IPOPHL extends Juana programs for women-led innovation growth

Insider Spotlight

• IPOPHL extended its Juana trademark and patent incentive programs for women-led enterprises during National Women’s Month.
• The Juana Make a Mark program now runs for another year or until 1,000 more trademark applications are filed.
• The Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Program will stay open until application quotas are filled.
• Fee waivers and faster processing aim to help more Filipina innovators protect and commercialize their IP assets.
  
  
  

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has extended its Juana incentive programs to help more women innovators, designers and entrepreneurs protect their intellectual property and unlock greater commercial value from their creations.

Why it matters

The move underscores IPOPHL’s push to widen access to the intellectual property system for women-led businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises that often face cost and process barriers in securing protection for brands, inventions and designs.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 2026-005, IPOPHL said the Juana Make a Mark Program will be extended for another year from its original April 30 end date, or until an additional 1,000 trademark applications have been filed by qualified applicants, whichever comes first.

JMAM supports women-led MSMEs by waiving key fees such as filing and publication costs, allowing savings of as much as P2,400 per application. Since 2017, the program has supported 8,500 applications.

The big picture

IPOPHL also extended the Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Program through Memorandum Circular No. 2026-009.

The program will remain in effect until it reaches a quota of 50 invention applications, 150 utility models and 150 industrial design applications.

Under JPIP, IPOPHL waives filing, excess claims or embodiments, first publication and substantive examination fees. This lets qualified applicants save up to P5,820 for invention applications, P3,240 for utility models and as much as P10,380 for industrial designs with up to 10 embodiments.

What’s new

Beyond fee waivers, IPOPHL said JPIP applications will also be prioritized for processing, subject to compliance with applicable laws and the absence of adverse information.

Qualified invention applications will receive expedited substantive examination, while utility model and industrial design applications will be recommended for publication and registration within two months and five days, respectively.

What they’re saying

“When women-led enterprises secure their IP rights, they are better positioned to compete in the market, attract investments and contribute meaningfully to inclusive economic growth,” IPOPHL acting director general Nathaniel S. Arevalo said in a press statement.

 “Through these programs, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring that more women innovators and entrepreneurs are able to protect and strategically leverage their intellectual property,” he added.

“Through the Juana programs, we are breaking down barriers to improve women’s access to the IP system,” said IPOPHL deputy director general Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan. 

“By making IP protection more accessible and responsive to their needs, we are enabling more Filipina innovators, designers and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into protected assets and competitive businesses,” Cabochan said. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma