ADG Arevalo underscored that Western Visayas has cultivated a thriving innovation ecosystem, driven by strong policy direction from the regional government and supported by a robust web of innovation centers, including IPOPHL’s ITSO network. Notably, all state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Region VI are active participants in the ITSO program, facilitating effective and coordinated implementation of IPOPHL’s initiatives. 

Regional government agencies have been especially active partners, delivering such frameworks as the 2025-2030 Regional Action Plan for Startup Development, which puts in place a roadmap for accelerating the growth of emerging innovative enterprises, as well as a variety of programs geared toward stimulating commercialization of research and development output. 

Industry stakeholders in the region have also worked hand in hand with government agencies toward shared development goals, as in Iloilo City, which has developed a comprehensive innovation roadmap for 2030, with the ambitious goal of positioning itself among the top 3 most competitive highly-urbanized cities in the Philippines through innovation-driven economic development. 

This multifaceted push toward on supporting innovation has led to a number of landmark successes, one of which was the discovery of potent new antibiotic compounds derived from marine microorganisms by researchers from the University of San Agustin (USA). This discovery, and the resulting processes for culturing and extraction, have led to the granting of the first patent for drug discovery in the Philippines. 

Another success story from the region is waste management startup Rezbin, which developed a digital platform that incentivizes plastic waste recycling in partnership with local governments and businesses, and was recognized as a winner at the 2025 Filipinnovation Awards. 

Other innovations developed with the support of Region VI ITSOs were also exhibited at the summit, with the aim of connecting inventors and startups with potential industry partners and investors. These included an ultraviolet light-based system for purifying live shellfish, an adaptive solar charging system for agricultural vehicles, an educational device for vocabulary training, eco-friendly paving blocks made with seashell waste and more. 

To sustain this momentum, ADG Arevalo emphasized the importance of continuing collaboration across sectors. 

“As we strengthen our partnerships within the ITSO network and beyond, we move closer to building an innovation ecosystem that not only generates new ideas, but also translates them into tangible benefits for our communities and the nation,” he said. 

The ITSO Presidents’ Summit is an annual event organized by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) that brings together institutional heads and representatives from the country’s ITSOs, along with key stakeholders from government and industry, to recognize top-performing innovation centers across the Philippines for their achievements in supporting inventors and innovative entrepreneurs through intellectual property (IP) registration and commercialization. 

ITSOs are specialized units established within universities, research institutions and government agencies in partnership with IPOPHL that serve as innovation hubs across the country. They support Filipino innovators by providing access to services related to the registration, management and commercialization of intellectual property, including patent and trademark search; drafting of documents for patent, utility model and industrial design applications; technology transfer facilitation and capacity building activities. # # # (Rawl Maliwat, Communications & Marketing Writer)