28/10/2025
PhilRice Participates in RAISE Summit Week 2025
At the recently concluded RAISE Summit Week 2025 held in Tagaytay City on 13–16 October 2025, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) was represented by its Head of the Intellectual Property Management Office, Atty. Jerry C. Serapion, who was recognized for his invaluable contribution as a speaker in the Spin-off Policy Seminar.
The Seminar formed part of the flagship Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Program of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The development of institutional spin-off policies was conceptualized by Director Noel A. Catibog of PCAARRD's Technology Transfer and Promotion Division to strengthen the commercialization efforts of Research and Development Institutions (RDIs). The RAISE program promotes innovation, intellectual property (IP) protection, technology commercialization, and start-up or spin-off creation in the agri-aqua sector.
Also present were other members of the Association of PAQE Professionals (APP) — Atty. Editha R. Hechanova (President) and Atty. Misael Costes (Vice-President) — who guided participating agencies in crafting and finalizing their institutional spin-off policies.
The RAISE Program continues to deliver strong results nationwide. As of June 2025, 94 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Research and Development Institutes (RDIs) are implementing 149 projects. The program contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
In April 2025, one of PhilRice’s Technology Transfer Officers, Ms. Chona Suner-Narvadez, participated in the focused Spin-off Policy Development Training under the RAISE Program. Through this initiative, PhilRice has developed a draft Spin-Off Policy designed to empower its scientists, inventors, and researchers to drive innovation beyond the laboratory and commercialize their own inventions.
Under Republic Act 10055 or the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009, a spin-off is defined as an independent company created to commercialize a technology developed by a research organization. A spin-off policy provides the institutional framework for licensing, assigning, or supporting such ventures while safeguarding intellectual property rights and ensuring equitable sharing of revenues and benefits.
DA-PhilRice