Our Core Team
Diverse professionals and experienced intellectual property specialists committed to providing the highest service standards
Our Core Team
PatentProse is an intellectual property firm led by a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds spanning law, engineering, and marketing. Since 2001, their combined extensive experience has allowed them to provide the highest standards of intellectual property services.
PatentProse is an intellectual property firm led by a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds spanning law, engineering, and marketing. Since 2001, their combined extensive experience has allowed them to provide the highest standards of intellectual property services.
Engr. Roberto C. Ronquillo
Managing Director & Registered Patent Agent
Engr. Roberto Ronquillo’s extensive background as an inventor, patent agent, engineer and entrepreneur enables him to bring a unique combination of technical, creative and business experience to PatentProse. He is a Civil Engineering graduate (BS CE 1985) from the country’s premiere state university, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. In 2006, he officially became a Registered Philippine Patent Agent, having passed the very first Patent Agent Qualifying Exam (PAQE) offered by the IPO Philippines. In 2012 he was awarded as one of the “100 Outstanding Engineers of the Century”, a prestigious award given by his alma mater, the University of the Philippines.
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His Experience as an Engineer and Entrepreneur
In 1985, immediately after graduation from college, he had his first taste of becoming an entrepreneur when he established his own company engaged in the installation of communication antenna systems in the Philippines. In 1987, in his desire to avoid the substantial costs of buying a brand new utility vehicle for his growing antenna installation business, he attempted to build his own utility vehicle through self-study and using mostly surplus parts. The unexpected success of his first attempt encouraged him to establish a company engaged in the manufacture of low-cost AUV (Asian Utility Vehicles) and CBUs (completely built-up units) in 1988. In 1991, while on a road trip on a hot, sunny day, he suddenly hatched an idea for a product that would help reduce the heat inside a vehicle by improving the efficiency of the air-conditioning system. The product was a revolutionary multi-layered dashboard cover with UV inhibitors (branded as “Dashield”) which became a huge commercial success among Philippine car owners. In 1992 he established the current family business engaged in the manufacture and distribution of locally manufactured accessories for automobiles (dashboard covers, bull-bars, body kits, side skirts, claddings, cargo trays etc.). All accessories were designed by Engr. Roberto himself and are each protected by patents.
His Experience as an Inventor and Patent Agent
Engr. Roberto officially became an inventor in 1992, when his own idea (a multi-layered dashboard cover with UV inhibitors) was granted a patent in 1992. Without the help of any patent agent and armed only with his desire to have his idea protected through a patent, he managed to draft his own patent application through his research at the Bureau of Patents (now IPOPHL) library. After receiving his first Philippine patent in 1992 and the commercial success of his first invention, he continued to develop and design more products mostly related to the automotive industry. In 2002, a petty theft of his vehicle’s side mirrors encouraged him to develop an automobile side mirror guard which he filed as an invention and was eventually granted registration. His creativity and ingenuity as an inventor was not confined to a single industry however. In 2001, driven by the need to have an efficient cleaning system for the gallon bottles of his water refilling business, he invented a unique mechanical bottle scrubber device which was eventually granted a Philippine Patent. In 2012, an ankle injury that left him temporarily disabled led him to the idea of inventing a device to aid persons with foot and ankle injuries. In 2018, during the construction of a new office building, he developed an idea for a long span aluminum louver assembly for which a patent application is currently pending. In 2020, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, in close collaboration with dentists, he designed and developed an ergonomic dental isolation box equipped with a HEPA filter which offers superior protection over other aerosol controlling devices . The said dental isolation box is currently now in commercial use in the Philippines.
Engr. Roberto formally established PatentProse in 2001, realizing that there was a tremendous need for the services of an Intellectual property agent and consultant in the Philippines and that he himself already had ample knowledge then in the filing and prosecution of trademark and patent applications as well as in dealing with the IPOPHL. He became a certified Philippine Patent agent in 2006.
As an inventor, he has filed no less than 65 patents in his name to-date (inventions, industrial designs and utility models combined) – arguably, a remarkable feat that no other registered patent agent in the Philippines can boast of. Such a vast experience no doubt brings creativity to the patenting process whenever necessary.
