IPOPHL extends youth filer classification

September 23, 2025

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) released Memorandum 2025-021 extending the classification of Youth Filer to include persons up to 30 years of age.

This revises the definition put forward in a previous memorandum that set the range of youth filers to 23 years and under. This revision also brings IPOPHL’s youth initiatives into alignment with the definition of “youth” put forward in Republic Act No. 8044.

This change effectively extends the reach of IPOPHL youth initiatives to include an expanded upper cohort, who will now be eligible to avail of various programs such as the Youth Intellectual Property Incentive (YIPI) Program, which features such benefits as a waiver of fees for intellectual property applications and access to technical assistance and capacity building.

“This move is in keeping with IPOPHL’s KITES Agenda, which aims to encourage the Filipino populace to be more engaged with the intellectual property landscape,” Director General Brigitte da Costa-Villaluz said. “It is also in line with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directive in the 2025 State of the Nation Address to expand intellectual property protection.”

As of 2025, the youth population of the Philippines, aged 15–30 years old, is at 29.9 million, out of an estimated 117 million. Participation of youth aged 15–24 in the labor force is estimated at 33% as of the present.