Antipolo Trade & Investments Promotions Office (ANTIPO) in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Antipolo Chamber conducted the 2023 Negosyo Forum.

ANTIPO OIC Amalia Engalla delivered the Welcome Remarks.

Councilors Lorenzo Juan Sumulong III and Angie Tapales, who represented Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares; Cleo Duran, OIC Provincial Director of DTI – Rizal; and Oliver Darvin, President of PCCI Antipolo delivered important messages.

Rowena Zapanta, City Planning and Development Office Head, explained how Antipolo City is attracting local and foreign investors which is crucial to the development of the city.

More than just an ideal vacation place, Antipolo is a growing business area which can become an investment hub. Antipolo was hailed as the most competitive component city in the 7th Regional Competitiveness Summit held in 2019.

In terms of government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency, the city received excellent assessments. This means Antipolo has high-quality, reliable government services, good facilities, including road networks, transportation vehicles, and health centers, to name a few, and the capacity to respond to and recover from emergencies.

It is therefore an excellent place to establish a business.

Engineer Karl Lyndon Pacolor, Division Chief Competitiveness Innovation Division of Department of Trade and Industry explained the nature of Republic Act 11293 Philippine Innovation Act.

The “Philippine Innovation Act” was enacted April 2019 in order to foster innovation in the country as a vital component of national development and sustainable economic growth.

The goal is for government agencies to eliminate regulatory barriers to innovation and cut red tape to boost innovation efforts.

Joel Caalaman, IP Field Operations Specialist, IP Satellite Office CALABARZON, spoke about Understanding Intellectual Property.

Granting patents registrations is generally based on a first-to-file (or first-to-invent, depending on the country) basis.  

Similarly, registering trademarks is based on a first-to-file (or first-to-use, depending on the country), so rights holders should obtain patent and trademark protection before introducing their products or services to the Philippine market. 

It is vital that companies understand that intellectual property is primarily a private right. However, it remains the responsibility of the rights holders to register, protect, and enforce their rights.