The trade department has extended the “Juana Make a Mark” program that allows micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to apply for trademark at a reduced cost.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) on Tuesday signed an agreement extending the Trademark Registration Incentive Program, initiated last year. The program is aimed at servicing 1,000 MSMEs that want to protect their trademarks.
“We are extending this assistance program to get more MSMEs, especially in far-flung areas of the country, into the fold of protecting their trademarks. The success of the first round of the program shows MSMEs are realizing the significance trademarks give, such as an edge in marketing their products,” said Josephine R. Santiago, director general of the IPOPHL.
MSMEs could save up to P3,000 under the program, as it waives the payment of basic filing fees, among others. Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez branded Juana Make a Mark as “part of our strategy to help the MSMEs be part of the local supply chain and eventually venture out to the global market.”
The government has a set of qualifications for MSMEs before they can apply. They must be engaged in business activities that are priority sectors by the DTI and IPOPHL; located in areas prone to natural disaster or facing social and economic challenges; and listed business names with the DTI.
They must also have two unregistered marks used on goods and services; have no more than five workers; and engaged in business for at least one year or with limited financial capability.
The DTI and IPOPHL’s priority sectors are agricultural business, including food and resource-based processing; aerospace parts; automotive parts; chemicals; electronics-manufacturing and semiconductor-manufacturing services; construction; and design-oriented furniture and garments. Also on the list are shipbuilding; information technology and business-process management; tool and die; tourism; and transport and logistics.
The IPOPHL started the program last year, and targetted 1,000 trademarks to be registered under it for a period of one year. The agency believes the active participation of MSMEs in the first round of Juana Make a Change is a proof of its significance.
A hefty chunk of the trademark applications at the first round of the program was in the class of pastries, delicacies, coffee, tea and sugar. The next class with the most number of trademark applications was processed food from fruits and vegetables.
With the program’s extension, more MSMEs are seen utilizing the trademark system to boost their competitiveness. The extension was signed last Tuesday by Lopez and IPOPHL Deputy Director General Teodoro C. Pascua.