HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO FILIPINO INVENTORS?

HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO FILIPINO INVENTORS?

Let me say this bluntly: Filipino inventors do not lack talent. What they lack is a system.

Yes, the government—through the Department of Science and Technology and its Technology Application and Promotion Institute—is already providing grants. That is commendable. But let us be honest: the funds are limited, the beneficiaries are few, and the process is slow.

Innovation cannot thrive on scarcity.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself recently acknowledged that inventors face difficulties not only in funding, but more importantly in bringing their ideas to market. That is the real issue—the so-called “valley of death” between invention and commercialization.

So the question is: what should the government really do?

First, go beyond grants. Grants are good for starting—but not for scaling. What inventors need is end-to-end support. From idea, to prototype, to production, to market. In short, an innovation pipeline.

Second, fix financing. Under Republic Act No. 7459, inventors are entitled to incentives, but accessing them is another story. Government loans are too rigid. Banks ask for collateral that inventors simply do not have.

Why not accept the patent itself as collateral? That is how advanced economies do it. If we trust land titles, why not intellectual property?

Third, build fabrication laboratories nationwide. Not just in Metro Manila—but in every region. Fully equipped FabLabs with metalworking tools, electronics benches, and 3D printers. Prototyping should be cheap, fast, and accessible.

Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. If we can build roads and bridges, we can also build the infrastructure for innovation.

Fourth, and this is critical: create a guaranteed market.

Let me give a concrete example. A Filipino inventor, Ronald Pagsanghan, is already producing high-quality rescue boats locally. So why are some government agencies still buying imported ones?

If the government is serious about supporting inventors, it should adopt a simple rule: “Buy Filipino first.”

Mandatory government procurement could change everything. Once inventors know there is a sure buyer, they will produce. Once they produce, industries will follow.

That is not subsidy—that is strategy.

Fifth, simplify intellectual property processes. The recent cooperation between the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and DOST is a step in the right direction. Faster and cheaper patenting will encourage more grassroots innovation.

Sixth, decentralize innovation. Talent is not concentrated in Metro Manila. It is everywhere—in the provinces, in state universities, even in backyard workshops. Programs like regional innovation hubs and ClusteRICE should not be one-time events. They should become permanent institutions.

Seventh, connect inventors to investors. The government should act as a matchmaker, linking inventors with venture capital, private companies, and even international markets. Because an invention that stays in the laboratory is not innovation—it is just an idea.

Let me add one more point: we must change our mindset.

We celebrate inventors during competitions like the National Invention Contest and Exhibits. We give them awards. We applaud them.

And then what?

Many of them go home with trophies—but without funding, without factories, and without buyers.

That is the real tragedy.

Innovation is not about recognition. It is about utilization.

If we are serious about national development, we should treat inventors the same way we treat infrastructure, agriculture, or energy—as strategic assets.

Because in the end, inventions are not just gadgets or machines.

They are solutions.

Solutions to food insecurity. Solutions to climate change. Solutions to economic growth.

The real question is not whether we can support Filipino inventors.

The real question is: can we afford not to?

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com  09088877282/06-13-2027

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