The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) appointed the Former Deputy Director General (DDG) of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), Atty. Andrew Michael S. Ong as Director of its Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (ASPAC) and will take effect on August 15, 2014.

One of Atty. Ong's biggest accomplishment as DDG of IPOPHL was the establishment of the Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) or "patent libraries" in the Philippines. ITSO is a project of IPOPHL together with WIPO to strengthen institutional capacity of universities and research-related institutions to access patent information and make use of the patent system. The ITSO network named him as the Father of ITSO.

Director Ong will be directly reporting to WIPO’s Deputy Director General on Development Sector, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific is responsible for provision of legal and technical assistance to 38 countries, including 25 developing countries and 13 least develop countries, in the Asia Pacific region. This assistance is provided in cooperation with relevant sectors in WIPO.

To know more about WIPO's Regional Bureau for Aisa and Pacific please visit http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/activities_by_unit/units/aspac.html