DEC.

11, 2011 DATE

NR # 2614
REF. NO.

Lawmakers urge Congress to fast track the passage of the proposed inventors incentive act
Lawmakers today urged Congress to fast track the passage of a bill seeking to harness and intensify the promotion of local inventions to make them more competitive and productive in the global market. Globalization dictates the need for competitiveness. We believe in the ingenuity of Filipinos, said Rep. Irwin Tieng (Party-list, Buhay), one of the authors of House Bill 2038 or the proposed Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of 2011. The bill, now pending with the Committee on Government Reorganization chaired by Rep. Cesar Jalosjos (3rd District, Zamboanga del Norte), is seeking the restoration of the Philippine Inventors Commission to encourage the generation, development, manufacture, promotion and market of Filipino inventions. Tieng noted that the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is taking the lead in implementing Republic Act 7459, the law providing incentives to Filipino inventors and inventions. R.A. 7459 only expanded the function of TAPI but had difficulties providing the necessary support mechanism that will have a significant impact on the sector, Tieng said. Tieng said R.A. 3850 had created such an agency as the Inventors Commission but was abolished by Executive Order 128 when the bureaucracy was reorganized during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino. Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde (Partylist, Buhay), another author of the bill, said there is a growing and strong wave of globalization which makes it imperative for the country to re-institute an agency like the Inventors Commission. The commission will play a vital role in science and technology, competitiveness and productivity for the country to survive in the stiff fight for development capital and economic efficiency, Velarde said. Under the bill, the proposed Commission will continue the accreditation of inventors and inventors associations and will handle the Inventions Development Assistance Fund which is at least 12% of the DOST-TAPI operational fund. Likewise, the Commission is mandated to render technical assistance to inventors in

DEC. 11, 2011 DATE

NR # 2614
REF. NO.

the preparation of the disclosure, description, abstract, claims, drawings and other documents relating to the patent application, under certain terms and conditions, and to render legal assistance in the filing of patent applications here and abroad, and in protecting said patents from infringement. The agency shall also help facilitate assistance from local and international institutions on the development of inventions and develop and establish import and export assistance programs and help inventors find markets for their inventions here and abroad. These are some vital aspects where government can help promote Filipino ingenuity, Velarde said, adding that the agency should also help organize, in coordination with other government agencies, creative societies in schools, colleges and universities to promote and encourage inventiveness among our youth and citizenry. (30) dpt