The Commission on Higher Education – Caraga Regional Office (CHED Caraga) conducted a webinar on the Innovation and Intellectual Property (IP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Perspective on the afternoon of August 24, 2021 via ZOOM Teleconferencing and Facebook Live as part of the activities for the month-long celebration of the 54th ASEAN Founding Anniversary.

The webinar was attended by key faculty and officials of Caraga Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as well as innovation enthusiasts and CHED Caraga personnel. The webinar featured resource person Engr. Jeffrey T. Dellosa, Professor I in the Electronics Engineering Department of Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City. Engr. Dellosa presented his discussion in three parts: Demystifying Innovation and Intellectual Property; Global Innovation Index: Innovation in ASEAN; Building Innovation and Entrepreneurial Environment in our Universities.

Engr. Dellosa gave a comprehensive discussion not only about IP in its various forms, but also on differentiating invention and innovation. Giving greater emphasis on innovation and IP, Engr. Dellosa further expounded on the value of both in business locally and in the global economy.

Speaking within the ASEAN context, Engr. Dellosa outlined where each country currently lies in the Global Innovation Index (GII), where the Philippines climbed 50 ranks higher within only 6 years. He described the growth currently being experienced by the regional block of nations and the ongoing efforts to further support the growth, such as the ASEAN Connectivity 2025 project, which aims to “achieve a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated ASEAN that will promote competitiveness, inclusiveness, and a greater sense of Community,” He also outlined Singapore as a model nation within the ASEAN for innovation, highlighting its innovation strengths and weaknesses and what can be inferred from it.

Engr. Dellosa shared to the attending HEI representatives that HEIs can contribute to the GII of the country through increasing their IP filings and innovation outputs by developing, filing, and using their own patents. He demonstrated this using the real-life example of Caraga State University in building an innovation and entrepreneurial environment through their research and development, and commercializing their innovations.

Dr. Criseldo Calinawan, Education Supervisor II at CHED Caraga, moderated the open forum as the participants used the opportunity to discuss with the speaker ways in which their HEI can also rise up to the challenge of increasing their level of innovation.

The webinar wrapped up with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Engr. Dellosa for his generous time and knowledge, by Engr. Edgardo Ricardo B. Sajonia Jr., Vice Governor of Education at the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IECEP) Caraga.

The month-long activities for the 54th ASEAN Founding Anniversary ran from August 9 to 27, 2021. See the recorded virtual events at our official website, www.chedcaraga.ph, or at our official Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/CHEDCaragaPH.