UPLB proved its unwavering commitment to advancing intellectual property (IP) and innovation excellence after it was named the 2024 Top Patent Filer and given a Platinum Award for being a top performer in providing innovation and technology support to its inventors and innovators.

These awards were given by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to UPLB during the 2025 Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) Presidents’ Summit at the Sequoia Hotel, Manila Bay, on April 10, 2025. The event’s theme was “Empowering ITSOs Toward Global Recognition of Innovation Breakthroughs.”

The Top Patent Filer Award is granted to an ITSO that has filed the greatest number of patent applications within the year. This recognition not only highlights an institution’s active pursuit of intellectual property (IP) protection but also underscores its commitment to transforming research outputs into tangible innovations with real-world impact. 

In 2024, the UPLB Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) filed 24 patent applications, the highest number recorded among all ITSOs nationwide. 

These filings reflect the university’s strong emphasis on intellectual property management and dedication to fostering a culture of innovation among its researchers and academic community.

On the other hand, IPOPHL gives the Platinum Award to top-performing ITSOs. UPLB, through the TTBDO, has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to knowledge dissemination and IP awareness through the following initiatives it pursued in 2024: 13 dynamic IP awareness campaigns, 2 comprehensive patent search and drafting workshops, and 24 patent search services aimed at enriching the intellectual capital of aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs at UPLB. 

Various UPLB institutions, units, and colleges contributed to these achievements and have been instrumental in the discussion of IP, from Prior Art Search Trainings with the Department of Industrial Engineering-CEAT, Patent Draft Training for the College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR); to Basics of IP for the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT), and Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), as well as other state colleges and universities (SUCs) across the country who joined in these activities virtually.

In 2022, UPLB was recognized by the IPOPHL as the Top Patent Filer. That year, the university received the Bronze ITSO Award and later achieved the Platinum ITSO Award in 2023. 

These awards highlight UPLB’s dedication to IP initiatives, including conducting IP awareness programs, facilitating patent searches and drafting, and supporting commercialization efforts with stakeholders.

The 2025 ITSO Presidents’ Summit provided a platform to celebrate and recognize the collaborative efforts of stakeholders committed to advancing and protecting the nation’s intellectual property assets.

The event showcased the achievements of various ITSOs across the Philippines in innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization. (Cathrene Amante, Eunice Dianne Algar, Trisha Denise Nabatilan)