The Philippine Rice Research Institute was recently recognized by the Intellectual Property (IP) Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for having the most number of patents granted to a government institution in the past 20 years.
“Gawad Yamang Isip: Special Awards” was given to PhilRice during Intellectual Property Convergence 2018 held in Makati City, April 26. The said award is usually given to private and public institutions with record-breaking achievements in the areas of IP protection, utilization, and/or commercialization.
A patent is an exclusive right granted for a product, process, or an improvement of a product or process, which is new, inventive, and useful.
“The award is a testament to PhilRice as a leading government institution with innovative culture,” said Atty. Jerry Serapion, PhilRice IP specialist.
Among the patents granted are: the Portable Floating Pump, Gravity-Type Drip Irrigation System, Method to Protect the Rice Plant Against Sheath Blight, Mobile Rice Hull Gasifier System for Different Applications, and Rice Hull Charcoal Maker. As of writing, the Institute has 11 granted patents and 22 on-going applications.
According to Serapion, PhilRice has a pool of bright scientists and researchers. To sustain status and increase the number of patents, a need for a team who would look into these generated technologies must be addressed.
“We need to train more technology support staff in the area of intellectual property protection, commercialization, and patent drafting,” he noted.
The grant is issued by the government through the IPOPHL, which gives exclusive right to the inventor to exclude others from making, using, or selling the product of his or her invention during the life of the patent.
