House bill seeks to promote RP inventors, protect inventions

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino inventors and inventions may get a much-needed boost with a new government commission to look after them, if a bill in the House of Representatives is passed into law. House Bill 5152 authored by three Buhay party list representatives seeks to provide comprehensive support services to inventors and protect their inventions. An article on the House of Representatives website said the bill, dubbed as the "Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act of 2008," also seeks to regulate the transfer and promote the adaptation of technology from all sources for the national benefit. Authors of the bill include Buhay party-list Representatives Irwin Tieng, Rene Velarde and Ma. Carissa Coscolluela. Tieng noted it is the constitutional mandate of the State to give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization to support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities and their applications to the country's productive systems and national life. "Recently, the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is leading the implementation of R.A. No. 7459 which provides incentives to Filipino investors and inventions," Tieng said. However, he admitted the current law only expanded the function of TAPI but encountered difficulties in providing the necessary support mechanisms. For his part, Velarde said there should be an agency with an appropriate and sufficient mandate, powers and resources to formulate and implement programs that have a far-reaching impact on the plight of Filipino investors. "At present, there is a need to re-institute the Investors Commission for its significant role in improving the state of science and technology in the economic development of the country," Velarde said. Coscolluela added the bill will strengthen mechanisms in providing the much needed support to Filipino investors by rationalizing programs for research and development, manufacture and market of our inventive ideas, products, processes and such other areas of technology development. - GMANews.TV