IPOPHL pushes to bring IP in basic education curriculum
November 20, 2024
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is actively working to integrate intellectual property (IP) education into the basic education curriculum, with plans to collaborate with the Department of Education (DepEd).
“IPOPHL is also looking forward to partnering with the Department of Education (DepEd) soon to integrate IP principles into our national education system,” IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan said in her opening remarks for a four-day regional seminar for teachers and the youth.
“A child educated on the importance of IP is more likely to grow into an adult who values and protects intellectual property. This cultural shift could lead to a reduction in IP-related violations in the future and greater innovation and creativity,” Cabochan added at the seminar.
The event, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and IPOPHL and supported by the Japan Patent Office, forms part of IPOPHL’s broader push to bring IP to more classrooms and cultivate a culture of IP respect and appreciation among the younger generation.
Nearly 30 curriculum designers, policymakers, teachers and education advocates from seven countries in Southeast Asia gathered at the event to share best practices in bridging IP stories to the youth, offering insights and inspiration for the Philippines’ efforts in bringing IP into more classrooms.
The event emphasized the role of creative teaching methods in making IP education accessible and engaging for young learners. Modules can include storytelling about inventors and creators, hands-on activities like creating innovations and lessons on the consequences of piracy and counterfeiting.
“Integrating IP into the education curricula is one way in which we can empower future generations to harness the power of their ideas through retaining the value of their intellectual property,” said Altaye Tedla, Head of WIPO Academy’s Distance Learning Program.
She added that investing in the education sector and ensuring that educators and education policy makers have the tools and knowledge to integrate IP efficiently into school curricula will cultivate the creativity and entrepreneurship of the young generation.
Hani Aji, Associate Training Officer at the WIPO Academy’s IP e-Learning Section, underscored the role of educators in reaching out to the younger generations.
“Sustainability is essential to us, and we cannot reach sustainability without the educators,” Aji said, sharing that WIPO Academy’s teacher certification course has equipped more than 2,500 teachers on IP globally over the past seven years.
He added that WIPO Academy has developed comprehensive lesson plans and student activities that are readily available for teachers to customize to their classroom and culture.
For its part, IPOPHL has been empowering IP in schools through initiatives like the Young IP Advocates (YIPA) Program. The program helped lead the four WIPO Youth Ambassadors from the Philippines—Yzhae Marrione Capuno Villaruel, Josefino Nino Ligan, Chesyne Danielle Galura Pepito and David Elijah Corsini Atup—to secure and obtain patent protection for their inventions.
To ensure youth innovations reach markets, IPOPHL also launched the Youth IP Incentive (YIPI) Program, offering waived application fees, technical consultations and capacity-building to qualified applicants. Among the first to benefit from YIPI is PiliSeal Inventor Mark Kennedy Bantugon whose technology has attracted international investment and attention.
IPOPHL has also partnered with the Manila Science High School (MaSci) and the Philippine Science High School System (PSHS) to mainstream IP learning in the secondary level. This initiative had extended to universities and colleges through its tie-up with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). # # # (Janina Lim, Information Officer III)