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UUSE YF 2 “PRESENT ATIVES
i ili RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines 72 AG 2018
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES| pate:

Quezon City nz a
BY: pos _

\TIEN UNIT

ACE X SER

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

RE OST
BILLS «

HOUSE BILL No. 31°75

Introduced by REP. EVELINA G. ESCUDERO

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

‘ars ago, 1955, Congress enacted R.A. 1378, otherwise known as the Plumbing
Law, which regulates the trade of master plumbers. High School graduates with five years
plumbing experience used to dominate the trade. With the advent of high rise buildings their
numbers are dwindling but sustaining. Master Plumbers with engineering expertise are coming
about. Since then the law has become outmoded with provisions that do not harmonize with the
times: To date the practice of plumbing is still considered a trade, although the act of plumbing
works has become more complex with the emergence and expansion of all types of buildings
n and construction, coupled by the trend of urbanization, the proliferation of urban centers,
and the subsequent complexity of architectural and engineering works these all the more spell out
the demand for plumbing engineer.

‘The burgeoning plumbing industry dramatizes the need for the participation of Plumbing
Engineers with good academic background in engineering to cope up with the new technology
required. The time has come, after two scores to upgrade the plumbing profession. R.A. 1378 must
give way to a new law for Plumbing Engineers. Plumbing Engineering must be accorded
professional acceptance and recognition.

Section 1 (B), Item (15) of R.A, 6511, An Act Amending Republic Act 465, An Act to
Standardize the Examination and Registration Fees charged by the National Examining Boards,
and the other purposes, provide and lists down the Profession of Plumbing Engineers as a
preparation for the regulation of the profession. For this reason, registered engineers who are
holders of Master Plumbers Certificate have responded to the call of the times and bonded
themselves together under one roof, the Philippine Institute of Plumbing Engineers (PIPE). Their
move was backed up by colleges and universities who recognized the importance of plumbing
engineering by offering it as a distinct course. Congress has to come up with the law to elevate the
plumbing trade to one of professional engineering and in the interest of public welfare.

Approval of this bill is urgently requested.

ancl


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVI

iTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _81'76

Introduced by REP. EVELINA G. ESCUDERO

AN ACT
REGULATING THE PRACTICE OF PLUMBING ENGINEERING IN THE
PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND PROVIDING PENALTIES
FOR VIOLATION THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

ARTICLE I
TITLE, OBJECTIVE AND DEFINITION OF TERMS.

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Plumbing Engineering Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the importance of plumbing
engineering in nation-building and development. Pursuant thereto, it shall encourage the
establishment of a pool of dynamic, responsive and innovative plumbing professionals who are
committed to the pursuit of excellence and the ethical practice of the plumbing profession, and the
use of modern technologies to achieve social upliftment and the improvement of the quality of life.
Thus, the State shall develop and nurture competent and globally competitive plumbing
professionals who shall conform to the highest standards of excellence.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:

(a) Master plumber refers to a person who is a holder of a valid Certificate of Registration
or professional license and professional identification card as master plumber:

(b) Practice of plumbing engineering refers to the professional and organized act of
applying scientific principle and technique for the design, installation, and operation of plumbing
systems involving hot and cold water supply, installation of fixtures, sanitary drainage, vent
system, storm drainage, gas piping, swimming pools, water feature, fire protection system,
irrigation system, private water system and private sewerage disposal system within or adjacent to
any buildings and other structures. It shall embrace services to the following activities:

(1) Consultations, designing, preparation of plans, specifications, estimates, erection,
installation, and supervision of plumbing works, including the inspection and acceptance of
materials used therein;


(2) Extension, addition, alteration, and modification of all piping for fixtures, equipment,
appliances, and appurtenances in connection with any of the above scope; and

(3) Engagement in the teaching or transfer of knowledge and technology of plumbing
engineering in any institution of leaning, particularly on subjects included in the licensure
examinations; and

(c) Plumbing engineer refers to a person who is a holder of a valid Certificate of
Registration or professional license and professional identification card issued by the Professional
Regulatory Board of Plumbing Engineering and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
and who is legally qualified to practice plumbing engineering in the Philippines pursuant to this
Act.

ARTICLE I
PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF PLUMBING ENGINEERING

SEC. 4. Creation and Composition of the Professional Regulatory Board of Plumbing
Engineering, ~ There is hereby created a Professional Regulatory Board of Plumbing Engineering,
hereinafter called the Board, which shall be under the administrative control and supervision of the
PRC. The Board shall be composed of a Chairperson and two (2) members to be appointed by the
President of the Republic of the Philippines from among those recommended by the PRC from the
three (3) nominees of the duly accredited professional organization (APO) of plumbing engineers.

