At the culminating activity of National Intellectual Property Month, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines recognized the UnionBank of the Philippines for its support for intellectual property awareness and protection.

The 2023 Gawad Yamang Isip Awards and Fashion Night, themed “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity,” was held at The Manila Hotel last 26 April  2023.

It highlighted the IP protection of Filipino textiles and fabrics through a fashion showcase. UnionBank was presented with a plaque of recognition for its partnership with (IPOPHL) in championing the protection of digital innovation technology intellectual properties.

UnionBank’s senior vice president and head of Blockchain and API Business Group, Metaverse Center of Excellence and Government Projects, Catherine Anne Bautista-Casas, accepted the citation for the bank.

“One thing we always talk about at the UnionBank Innovation Camp is that, for us, IP patents aren’t just legalities or papers on the wall… it represents the creative ideas of our employees and the values that we had established as a bank when we decided not just to digitize, but innovate,” Casas said. “When we innovate, we don’t just create something for our customers. We promote our society’s development, give people opportunities to create new things, and inspire other companies to do the same.”

“As a digital innovator, IP protection is important to us, naturally, because of the numerous patents we file for our solutions and products. But more than that, IP protection safeguards employees’ ideas, who work hard to develop solutions that greatly benefit our customers,” Casas shared. “Whether in technology, science, engineering, or the arts…IP protection gives creators the credit they deserve for their societal contributions.”

The 2023 Gawad Yamang Isip Awards and Fashion Night, attended by other distinguished guests, including Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Romualdez Marcos and Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, was meant to underscore the importance of IP protection in the creative industry and emphasize the significance of IP about the country’s social, cultural, economic and technological development.

UnionBank is known for its digital banking innovations. It was the first to introduce numerous industry solutions like selfie banking, an open-source application programming interface platform, and the country’s first-ever fully digital and paperless banking branch, The Ark.

UnionBank has consistently been introducing innovative solutions that continue redefining how Filipinos view banking. With the bank’s expertise in a wide range of emerging technologies, including data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain, cloud computing, and extended reality, UnionBank is on the way to building a digital banking dynasty as it has collected numerous awards including a 6-time Best Digital Bank recognition from The Asset among others.