The Department of Science and Technology Regional Office No. IX (DOST IX) invites inventors, makers, designers, creative researchers, students from Region IX to participate in the 2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits (RICE) which will be held on 15-17 September 2015 at the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), Zamboanga City.
DOST IX Regional Director Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano said that RICE is a nationwide activity conducted in different regions to recognize the indispensability of the Filipino inventors in the Philippine society and in the landscape of national economic development. The invention contest is aimed at motivating inventors to use their inventive capability by competing for cash awards. The contest serves as the elimination / qualifying round for the National Invention Contest, pursuant to Section 4 of the Republic Act No. 7459 also known as “Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines”.
The competition has six (6) categories, namely:
1) Invention Category – any technical solution of a problem in any field of human activity which is new, involves an inventive step and is industrially applicable. It may be, or may relate to a product, or process, and their improvements. It shall be covered by invention patent still in force granted by the Intellectual Property Office –Philippines (IPOPHIL);
2) Utility Model Category - any technical solution of a problem in any field of human activity which is new and industrially applicable;
3) Industrial Design Category - any composition of lines or colors, provided, that such composition or form gives a special appearance to and can serve as pattern for an industrial product or handicraft;
4) Creative Research Category – any patent pending inventions, registration pending utility models and industrial designs and research results not yet applied for patent, utility model and industrial design registration. Eligible under this category are new and useful machines / devices / gadgets, products or processes or an improvement of any of the forgoing; and non-biological / microbiological processes not contrary to public order, morals, public health and welfare. These are research results with demonstrative qualities and potential for improvement and / or widespread commercialization / dissemination;
5) Student Creative Research for College and High School - any new and innovative projects / models developed by college and high school students. These projects / models should possess features and characteristics that many have significant contribution to the promotion of S&T innovations that are not contrary to public order, morals, public health and welfare.
Interested individual may download the Entry form and the Regional Invention Contest Rules and Criteria here.
Deadline of submission of entries to DOST IX is on September 01, 2015.
Winners will receive cash incentive and certificate of recognition, and a chance to represent Region IX in the national competition slated in July 2016.
For queries, guidelines and requirements, please visit or call the DOST-IX office at Pettit Barracks, telephone numbers (062) 991-1024 (look for Nuhman Aljani); or the Provincial S&T Centers (PSTCs) in Upper Turno, Dipolog City, telephone numbers (065) 212-2244); in Rizal Avenue, Pagadian City, telephone numbers (062) 925-1838; and in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, telephone numbers (062) 955-0825. (DOST IX PRESS RELEASE)
