by Mikaela Kate L. Mamauag
To support an efficient implementation of the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009 or Republic Act (RA) 10055, the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI) successfully piloted the mechanisms for issuing the Fairness Opinion Report (FOR) and Written Recommendation (WR).
These documents are necessary for the transfer and commercialization of any government-funded research and development project.
Participants of the “Support to the Issuance of FOR for Technology Transfer Activities” Mindanao Cluster on 10-11 June 2019 at Seda Abreeza Hotel, Davao City
This is for the reason that under Sections 7 and 8 of RA 10055, government funding agencies and research and development institutes are mandated to secure an FOR and WR.
The FOR is a document crafted by a neutral third-party body called a Fairness Opinion Board (FOB) which analyzes the fairness of a proposed technology transfer transaction.
Meanwhile, a WR contains the recommendation of the DOST Secretary on the technical, legal, socio-economic, and environmental aspects of the transaction.
In 2016 under the DOST 500 Project or the “Support to the Commercialization of 500 DOST-Generated Technologies,” DOST-TAPI Director Edgar I. Garcia and Chief Science Research Specialist Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena formed and headed the FOB Secretariat.
The group handled the preparatory tasks in generating the FORs in coordination with experts from the public and private sectors, and in assisting the preparation of the WR signed by the DOST Secretary.
In the first year as FOB Secretariat in 2017, DOST-TAPI issued 22 FORs, and generated 76 and 52 FORs in 2017 and 2018, respectively, before the duty was taken over by the DOST Regional Offices in July 2019.
The transfer of functions to the DOST Regional Offices has made the transactions more accessible for licensors and licensees to request for an FOR.
As of counting, DOST-TAPI facilitated the issuance of 61 WRs from July 2019 to June 2021, which was prompted by the requests received from the DOST Regional Offices.
Through the support from the DOST 500 Project, the creation of the FOR is fast-tracked from 90 to 15 days and the WR is issued eight days after the request is received.
To know more about the DOST 500 Project, please attend the Week-Long Accomplishment and Culminating Activity of Special Projects on 26-30 July 2021 via the DOST-TAPI Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/DOST.TAPI.
For more information, please visit www.techtrans.gov.ph and www.tapi.dost.gov.ph, contact 8837 2071 local 2157 and 2167, and email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
