From Cotabato to Singapore: USM Students Dive into Innovation and Smart Agriculture
October 24, 2025
The University of Southern Mindanao (USM) Intellectual Property Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (IPTTBDO) gathered USM personnel for Patent Searching and Drafting Workshop on October 21-24, 2025, at the University Commercial Building, USM, Kabacan, Cotabato.
The activity aimed to protect the inventions developed by USM personnel, recognizing the growing number of existing technologies in the university. Also, with the increasing demand for intellectual property protection at USM, the workshop sought to equip participants with the skills to search for and draft patents effectively. These trained personnel are expected to share their knowledge and guide other USM staff who were unable to attend the session.
Engr. Marc Macbeth M. Toledo, a faculty member of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT), opened the discussion on Patent Search Strategy. Drawing from his professional experience and the capacity-building programs he attended, he shared various platforms and resources that can significantly aid in conducting effective patent searches.
Engr. Jessel O. Cofleros, IPR Specialist II at IPOPHL IPSO Gensan, discussed the importance of Intellectual Property Rights. She emphasized that securing intellectual property should ultimately lead to technology commercialization—generating income for the community with the support of funding agencies and government initiatives. She also reminded participants that IP should not be pursued solely for academic promotion but as a means to drive innovation and sustainable economic growth.
The participants attended various presentations and lectures. Afterward, they prepared abstracts and drawings, presented their completed drafts, and received valuable feedback from the evaluators.
Engr. Emmanuel M. Mendoza, Chief of the IP Regional Operations Division of IPOPHL, discussed key topics such as invention spotting, patent search techniques, interpreting search results, assessing patentability, and drafting claims. He highlighted that conducting a patent search is valuable at every stage of research: before developing a proposal, while the proposal is under review, during project implementation, and up to the filing date of the patent application.
Based on the presentations of USM Personnel, he emphasized that computer-related inventions often contain multiple innovations that should not be viewed as a single system. Each component can qualify as a separate invention—whether in the system itself or in its methods—allowing for two possible forms of protection.
Engr. Mendoza encouraged participants to nurture their curiosity in patent searching and to regularly read patent documents. He motivated them to keep exploring, as consistent practice in patent search can eventually lead to breakthrough inventions.
He then reminded the participants to share their learnings with their students to spark innovation among them. By guiding and helping students refine their ideas—and by contributing insights to enhance their inventions—they can collectively contribute to their success.
“Let us work hand in hand towards the progressive economic development of our country,” he underscored.
In her closing message, Dr. Glyn G. Magbanua, the Extension Services Office (ESO) Director, congratulated the participants and expressed her gratitude to the resource speakers. She highlighted that through initiatives like patent searching and drafting, USM can proudly and safely claim that we slowly becoming one of the leading hubs for innovation in the country and in the region.
Furthermore, Prof. Benedict Entera, a faculty member of the Physics Department, shared his key takeaways from the training workshop. He noted that unlike the previous seminars he attended, which mainly focused on theory and information, this workshop emphasized the practical aspects of intellectual property—particularly the drafting of applications and claims. Through this hands-on experience, Prof. Entera gained a deeper appreciation for patent applications, utility models, industrial design applications, and copyrights.
USM-IPTTBDO conducted the activity in collaboration with USM on Adaptable and Resource-efficient Technologies Technology Business Incubator (USMart TBI), both directed and spearheaded by Dr. Jalaloden B. Marohom.
