President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. championed the cause of local innovators on Tuesday, vowing to fortify the government’s framework for supporting homegrown brilliance and ensuring that Filipino inventions transition from concepts to commercial realities.
During the 2026 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) Awards held at Malacañang, the President underscored a strategic shift toward aggressive institutional support.
He noted that the administration is currently scaling up resources for research grants, streamlining the path to market, and tightening the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
“As President, I do not accept that there should be an uncertain future for our inventors,” Marcos stated, emphasizing the need for a reliable safety net for the country’s brightest minds.
The President expressed a sense of urgency in providing these resources, noting that the country cannot afford to lose high-potential projects to bureaucratic or financial hurdles.
“They have world-changing ideas… we cannot watch them wither on the vine due to lack of institutional support,” he remarked.
To execute this vision, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has been tasked with leading a multi-agency effort. The directive focuses on connecting inventors with investors and providing the legal scaffolding necessary to protect their creations.
The NICE Awards, governed by Republic Act No. 7459 and managed by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute, remains the gold standard for recognizing local talent. This year’s competition saw a rigorous selection process, where only 28 finalists emerged from a massive pool of 764 nationwide entries.
Marcos concluded by reiterating that the administration’s endgame is the birth of new, sustainable industries fueled by Filipino ingenuity.
“This is only the beginning,” the President said, pointing to a long-term roadmap of startup development and continued technical assistance designed to cement the Philippines’ place as an innovation hub.