Manila (29 June) -- The Department of Science and Technology Visayas Cluster Regions (DOST VI, VII and VIII) and the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) will hold the 2010 Visayas Island Invention Contests and Exhibits (VIICE) on August 12, 13 and 14, 2010 at the Amigo Plaza Mall, Iloilo City.
The 2010 VIICE is bannered by the theme "Filipino Inventions and Innovations: The Way Forward".
DOST-TAPI celebrates the National Inventors? Week (NIW) every year, which is highlighted by the National Invention Contest (NIC).
The activity aims to recognize and promote Filipino Inventors? ingenuity, innovativeness and creativity. This is also to enhance awareness on Filipino Inventions as well as knowing their influence to national development.
To ensure the maximum participation of inventors nationwide and to give them the chance to display and present their inventions, regional-level contests are also being conducted every year.
This year, VIICE will be hosted by DOST Region VI headed by Director Rowen R. Gelonga.
The three-day activity will formally open on August 12, 2010 and will end on August 14, 2010. Filipino inventors will compete in six (6) categories, namely: Invention (Tuklas Award); Utility Model; Industrial Design; Creative Research (Likha Award); Student Creative Research (Sibol Award) for High School and; Student Category Research (Sibol Award) for College.
The entries for the Invention Category (Tuklas Award) must be covered by invention patent, still in force granted by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). However, the Utility Model entries must be covered by utility patent/registration still in force granted by the IPO.
The Industrial Design entries must be covered by industrial design patent/registration, also still in force granted by the IPO. The entries for the Creative Research Category are those influenced by commercialization/dissemination.
Entries for the Student Creative Research for high school and college students must be new and innovative projects/models and must possess features and characteristics that have significant contribution in the promotion of S&T innovations that are not contrary to public order, morals, public health, and welfare.
The judges will name the top three (3) regional qualifiers in each of the categories. Each regional qualifier will receive cash incentive amounting to Ten Thousand Pesos (Php 10,000.00). Regional finalists will be competing in the National Invention Contests and Exhibits (NICE) to be held in November 17-19, 2010 at the Trade Hall 1, SM City Cebu, Cebu City.
As part of the conduct of the 2010 VIICE, the DOST Visayas Cluster Regions will have series of Technical Sessions with topics on DOST-TAPI?s Programs of Assistance to Inventors and Would-be Inventors, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Awareness and Patent Application, Patentability and Granting Procedure on August 13, 2010.