Weavers, culinary experts, furniture designers, apparel makers, brand builders and changemakers. These are some of thousands of women whose lives have changed — and who have changed others’ lives — through the Juana Make a Mark Program of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Launched in 2017 by former Director General Josephine Santiago, the program was originally conceived to facilitate trademark registration for micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, or MSMEs.

With its success, it was recently expanded with the addition of the Juana Invent and Juana Design Program to cover women inventors and industrial designers. Since then, JMAM has emerged as a powerful source of empowerment for women entrepreneurs, particularly in provincial areas.

Recent data from IPOPHL underscores the program’s success in reaching marginalized communities. Surprisingly, a remarkable 92% of the 6,443 JMAM applicants since its inception hail from regions outside bustling and economically thriving Metro Manila.

Among the 16 IPSOs processing JMAM requests, the Cordillera Administrative Region emerged as the frontrunner, processing 10.8 percent of total trademark filings. Following closely are the IPSOs in the Bicol Region and Soccsksargen, highlighting the program’s resonance in diverse regional contexts.

The numbers speak volumes about JMAM’s ability to transcend not only gender barriers but also geographical constraints, thereby fostering a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.

Moreover, the nature of trademark applications reflects the program’s alignment with local entrepreneurial endeavors. From local delicacies to lifestyle brands offering indigenous textile and products, JMAM embodies a celebration of Philippine cultural heritage. This emphasis on local entrepreneurship not only promotes economic growth but also preserves cultural diversity.

At the recent Women in IP Symposium of the United States Patent Trademark Office held this March, various women leaders in various IP officers including IPOPHL shared insights on the theme focused on the “Global Advancement of Women in the Innovation Economy: Accelerating the achievement of women and girls in STEAM and in IP Education to bring ideas to impact.”

In encouraging more young women to create impactful IPs, Assistant Chief of the Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau’s Information Dissemination and Training Division Emmelina Masanque shared the gains in IPOPHL’s Youth Intellectual Property Incentive program which recently celebrated the WIPO ambassadorship of some students from its network of member-schools. The annual competition on green or Socially Relevant Technologies Competition, which aims to recognize and help draw more attention to green technologies, allocates a category for young inventors and innovators, many of whom are women.

Human Resource Management and Development Division Chief and Gender and Diversity Focal Point System Member Felicita Aguilar revealed the gains of the Juana Programs in bringing more women into the entrepreneurial and innovation scenes.

By empowering women to make and own their brands and help bring their innovative ideas to reality, JMAM catalyzes economic empowerment among women. Studies have shown that when we invest in women, who have a greater propensity to reinvest in their families and communities, we create a bigger ripple effect that can alleviate poverty, reduce inequalities and nurture healthier communities.

This Women’s Month, I hope to emphasize IPOPHL’s commitment to sustaining the momentum of our Juana programs. With over 900 applicants still awaiting assistance, the program’s seventh cycle promises to extend its transformative impact to even more MSMEs, particularly those in underserved communities.

But, of course, we all must celebrate the strides made by women in IP not just with words of praise but through action that progresses even beyond Women’s Month. And through our Juana Programs and efforts to bring more young women into innovation and creativity, we hope IPOPHL is doing its part.