Archives for October 2022

ISAT U prexy highlights HEI contribution in IP welfare

 

Dr. Raul F. Muyong emphasized the inclusion of IP studies in the curricula as a significant contribution of higher education institutions (HEI) for the welfare of indigenous peoples.

“With the curriculum, the students and educators will be made aware of IP culture and their rights and will be able to understand cultural diversity,” said Dr. Muyong.

The National Commission in Indigenous Peoples Region VI and VII (NCIP) invited Dr. Muyong during the ICCs/ IPs Photo Exhibit dubbed as, ‘PILAK’ at SM CITY Iloilo. The activity is part of the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Month Celebration and the 25th IPRA Commemoration.

The theme for this year is, “25 Years: Fulfilling the Indigenous Peoples Rights and Bridging the Gaps Through ICCs/ IPs Convergence with Partners and Stakeholders to Ensure Economic Sustainability and Security in the Ancestral Domain.”

DILG VI Regional Director Juan Jovian C. Ingeniero, NCIP Officers and IP Communities were also present during the event.

Iloilo Startup Forum sparks technopreneurial spirit in youth

Key players in the innovation space in Iloilo City and their technopreneurship initiatives were showcased to students and academic and local government stakeholders at the recent Iloilo Startup Forum in Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U).

The Iloilo Startup Forum was part of the QBO x (Cities): Igniting Startup Cities, a roadshow led by the Manila-based incubator QBO Innovation Hub. The roadshow aims to spark the technopreneurial spirit among Filipinos, especially the youth.

Karla Legaspi, Startup Community program lead, presented to the audience various initiatives of QBO, which has recently integrated with IdeaSpace, a major private startup accelerator in the country. She also showed an overview of the startup ecosystem in the Philippines and where it is headed.

Their program associate Auguste Ku, meanwhile, discussed details about what makes a startup, the stages that these ventures go through, and the kinds of support that young founders can get from the private and government sectors, in a session that welcomed interactions from the mostly young audience.

A highlight of the Forum was the chat with “Iloilo Homegrown Heroes,” the key players enabling startup growth and development in Iloilo City.

They were Rayjand Gellamucho, General Manager of ISAT-U Kwadra Technology Business Incubator (KTBI); Krz Pareja, cofounder of workplace well-being platform Welby; Daryl Lasafin, program officer at FyrLab, the first private sector-led accelerator in Western Visayas funded by DOST VI; Ma. Lea Lara from the Iloilo City-Local Investment and Promotions Office and Secretariat of Innovate Iloilo; and Abraham Porcal, science research specialist at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6.

They shared insights from their experience in the startup and innovation space in the region, including the characteristics that – in their view – will make young Ilonggos succeed in technopreneurship. They also announced the programs they are holding or involved in that support brilliant entrepreneurial ideas from talented founders.

The “Iloilo Homegrown Heroes” and the sectors they represent are part of Innovate Iloilo, a multisectoral movement that aims to make Iloilo a premier innovation hub by 2030.

Dr. Carmelo Ambut, vice president for research and extension of ISAT-U and Head of UMWAD Western Visayas Consortium, announced to the audience the university’s various programs for commerciable research, or “spinoffs,” and accomplishments in the field of technology transfer.

Under Ambut’s office is the ISAT-U Kwadra TBI, one of the dozens of university-hosted TBIs across the country supported by a DOST program on innovation and technopreneurship readiness among higher education institutions.

Noreen Bautista, marketing and programs head at Kwadra TBI and cofounder of sustainable textile sourcing platform Panublix, also spoke about startup life, giving the audience a glimpse of the journey of being a startup founder. Meanwhile, Velma Jane Lao, head of the Iloilo City Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office, spoke about the Innovate Iloilo movement.

ISAT U Kwadra TBI and Innovate Iloilo were co-organizers of the Iloilo Startup Forum.

 

IPMO conducts planning and health break activities

The Office of the Intellectual Property Management (IPMO) travelled to White Sand Beach Buruaga, Aklan on August 24-26, 2022 for a 3-day health break dubbed as, Eat. Pray. Love.

Series of activities and talks were lined-up which included sunrise and sunrise yoga, stress management lecture, innovative ways to be effective at work and team-building games. Ms. Pearl Joy Jimenea from the University Guidance Office served as the lecturer, while Ms. Babelyn Cabalar from the Public Information and Communications Office (PICO) served as the facilitator for the team-building activities.

“This three-day health break aims to promote health and wellness to our IPMO staff and personnel and improve their productivity. This activity serves as a good avenue for IP personnel and the entire office to accomplish yearly targets and at the same time build stronger camaraderie and unity to all,” shared Engr. Naci John Trance, IPMO’s director.

The health break was participated by fifteen (15) staff from the different offices under the care of IPMO, such as the Kwadra TBI, IMPACT, RAISE and UMWAD projects.

The IPMO continuously commits to conducting quality and relevant activities to improve the quality of life of the University’s stakeholders and the entire system.