The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) honored its outstanding employees for their dedication, exemplary performance and years of service at this year’s Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Awarding Ceremony, recognizing the people whose work has helped build the Office and advance its mandate.
Deputy Director General and PRAISE Chair Nathaniel S. Arevalo formally opened the event, enticing the awardees to recognize the support of their colleagues and families, whose encouragement and contributions have helped make their achievements possible alongside their own hard work.
Among the 83 loyalty awardees, 68 marked 25 years of service since joining IPOPHL in 2001, a period of rapid expansion for the Office. Their milestone reflects not only their long years of service but also the institutional growth they have witnessed and contributed to over the years.
In his keynote message, Director General Teodoro C. Pascua reminded all IPOPHL employees of the impact of their work on the lives and livelihoods of the Filipino people, emphasizing that public office, as enshrined in the Constitution, is a public trust.
“That trust gives purpose to our work. Every application we process, every decision we render, every client we assist, and every program we deliver ultimately affects the innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities that we are mandated to serve,” he said.
DG Pascua also underscored that the awards recognize both individual accomplishment and the collective effort of IPOPHL employees in carrying out the Office’s mandate.
The PRAISE Awards form part of IPOPHL’s continuing efforts to develop a workforce that is capable, committed, and responsive to the demands of public service. By recognizing service excellence, performance, ethical conduct, professional development, and loyalty, the program reinforces the standards that IPOPHL seeks to cultivate across the organization.
This is particularly relevant as the Office continues to pursue its strategic priorities and strengthen its capacity to deliver intellectual property services. The people who carry out these priorities—from frontline and technical functions to administrative and support services—are central to translating institutional goals into results.
Bureau Top Performers
The Bureau / Office Top Performers were nominated by their respective Bureau PRAISE Committees for the organization-wide IPOPHL Top Performer Awards and evaluated by the IPOPHL PRAISE Committee. The nominees are grouped below according to position level and functional classification.
1st Level
- Angelica S. Cartel – Office of the Director General
- Angelie A. Duruin – Bureau of Legal Affairs
- Gary Mathew P. Geraldino – Financial Management and Administrative Service
- Michelle E. Bolo – Management Information Service
- Pearly May E. Sosmeña – Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights
- Sheryl R. Carlos – Bureau of Patents
2nd Level (Administrative)
- Ann Celine C. Marcelo – Bureau of Patents
- Leah C. Alire – Bureau of Trademarks
- Maria Evangelina J. Dapon – Bureau of Legal Affairs
2nd Level (Administrative Support Services)
- Ma. Charity P. Bartolome – Financial Management and Administrative Service
- Roy D. Dela Cuesta – Management Information Service
2nd Level (Technical)
- Atty. Antoinette Valerie Y. Yap Duque – Bureau of Legal Affairs
- Atty. Fatima C. Mamangon – Bureau of Patents
- Jude Martin A. Joya – Office of the Director General
- Engr. Maria Concepcion S. Zabala – Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau
- Salvador D. Briola, Jr. – Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights
From among the bureau-nominated top performers, Roy D. Dela Cuesta was named this year’s Outstanding IPOPHL Employee .
The Saludo Award, which recognizes employees for their meaningful contributions to their communities, was conferred upon Atty. Irma Vera P. Morcillo of the Bureau of Trademarks. She was recognized, among others, for her continuing social work in her home province, including efforts to support persons deprived of liberty and to carry forward her family’s longstanding commitment to helping inmates and their families.
Other individual awardees included:
Best Manager: Atty. Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan – Director of the Bureau of Legal Affairs. This award recognizes a manager who demonstrates effective leadership, sound management practices, and commitment to the development and performance of their team.
Best Division Chief: Atty. Marites Q. Salviejo – Bureau of Trademarks. This award recognizes a division chief who demonstrates effective leadership, management of resources and personnel, and consistent delivery of the division’s responsibilities.
Career and Self-Development Award:
This award recognizes employees who have demonstrated commitment to personal and professional growth through higher studies, continuing education and/or passing the board/bar examination at their own expense and time.
- Dir. Ralph Jarvis H. Alindogan – Master of Business Administration, major in Entrepreneurship – Executive Program (Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau)
- Krizzy Von T. Flores – Master of Business Administration (Financial Management and Administrative Service)
- Sony Pauline C. Zorilla – Juris Doctor (Bureau of Trademarks)
Reflecting on the agency’s institutional journey, Deputy Director General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan closed the program by lauding the awardees over the years, noting that their collective contributions have shaped the Office into what it is today.
As IPOPHL looks toward the future, the PRAISE Awards serve as a reminder that institutional progress is ultimately driven by people. By recognizing those who exemplify excellence, commitment, and public service, IPOPHL reinforces a culture that encourages its people to grow, contribute, and help advance the Office’s mandate. (Rawl Maliwat, Communications & Marketing Writer)
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