AMY IP Awards Confer to UP Diliman, Bicol University
| 19 October 2017 |
Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo, together with PCCI Officials led by Mr. George Barcelon and IPOPHL Deputy Director General Nelson P. Laluces (right most) awards the AMY IP Award trophy (Left photo); Grand Winner in the Collegiate Category: Jilyn Astillero with ITSO Manager, Dr. Pacardo of Bicol University; (Right photo); Grand Winner in the Professional Category: Dr. Laura David and Dr. Prospero Naval of UP Diliman
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) handed over this year's Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao Intellectual Property (AMY IP) Awards Grand Winners (Professional Category) to Dr. Prospero Naval and Dr. Laura David of the University of the Philippines Diliman and (Collegiate Category) to Jilyn Astillero, Xyra Morales, and Janice Nebreja of the Bicol University during the Opening Ceremonies of the 43rd Philippine Business Conference and Expo on October 18 at the Manila Hotel.
The AMY IP Awards was launched in 2009 to promote appreciation and support commercialization of locally-developed and socially-relevant intellectual properties. Since then, it has been annually conferred to Filipino-owned intellectual properties that have contributed or have the potential to contribute to economic development and social awareness.
This year, the AMY IP Awards was split into two categories: Professional Category and Collegiate Category. UP Diliman's Drs. Naval and David got the 1st Place for their invention: FISHDROP: Fish Size, Population Density, and Biomass Estimation Device; while Philippine Rice Research Institute's Mr. Ricardo Orge came in 2nd for his invention entitled: Continuous-type Rice Hull (CtRH) carbonizer from among 13 finalists in the Professional Category. In the Collegiate Category, Bicol University bagged both 1st and 2nd Places from among 6 finalists. Astillero, Morales, and Nebreja's Sanseviera Trificata Fiber as Material for Textile and Wearable Handicraft products emerged top winner and Grace Espano's Oyster Shell Microbial Fuel Cell placed 2nd.
All finalists had their inventions presented during the judging day on October 3, 2017 at the PCCI offices. Mr. Anton Sayo, Co-Chair of Technical-Vocational Education Committee of PCCI, Atty. Pablo Gancayco, IP Practitioner and Senior Partner of Gancayco Balasbas & Associates Law Offices, and Dr. Epifanio M. Evasco, Director of the Bureau of Patents of the IPOPHL convened as panel of judges.
IPOPHL Director General Josephine Santiago said that the annual AMY IP Awards, in partnership with the business sector through the PCCI, will continue to be one of IPOPHL's programs on providing venue to recognize Filipino intellectual properties.
The Grand and 2nd Place winners each received a trophy and Php 150,000 and Php 50,000 respectively.