The Office of Innovation and Business Development (OIBD) honored faculty members and colleges for their outstanding contributions to the university’s Intellectual Property (IP) targets during the Tarlac State University Innovation Awards 2026, held on April 30 at the Alumni Center, Lucinda Campus.
The ceremony served as a formal recognition of high-impact research and innovation achievements recorded over a five-year period, spanning January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025.
“The awards we will confer today are particularly special. We are looking back at the past five years, a period defined by unprecedented global challenges. While the world slowed down due to the pandemic, your minds did not. You chose to innovate when it was most difficult, “Atty. Wilmark Ramos, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension, said in his speech.
“This ceremony is a testament to the fact that TSU is not merely for instruction, but a powerhouse for creativity and a hub for transformative students,” Atty. Ramos further said.
Among the afternoon's highlights was the recognition of the top-performing college and researchers who led the university in IP production.
The College of Science was awarded the largest number of filed Intellectual Property with 18 patents, 14 utility models, and 35 copyrights.
Dr. Lea Milan, Center for Food Technology and Research Director, was named the faculty member with the most filed IP – seven patents, two utility models, and one copyright. She was also awarded the greatest number of filed patents/ utility models (seven patents and two utility models).
Dr. Heidilyn Gamido was named as the faculty member with the greatest number of copyrighted materials (18), while Engr. Adam Rombaoa is the first faculty member to file an industrial design.
The ceremony also featured a special tribute to the OIBD staff for their collective performance and contributions that helped the university achieve the 2025 Platinum Cluster Award. Certificates of Commendation were awarded to VP Ramos, Director Atty. Jayriz Dungca and his team: Engr. Yvy Clydylynn Rabara, Asst. Prof. Aldrex Laxamana, Mr. Hilario Romen III, Engr. Julius TJ Serrano, Engr. Jayson Llarves, Mr. Samuel Saroza, Ms. Pauline Esguerra, and Engr. Ella Mae Raga.
Last March 2026, the university received its third consecutive Platinum Award from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines during the 2025 ITSO Clustering Awards. The Platinum Award is the highest distinction of the IPOPHL, awarded to institutions that meet high standards and consistently surpass Intellectual Property filing targets.
Aligned with the goals set by the Commission on Higher Education and IPOPHL, the event serves to cultivate a university-wide culture of intellectual property and collaborative research, thereby supporting the university’s mandate to strengthen research, innovation, technology transfer, and IP policies.
Moreover, OIBD launched two programs, SILIP (Student Introductory Lecture on IP) and Strengthening Patent Awareness Research and Knowledge (SPARK), to further strengthen the IP culture among the students and faculty.
According to Atty. Dungca, around 480 students were catered to in the SILIP program, a primary IP education program.
The TSU Innovation Awards Committee is composed of the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension, the OIBD Director, and five OIBD personnel.
