WIPO Director General Daren Tang concluded a four-day visit to the Philippines, where he attended the 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting and met with senior government officials, innovation stakeholders, academic leaders and business representatives.
At the AEM-WIPO consultation, Mr. Tang exchanged views with ASEAN Ministers on strengthening the role of intellectual property (IP) and innovation in building resilient and competitive economies. Discussions highlighted growing regional interest in commercialization, valuation, financing and the management of intangible assets, as well as the importance of helping enterprises, innovators and communities derive greater economic value from their IP.
In bilateral discussions with Philippine officials, the Director General noted the country's strong focus on IP commercialization, human capital development and ecosystem-wide collaboration to transform ideas into economic and social impact.
Other engagements:
- Met with Secretary of Trade and Industry Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and pledged support on trademark awareness and protection to thousands of Philippine SMEs that are part of the Department of Trade and Industry programs.
- Engaged with Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Teodoro Pascua on scaling the reach of IP services to value cultural heritage, nurture creative talents and recognize local technology solutions to increase sustainable economic opportunities.
- Launched the new joint Master’s Degree program with De La Salle University to develop IP management professionals and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in support of it.
- Launched the “Scaling the Reach of Intellectual Property Services to Half a Million Entrepreneurs through a Partnership Model” in collaboration with IPOPHL.
- Met with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo of the Supreme Court of the Philippines to discuss emerging IP issues and capacity building.
- Met with Secretary of Economy, Planning and Development Arsenio Balisacan to discuss the Philippines’ innovation capabilities and the need to drive innovation throughout the downstream value chain to achieve commercialization on a global scale.
- Engaged with Government Service Insurance System and representatives of private banks to explore inroads to IP-based financing for startups and technology-driven businesses.
- Held talks with Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones on promoting Filipino green technologies in WIPO Green.
- Met with the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology Renato Solidum, Jr., and his team of experts to explore collaboration with Philippine flagship initiatives to support homegrown technologies from the laboratory to the market.