VSU hits Platinum in IPOPHIL Award

Visayas State University (VSU) hit the highest mark possible for any institution in the area of intellectual property (IP) creation, protection, and commercialization, as it garnered the 2026 Platinum Award from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) in the recently concluded Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) President’s Summit and General Assembly on March 25, 2026 at Iloilo Convention Center.

An award that affirms VSU as a powerhouse of intellectual property (IP) generation, rising from its previous standing as a Gold Awardee, this recent recognition is a result of years of deliberate capacity-building, a culture of research-driven innovation, and a growing awareness among its academic community that ideas, when protected, can create real-world impact.

The implementation of the program entitled “Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement for Region 8” funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) played a key role in securing the Platinum Award.

University President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes expressed her deepest gratitude to the men and women behind this feat. 

“When this administration came in, we were at silver. We moved to gold last year, and now to platinum. That progression tells us that the systems we have been working on are starting to take hold. It is not perfect, but it shows that we are moving in the right direction. Congratulations to the OVPREI, and Innovation and Co-Creation Office for your hard work and support,” Dr. Yepes said. 

In 2025, the university conducted 18 capacity-building activities on intellectual property, reaching faculty, staff, and students alike. Thirteen of these were IP awareness seminars, laying the foundation for understanding why innovation must be protected. These were complemented by three patent search trainings, and two patent drafting writeshops, equipping participants with the technical skills to navigate the complex world of patents.

What emerged was more than compliance. It was a shift in mindset. Researchers began to see their work not just as academic outputs, but as tangible innovations with the potential for protection, ownership, and industry application.

With strengthened internal capacity, VSU’s innovation pipeline gained momentum. The university conducted 25 patent searches, ensuring that research outputs were novel and viable. 

This diligence paid off, with the university making seven patent applications and eight utility model filings. 

Even more telling of its efficiency, ten utility models were successfully registered within the year.

Each number represents a story, of a researcher refining an idea, of a team validating originality, and of a system that supports innovation from concept to protection.

Aside from filings, VSU also performed Freedom to Operate (FTO) searches, an often overlooked but critical step in ensuring that technologies can be commercialized without infringing on existing rights, reflecting a maturing IP system that is both productive and strategic.

The true measure of innovation lies in its impact beyond the laboratory. VSU reached a milestone with the commercialization of one of its technologies: the Abaca Trailer-Type Stripping Machine. Through a signed and notarized Technology Licensing Agreement with Five Shepherds Corporation, VSU demonstrated its readiness to bring research outputs into real-world application.

For Dr. Feliciano G. Sinon, Director for Innovation and Co-creation, this milestone goes beyond VSU’s system.

“Seeing our research transform into tangible technologies that serve both industry and community is incredibly fulfilling. This Platinum Award reflects not just the university’s systems, but the dedication of every faculty, staff, and students who embraced a culture of innovation. For us, it’s a reminder that when knowledge meets purpose, the possibilities are limitless,” Dr. Sinon stressed. 

This breakthrough proves the role of IP not just as legal protection, but as a bridge, connecting academic ingenuity with industry needs and community development.

For VSU, this distinction affirms the strength of its Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) and the collective effort of its researchers, administrators, and partners.

More importantly, it signals a future where innovation is deeply embedded in the university’s identity, where every research endeavor carries the potential to contribute not only to knowledge, but to national development.

The award was personally received by Director for Extension, Dr. Catherine C. Arradaza, ITSO Head, Ms. Maria Louella C. Tambis, and ITSO Science Research Specialist, Ms. Crystal Jean S. Acampado.

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

• Next