”. The multi-awarded scientific researcher is also the first Asian inventor to be featured in a WIPO video documentary viewed, at present, on its webcast page. Barba’s invention propelled the mango industry’s growth and placed the Philippines as one of the top exporters of mangoes in the world. In 2006, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the total mango export amounted to US$46.17 million.

The “Powering Creativity and Innovation” exhibition also features some of the renowned Filipino trademarks such as Globe Telecom and the apparel brand, Bayo by Lyncor Inc.

Globe has received and continues to accept many citations since its establishment. Among its achievements is placing third in the 2003 Telecom Asia Awards’ Best Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Carrier Category. The Telecom Asia Awards is the industry’s premier regional industry recognition of achievement.

Bayo, on the other hand, had been named the 2002 Outstanding Filipino Retailer and recognized as the Most Promising Filipino Franchise in 2003 by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

 

The patient side-turning hospital bed created by Dr. Virgilio Malang together with his wife Yasmin Espiritu-Malang.

The electricity-saving “fluorescent lamp ballast combined with electronic starter and resonant capacitor for reducing input current” with the brand name Nutec invented by Eric Ngo.

The alternative fuel for cooking with the brand name Siroca invented by Marlita Carlita Rex-Doran.

 

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