Welcome remarks by Ambassador Bill Tweddell
RPET Certificate ceremony for Mr Jan Rayyan Barraca
29 January 2015
Thank you, Deputy Director General Gepty, for the welcome to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. It is a pleasure to be here today.
I would like to thank you and Deputy Director General Nelson Laluces for inviting me to participate in this special occasion.
I am honoured to have the opportunity to address the staff of this dynamic and world class office. I am here today representing the Australian Government and IP Australia to congratulate Mr Jan Rayyan Baraca for being the first graduate to complete the Regional Patent Examination Training program, which we like to call RPET.
Jan completed just over 600 hours of training across five different competencies to graduate from the program.
RPET is a modern, comprehensive and intensive competency based online training program. It is delivered remotely to participants in different countries and time zones, using a sophisticated blend of learning approaches.
IP Australia provides ongoing mentoring and support, using a combination of face-to-face training, supervision from local and Australian examiners, virtual lectures and online communities of practice.
The program has been developed drawing on IP Australia’s experience of training its own examiners, with a focus on developing the competency of examiners to conduct search and examination to the international standards expected under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
As one of the first offices to participate in the RPET program, IPOPHL has made significant contributions towards the development and success of the program.
Australia is truly proud to collaborate with the Philippines, and others, in developing such a world class program that delivers real benefits to IP offices in the Asia-Pacific region.
I understand there are some other people here today who have embarked on the same training package – I wish you all the very best of luck in your studies.
I’m told trainees advance through the program on the basis of their progress rather than according to an artificial trainer-based timeline. The flexibility in the program’s structure therefore is a key contributor to effective learning.
The program provides participants with the knowledge and skills to search and examine patent applications in line with international standards.
We hope that the participants will share the lessons with others in their home offices and facilitate the development of better office practices.
I am very pleased that Australia is the centre for this training and very pleased to see Filipino students graduating from the program.
IP Australia has been an international searching and examination authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for over 30 years.
This experience, coupled with a commitment to quality and helping other offices to develop their patent examination capabilities, places IP Australia in a unique position to develop RPET under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
RPET will, in time, lead to higher quality and more consistent IP rights. The Australian Government believes that if IP rights are consistently protected, investors and traders will have increased business confidence to operate within the region.
I hope that Australia can assist the Philippines as it works to integrate with the regional and global economy.
Finally, I would also like to acknowledge the work of Mr Merito Carag, as an experienced local supervisor, in helping to bring to life IP Australia’s vision for RPET.
The Australian Government is very proud of the successes achieved so far and looks forward to continued cooperation on patent examination with the Philippines.
That is enough from me!
Let us now celebrate Rayyan’s achievements.
I call on Rayyan to come forward to accept this certificate of completion. Congratulations!