Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the 2026 Presidential Filipinnovation Awards (PFA) National Competition Awarding Ceremony

Thank you very much to DEPDev Secretary, Secretary Arcy Balisacan. [Please take your seat]

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian; Dr. Renato Solidum of the Department of Science and Technology; the esteemed Members of the Diplomatic Corps; and other Members of the Cabinet who are here today; the Officials and Executive Members of National Innovation Council; the Finalists of the 2026 Presidential Filipinnovation Awards; fellow workers in government; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

A good day to all!

We gather here today for this year’s Presidential Filipinnovation Awards (PFA) National Competition Awarding Ceremony, where we celebrate Filipino innovators whose talent and ingenuity have given life to innovative products and services.

Envisioned to be the country’s highest recognition for innovation, the PFA provides a platform where Filipino craftsmanship, and innovation and inspiration takes center stage. At the same time, this is where our innovators can connect with industry stakeholders, partners, and investors as well as find greater market access and investment opportunities.

But recognition must also give Filipino ideas the opportunity to take root, to grow, to leave a mark in the lives of our people. We have seen this in our local innovations which have been nurtured through government support over the past years.

One example is the Immersive Gamification Technology System, or ImGTS, developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines. The ImGTS harnesses virtual reality and gamification to make rehabilitation more engaging for children with cerebral palsy and mobility limitations.

We have also seen how the Presidential Filipinnovation Awards can open new opportunities for our innovators.

One of our 2025 PFA awardees, Pili AdheSeal Inc., developed Pili Seal, a sustainable adhesive and sealant made from upcycled pili tree resin waste. Its innovation has since gained international recognition, earning a place in Germany’s 2026 Circular Economy Accelerator Program and training in Singapore to strengthen its product development and global market readiness.

On a similar note, the innovators with us today had the courage to ask what can be done better, the curiosity and the discipline to create and pursue a new idea, and the determination to make a difference in the lives of others.

After all, whenever I read phrases like that, I am reminded of Thomas Edison’s answer when he was asked to define his genius. And his answer was rather simple and he said, “my genius consist of one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

So, that sticktoitiveness, that persistence, that commitment to it is a critical part of everything that we have achieved here.

This recognition is especially meaningful as the world continues to undergo profound transformation. Technologies are advancing at a pace that we have never seen before. Communities confronting the effects of climate change, while geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions test the resilience of economies and all our systems.

And amidst these challenges, you chose to move forward.

You transformed bold ideas into scalable, real-world solutions that responds to the needs of our people. You have demonstrated that when Filipinos have access to opportunities, we create innovative solutions that are competitive in the global marketplace.

Instead of simply accepting the familiar refrain of “Bahala na,” you embodied the spirit “May ipapaganda pa tayo dito sa ating ginagawa.”

And so, to our champions of innovation: Congratulations!

To recognize your efforts and help bring your innovations to greater heights, each awardee will receive a cash grant worth two-point-five (2.5) —I think what we gave was actually three million, three million pesos.

This comes with a post-competition support, such as expert mentorship worth one million pesos, to help scale up your winning innovations.

It has always been – one of the stumbling blocks when some of these genius innovations come about in – the scaling of it, to put it to actual mass production and distribution.

What Dr. Austria said is that when that happens, we once again come up – we once again find ourselves in that situation when we say “sayang.” Bawasan natin ‘yun. We will continue to help all our inventors and innovators to bring whatever inspirations that they have developed into proper and usable inventions to the market and to the people that it will serve.

This Administration appreciates your efforts in helping building a safer, more comfortable, and more sustainable life for every Filipino.

In turn, we are committed to creating an environment where more innovators can pursue their ideas, to find opportunities, to grow, and to contribute to the development of our country.

From the beginning of this Administration, innovation has become a central part of our national development agenda.

Under the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, we recognize innovation as a key driver of economic transformation, of productivity, and of competitiveness.

This guides our efforts to strengthen the entire innovation continuum—from research and development to technology transfer, commercialization and market adoption, and ultimately, to global competitiveness.

An important aspect of that as well that we haven’t really touched upon is the presence of appropriate technology. And that is why the development of such technologies, such innovations from the grassroots is important because it addresses a real-world problem and provides a real-world solution that is pragmatic, that is scalable, and that actually works at the level that it is intended to.

We are also expanding opportunities for Filipinos to transform their ideas into solutions that can benefit our people.

Since 2022, the National Innovation Council (NIC) has provided funding support worth over three hundred seventeen (317.67) million pesos to sixty-one (61) different innovation programs, activities, and projects under the Innovation Grants.

The NIC has likewise conducted a policy study on streamlining business registration, renewal, and exit processes, while developing a regulatory sandbox policy guide for emerging technologies. To ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI for example in innovation, we have also formulated the AI Governance Framework.

These efforts only show that when the government creates the right conditions for our people to innovate, we open more opportunities for our country to move forward.

And so, to every innovator across the country: I know that you have come a long way to reach this point. I also know that there is still much to do to turn your ideas into solutions that can improve the lives of our people, our communities, and our nation.

I call on each of you to work with the government in addressing modern challenges—from food insecurity, flooding, soil erosion and energy shortages.

For the results of this competition only marks one milestone in that journey. The greater measure of your success will be found in the lives that you improve, the opportunities that you create, and the people that you will inspire.

May you continue to give hope to aspiring innovators here and around the world. Because every innovation begins with an idea. Every idea, given the chance to grow, becomes a force for change.

Once again, congratulations to our awardees!

Maraming salamat, mabuhay po tayong lahat!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas! [applause]

—END—