DA and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 8 June 2022 at the 4F Conference Room, DA-BAR, Quezon City and via Cisco Webex. The said MOU shall provide a framework of cooperation relative to the development of DA’s capacity on Intellectual Property (IP) management, technology transfer, and commercialization. 

The MOU was signed  by IPO Philippines director-general Atty. Rowel S. Barba and Agriculture Secretary William Dar represented by DA chief of staff and undersecretary for Research, Innovation, Training, and Extension Support Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian. 

“As a country, we need to ramp up even more our innovative capacity to produce high value solution technologies with commercial promise. We need to stimulate stronger [IP] protection, utilization, and technology transfer activities to benefit a wide-range of technology-users and consumers not only locally but internationally,” said Atty. Barba.  

Usec. Sebastian underscored that along with the development of IPR policy, support to scaling of innovations must be provided to produce societal outcomes and impacts. 

Following the MOU signing, the Research Program Development Division-Technology Management Section (TMS) of DA-BAR spearheaded a training workshop to finalize the DA’s IP Policy and Technology Transfer Protocol. 

The said protocol aims to define the roles and responsibilities of the department and its attached agencies and bureaus in the ownership, protection and management, utilization, transfer, and commercialization of IPs generated from DA-funded research for development programs and projects. 

Members of the DA IP TWG, DA-BAR, DA Policy Research Service, and DA-PhilRice, and technical staff from selected DA attached agencies participated in the training workshop. 

IPOPHL-Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer Division chief Adrian H. Sablan discussed the following: 1) essentials of IP policy system, IP, IPR, and different Rs, 2) IP policy writing, and 3) essential contents of an IP policy, commercialization modes and revenue sharing. 

BAR-TMS section head Engr. Ethcel Princess P. Libang facilitated the presentation of the draft DA IP Policy and Technology Transfer protocol. 

“Through the partnership of the department and the Intellectual Property Office, we fervently ensure the maximum utilization of technologies generated and developed through supported research for development projects while protecting the intellectual properties of partner research institutions,” DA-BAR assistant director-designate for Research Support Services Dr. Anthony B. Obligado said.