Young IP Advocates Get Louder Voice; Pioneering Program Lauded by IP Stakeholders
Manila, PHILIPPINES: Twenty-one high school students who made the 2nd Batch of the country’s Young Intellectual Property (IP) Advocates were warmly received at the 4th Philippine Anti- Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit held last 20 October. Local and foreign guests and IP stakeholders who gracedthe Summit lauded the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for introducing a program that directly involves young Filipinos in IP education and awareness.
The 21 high school students came from the Philippine Science High School, Makati Science High School, Taguig Science High School, Muntinlupa Science High School, Manila Science High School, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Laboratory High School, and University of Sto. Tomas (UST) High School. The students attended the three-day IP Youth Camp last 24-26 September in Baras, Rizal. Each participating science high school sent three participants.
In the camp, the students were introduced to the basics of IP and the value of creativity and innovation. They were encouraged to help in the IP awareness and IP protection and enforcement initiatives of the government by sharing the knowledge and values gathered from the camp to their friends, classmates and families.
The 21 Grades 8 and 9 students from different public and private high schools
composed the 2nd Batch of IP Young Advocates. |
The 21 students were inducted as IP Young Advocates at the Summit.
“This is our way of investing in our youth and in our future. Today’s young IP advocates will be the future patent engineers, IP lawyers, legislators and government officials. The success of the program has encouraged us to reach out to more schools and students,” says Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor, IPOPHL Director General.
The Young IP Advocate program of the IPOPHL seeks to plant the culture of creativity and innovation among young Filipinos. It is designed to help plug the gap in the country’s basic education program. Unlike in other countries, IP is not yet integrated in the primary education curricula. The Young IP Advocate initiativeis now part of the yearly program of the IPOPHL.
Jose Pablo Castillo of the Makati Science High School delivering his speech
on Mainstreaming IP in Education.
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Jose Pablo Castillo, a Grade 9 participant from the Makati Science High School, delivered a speech on “Strategies for Mainstreaming IP in Education: Investing in the Youth” on behalf of the 2nd batch of the IPOPHL IP Young Advocates. In his speech, he shared the learnings from the IP Camp and offered insights on how the schools and students can help in propagating the value of respect for IP and the importance of creativity and innovation.
“A Filipino student spends an average 7.5 hours a day in school or nearly one-fourth of a day. If we would be able to utilize this precious time to teach IP, integrate IP, and value IP, the results would definitely be better,” says Castillo.
“Introducing IP to the students must be the first step in the process. Each student must know about IP rights and how every student’s IP is protected by it. Truly, awareness is the first step to change and transformation,” adds the young IP advocate. Castillo received a rousing applause for his presentation.
The Young IP Advocate program was launched in 2013 with just three school participants. The first batch of Young IP Advocates came from the Ateneo High School, Manila Science High School, and the Philippine Science High School.
words: Emmelina Masanque, IPOPHIL IDTD