Education
- B.S. Civil Engineering (1985), University of the Philippines, Diliman
Experience
- One of the “100 Outstanding Engineers of the Century”, a prestigious award given by the University of the Philippines Alumni Engineers (UPAE) (2012)
- Registered Philippine Patent Agent, Patent Agent Qualifying Exam (PAQE) Pioneer Batch of 2007
- Established PatentProse (2001)
Atty. Noel Sanchez
Legal Counsel
Atty. Noel Sanchez is currently the Managing Partner of PatentProse’s litigation arm – the Ranada Malaya Sanchez Simpao & Ortega Law Firm. He is a seasoned intellectual property lawyer with experience in litigation of intellectual property cases, including inter-partes cases before the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, actions to enjoin infringement of patents and trademarks and unfair competition, accounting of profits and imposition of criminal penalties. His other areas of specialization include labor law (labor relations & labor standards compliance, unionization issues, employee dismissal and separation cases, representation and advocacy before government labor offices) and corporate law (corporate organization & reorganizations, intra-corporate relations and government compliances, and conducting legal due diligence and implementation of acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, shareholder agreements for various companies). He is Director and Corporate Secretary of various corporations.
Education
- Admitted to the Philippine Bar ( 7th place) (1981)
- Bachelor of Laws (with honors) (1980), Ateneo Law School
- A.B. Political Science (cum laude) (1976), Ateneo de Manila University
Pauline Ronquillo
Intellectual Property Consultant
Pauline Ronquillo’s business administration and marketing experience inspired her to co-found PatentProse with her husband, Engr. Ronquillo. Prior to working for PatentProse, her first working experience included being a Research Assistant for a United Nations (UN) funded project of the University of the Philippines Science Research Foundation. While working as Research Assistant, she likewise served as Editor for a monthly newsletter for the Haribon Foundation (a pioneer Philippine based NGO group established for environmental awareness in the mid 80’s ) which honed her talent in technical and business writing. After her completion of her MBA studies in the University of the Philippines, she was hired by a leading Philippine marketing company as Brand Manager for various international luxury products. She now has had almost 2 decades of experience in handling IP matters for PatentProse. She holds a Business Administration Degree (BS BA 1984) and a Masters in Business Administration degree (MBA 1989) from the University of the Philippines.
Education
- Masters in Business Administration (1989), University of the Philippines, Diliman
- B.S. Business Administration (1984), University of the Philippines, Diliman
Marit Sanchez
Intellectual Property Consultant
Marit Sanchez has extensive professional experience in the areas of business management, strategic planning and development, and project development. Before joining PatentProse in 2003, her first work experience was with the Actuarial Department for a leading life insurance company in the Philippines. She was then hired by the Graduate School of Business of the top private university in the Philippines to assist in the research and development of its business data management services for corporate clients. She then worked for more than 20 years with the largest food & beverage conglomerate in the Philippines where she rose to become Vice President & Director of Strategic Planning and Business Development. She was also engaged as a management consultant by various companies in the private and government sector in the Philippines. By the time she joined PatentProse, she already had over 15 years of management experience in the Philippines and exposure to business operations in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, USA and Spain. She has been handling IP matters for PatentProse for almost 2 decades.
Education
- Masters in Business Administration (1979), Ateneo de Manila University
- B.S. Mathematics (Magna Cum Laude) (1975), University of the Philippines, Diliman
Engr. Merito J. Carag
Patent Consultant
Engr. Merito J Carag brings to PatentProse his unparalleled expertise and immense knowledge in the field of intellectual property gained from more than 35 years of service with the IPO Philippines. He began his career with IPOPhil as a Patent Researcher in 1983 and then moved up to become a Patent Examiner, a position he held until the year 2000. He was one of the early takers of the PAQE (Patent Agent Qualifying Exam) sponsored by IPOPhil which he passed with flying colors. He served as IPOPhil’s Chief Patent Examiner (Civil and General Engineering Examining Division) from 2000 to 2015. He was later appointed as the Chief Patent Examiner of IPOPhil’s Mechanical Engineering Examining Division from 2015 to 2020. During the same period (2015 to 2020), he served concurrently as the Head of the Quality Management Division of the Bureau of Patents (IPOPhil).
Engr. Carag’s expertise in the patent field was greatly honed through his consistent participation in several important international workshops, training programs and seminars related to the Intellectual Property field. These numerous training opportunities were mostly held in Europe and were attended by Engr. Carag for over a period of 25 years (from 1987-2012). He served as Training Supervisor for the Regional Patent Examination from 2013-2015. He also attended several training programs conducted by the Australian IPO from 2014-2016.
