Andrew Michael Ong Deputy Director General, Intellectual Property Office, Manila

Mr. Ong is the current Deputy Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. His area of responsibility is legal, policy and international relations where he spearheads the initiatives for office automation and process re-engineering; innovation & technology transfer support through better access to patent information in universities; and building delivery platforms to recognize and protect traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and geographic indications. He is an architect by training, having completed his B.S. Architecture from the University of San Carlos in Cebu and topping the Government National Licensure Examination in 1986, and a practicing lawyer with an L.L.B from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Manila. He ranked number 6th in the Philippine Bar Examinations in 1993 and proceeded to specialize in intellectual property law (IPR) and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) through continuous legal training, practice and consulting work. Before joining public service in 2009, Mr. Ong also occupied several top managerial positions as Assistant-Vice President for Apo Cement Corporation under J.G. Summit Holdings, Incorporated, a conglomerate in the Philippines. He was also the Vice-President for Golden ABC Incorporated, a Fashion Brand Company in Asia with a brand portfolio that includes Penshoppe, Memo, Forme, Regatta, Tyler and Oxygen. Mr. Ong is also professor of the Philippine Judicial Academy of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and taught in the College of Law of the University of San Carlos. He co-authored the book on trademarks entitled “Protecting Marks of Ownership.”