‘JUANA MAKE A MARK’ EXTENDED

Micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises ( MSMEs) can now apply for trademarks without paying any fee.

In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it had signed a memorandum of agreement with its attached agency, Intellectual Property of the Philippines (IPOPHL), to extend the “Juana Make a Mark” program, which expired earlier, up to February next year.

“Juana Make a Mark is part of our strategy to help MSMEs be part of the local supply chain and eventually venture out to the global market,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

Through the program, the DTI said qualified MSMEs could save up to P3,000 from waived basic filing, color claims and first publication fees.

There are a number of requirements that an MSME must satisfy before enjoying the perk. For one, the business activity needs to be among the priority sectors identified by the DTI and IPOPHL.

These include automotive and auto spare parts, chemicals, electronic manufacturing, conductor manufacturing services and tourism.

Top officials of DTI and IPOPHL signed the agreement earlier this month during the MSME Summit in Clark, Pampanga.

IPOPHL director Josephine R. Santiago said in the same DTI statement that this move would give MSMEs an “edge” in marketing their products.

“The success of the first round of the program shows MSMEs are realizing the significance of trademarks,” she said.

IPOPHL described trademarks as “source-identifiers,” which are meant to distinguish one business’ goods or services from that of another, and can be a significant marketing tool for enterprises to establish brand recognition.