Engr. Carag is a much sought-after Resource Speaker for IPOPhil’s numerous IP Awareness Seminars held in different regions of the Philippines. He has also conducted and supervised numerous training sessions on IPOPhil sponsored Patent Drafting Seminars all over the Philippines.
Education
- BS Mechanical Engineering, University of the East (1983)
- Masters in Business Administration, International Academy of Management and Economics
Atty. Yasmin Sanchez
Legal Consultant
Yas is an attorney licensed in both New York and the Philippines, having served in both private and public sectors. She has over 8 years of experience in a mix of corporate and commercial transactions, contracts, intellectual property and information technology law, and media/entertainment and data privacy law. She also has 1 year of experience as an account manager in a multinational advertising agency.
Yas is also an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law, New York, teaching a course for LL.M. students (foreign lawyers) called “Perspectives in U.S. Law.”
Last March 2021, Yas was chosen by the Pan-American Concerned Citizens’ League (PACCAL) (a non-profit organization in New Jersey that offers health and human services for Filipinos and other Asians) as its Honoree in the Field of Law in their celebration of 2021 International Women’s History Month.
Yas also won the award for Best Thesis in her graduating class at Ateneo Law (2012) with an IP-related thesis on combating biopiracy.
Education
- LL.M./Masters in Intellectual Property and IT Law (cum laude), (2019) Fordham Law, New York
- J.D. (with Honors) (2012), Ateneo Law School
- A.B. Communications (cum laude) (2007), Ateneo de Manila University
Frances Ronquillo
Intellectual Property Specialist
Frances is passionate about telling stories through words, visuals, and data. She has a keen interest in the fields of media, digital marketing, and data science. For the past 5 years, Frances has served as a digital marketing strategist in various capacities – from conceptualizing to managing end-to-end marketing campaigns via web, email, social, and search. She hopes to integrate IP policies with the advancements of technology.
Education
- Juris Doctor, University of the Philippines-Diliman (ongoing; expected completion in 2025)
- BA Broadcast Communication (cum laude) (2016), University of the Philippines-Diliman
Experience
- Project Lead, QuickyLaunch (2019)
- Inbound Marketing Specialist, Small-to-Medium Enterprise (2019)
- Inbound Marketing Specialist, Large Enterprise (2017-2019)
- Digital Marketing Associate, Shark Philippines (2016-2017)
Special Training & Certifications:
- WIPO-IPOPHL Summer School 2021 (Certificate of Recognition – among the best 4 out of 12 groups who presented their final papers) (August 2021)
- IPOPHL Beyond IP Mastercourse – Legal Track (June 2021)
- IPOPHL iLEAP IP: Introduction to Patents, Utility Models, and Industrial Designs (Certificate of Participation) (May 2021)
- IPOPHL iLEAP IP: Introduction to Trademark (Certificate of Participation) (May 2021)
Isabel Sanchez
Intellectual Property Specialist
For over 8 years, Isabel has been connecting brands with people. Her background is in advertising, digital marketing, business development, and operations management. Throughout her professional career, she has been leveraging the power of communication and building client relationships. Isabel has worked with many local and foreign businesses in various industries and has traveled to the US and APAC to build professional networks. As a creative individual, she is passionate about ideas and innovation. She aims to help more businesses in fostering innovation through IP.
Education
- BS Communications Technology Management (dean’s lister) (2013), Ateneo de Manila University
Experience
- Head of Client Operations, StraightArrow Corporation (2019-2021)
- Business Development Manager, StraightArrow Corporation (2016-2019)
- Inbound Marketing Specialist, StraightArrow Corporation (2014-2016)
- Account Executive, NuWorks Interactive Labs, Inc (2013-2014)
Special Training & Certifications:
- IPOPHL IP Masterclass on Madrid Protocol (October 2021)
- IPOPHL IP Masterclass for Social Media Content Creators (Sept 2021)
- WIPO-IPOPHL Summer School 2021 (Certificate of Recognition – among the best 4 out of 12 groups who presented their final papers) (August 2021)
- IPOPHL iLEAP IP: Introduction to Patents, Utility Models, and Industrial Designs (Certificate of Participation)(May 2021)
- IPOPHL iLEAP IP: Introduction to Trademark (Certificate of Participation) (May 2021)