Last night, nearly 200 intellectual property (IP) rights holders and partners gathered at the Dusit Thani Hotel to witness the Gawad Yamang Isip Awards, the most prestigious annual award on innovation, creativity and IP. Winners of the much-coveted award were chosen for their commitment and impact on creating a sustainable future.

For this year, the GYI had five categories: Inventions, Industrial Design, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Trademarks.

Crucial inventions

The Gawad Yamang Isip for Inventions was conferred on D&L Industries for successfully commercializing their inventions. The listed firm has engaged in product customization and specialization achieved through collaborative efforts with various partners. Powered by research and innovation, the company offers diverse products ranging from food ingredients, chemicals for personal and home care use, raw materials for plastic, and aerosol products.

Their invention, the “Composition of medium chain triglycerides containing substantial amounts of lauric acid,” is the backbone of their Laurin CocoMCT, a premium all-natural modern coconut oil in its most concentrated form. With the commercialization of this product, D&L Industries is able to provide a sustainable livelihood to coconut farmers and their communities through the programs of the Lao Foundation with Dualtech Training Center.

Industrial design

The GYI for Industrial Design (ID) was conferred on individuals who had successfully commercialized their IDs.

For this award, we chose industrial designer Stanley Ruiz who is also the principal of Estudio Ruiz Design Consultancy, a design studio specializing in the development of products for the furniture, lighting and home furnishings sector.

Ruiz has been designing and developing products for companies and manufacturers for over 20 years, using a wide range of materials and processes and with some collections in collaboration with the Design Center of the Philippines. He has an extensive background in craft design and production, with his work exploring the commonplace to bring about new meaning and interpretation to object archetypes.

One of Ruiz’s most famous products is called “Contrapunto” where he uses bakong — a perennial aquatic plant that is proving to be a promising plant-based material for creating sustainable solutions in various industries. Commonly called spider lily that grows in Cagayan Valley, the bakong is molded by Ruiz into biocomposite bins, and incorporated with wood as support structure and material counterpoint to the bio-based plastic.

Performing arts

The Gawad Yamang Isip for the Performing Arts was conferred on individuals who have substantially contributed to the performing arts in the Philippines and developments in the field of copyright and related rights.

The recipient of this award was Gary Valenciano, a multi-awarded singer-songwriter, musician, film actor, television host/performer, music producer, and arranger. As we all know, Mr. Pure Energy has enthralled his audiences with his breathtaking performances and groundbreaking recordings.

Gary V. is also a staunch advocate of copyright, having participated in the 1st Philippine International Copyright Summit (PICS) in 2021 as a speaker.

Visual arts

For our Visual Arts category, the recipient of this award was no other than Ramon Orlina, widely acknowledged as the “Father of Philippine Glass Sculpture” for pioneering glass sculpting in the country and raising the ante for the craft, as far as the challenging cold method technique is concerned. His dedication to his craft and his proactive stance of fighting for artists’ rights and copyright served as an inspiration to the creative community.

Orlina has bagged several international awards and has had his pieces displayed in various countries like Singapore and Japan, among others. Some of his famous works include the Greenbelt Lagoon Chapel; the Stations of the Cross at the Benedictine Abbey Church, Alabang; the Tabernacle and Risen Christ at the EDSA Shrine and Chapel, and the Quattromondial at the University of Santo Tomas. Orlina’s very first glass sculpture was the “Arcanum 19, Paradise Gained” which is installed at the entrance of the National Museum’s new building to welcome its guests.

For our Visual Arts category, the recipient of this award was no other than Ramon Orlina, widely acknowledged as the ‘Father of Philippine Glass Sculpture.’

Recently, Orlina registered 13 of his works with the Bureau of Copyright and Registered Rights to obtain additional proof of his authorship of his works.

Trademarks

The GYI for Trademarks was conferred on businesses that have brought economic development through their trademark.

For this year, it was Rags2Riches that bagged this award. The company is a social enterprise that started with a mission to lift Filipino artisans out of poverty. With their artisan communities across Metro Manila, they were able to transform unwanted fabric from factories and retailers into woven rugs, and eventually bags that feature their signature weave. The artisans use a special knotting technique to bind the strips of fabric together, thus producing the smallest possible knot that is still strong and secure.

Through the years, Rags2Riches expanded their product line, as well as their partner artisan communities. As the brand grew, their communities extended to fellow social enterprises within the city and far-flung weaving communities. Today, this enterprise produces not just bags, but also clothes, home accessories, and many other things that use carved wood or indigenous textiles handcrafted with care by a local community or high-quality artisanal materials that ensure the longevity of their products.

Our GYI 2024 awardees are truly a cut above the rest, especially in the indelible mark they have created on society and for sustainability. We hope, like the GYI awardees before them, they will continue to inspire others to contribute to a better society through the lives they lead and through the IPs they created.