SEC. 5. Qualifications of the Members of the Board. — At the time of their respective
appointments, the members of the Board, including the Chairperson, must:

(a) Be a natural-born
consecutive years;

pino citizen and resident of the Philippines for at least five (5)

(b) Be at least thirty-five (35) years of age;
(c) Be of proven integrity and high moral values;

(d) Not have been convicted on final judgment by any court for any offense involving moral
turpitude:

(c) Be a Plumbing Engineer holding a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid
professional license as Plumbing Engineer having a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
and an active practitioner in Plumbing Engineering for not less than ten (10) years prior to
appointment;

(f) Not be a member of the faculty of any school, academy, institute, college, or university
where a regular course in Plumbing Engineering is being taught, nor have pecuniary interest in or
administrative supervision over any such institution of learning: and

(g) Not be connected with a review center or with any group or any association where
review classes or lectures in preparation for the licensure examination are offered or conducted, for
a period of at least three (3) consecutive years prior to appointment.

SEC. 6. Term of Office of the Members of the Board. — The Chairperson and members of
the Board shall hold office for a term of three (3) years from the date of appointment. Of the


members of the Board first appointed under this Act, one (1) member shall be appointed and hold
office for three (3) years, one (1) member for two (2) years, and one (1) member for one (1) year.

The Chairperson or members of the Board may be reappointed for another term but shall in
no case serve continuously for more than six (6) years. Any vacancy occurring in the membership
of the Board within the term of a member shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term only.
Each member of the Board shall take an oath of office prior to the official performance of duties.

SEC. 7. Compensation and Allowances of the Members of the Board. ~ The Chairperson
and members of the Board shall receive compensation and allowances comparable with the
compensation and allowances being received by the Chairpersons and members of existing
regulatory boards in the PRC and as may be provided for in the General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Powers and Duties of the Board. — The Board shall exercise the following specific
powers, functions, duties and responsibili

(a) Supervise and regulate the examination, registration, licensure, and the practice of
plumbing engineering;

(b) Determine and evaluate the qualifications of the applicants for registration:

(©) Prepare the examination questions in accordance with Section 14 hereof and supervise,
check, and rate the licensure examination papers:

(d) Prescribe, amend, or revise the requirements and subjects in the licensure examination
for plumbing engineers and their relative weights, subject to the approval of the PRC;

(e) Administer oaths to successful examinees entering the practice of plumbing engineering
in the Philippines:

(A) Issue, suspend, or revoke the license for the practice of plumbing engineering or to
reissue the same;

(g) Issue special permits to foreign plumbing engineers for specific duration of time:

(h) Adopt an official seal of the Board;

(i) Look into the conditions affecting the practice of the plumbing engineering profession
and, whenever necessary, adopt such measures as may be deemed proper for the enhancement of
the profession and the maintenance of high professional, technical, and ethical standards of the
profession:

(j) Prescribe and adopt a set of ethical and technical standards for the practice of plumbing
engineering in the Philippines and cause these to be published and disseminated;

(k) Investigate, hear and uy administrative cases involving violations of this Act, its
implementing rules and regulations, the sets of ethical and technical standards and, for the purpose,
issue subpoena ad testificandum and subpoena duces tecum to secure the appearances of witnesses
and the production of documents in connection therewith;

(1) Submit an annual report on the action on all applications for licensure; the names of all
persons licensed or certified: actions involving suspension, revocation, or denial of license:


recommendations for reciprocity; receipt and disbursement of any monies; and other matters that
may be required by law from the PRC after the close of each fiscal year;

(m) Ensure, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), that all educational institutions
offering plumbing engineering program comply with the policies, standards and requirements of
the course prescribed by the CHED in the areas of curriculum, faculty, library and facilities;

(n) Coordinate with the PRC, CHED, and TESDA in prescribing, amending and rev
curriculum of the related course;

g the

(0) Prescribe guidelines and criteria for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
program for plumbing engineers as a condition for the renewal of their professional licenses: and
(p) Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary for the effective implementation
of this Act.

SEC. 9. Supervision of the Board, Custodian of its Records, Secretariat and Support
Services. ~ The Board shall be under the administrative supervision of the PRC. Alll records of the
Board, including the application for examination, examination papers and results, minutes of
deliberation, administrative cases, and other investigations involving plumbing engineers shall be
kept by the PRC.

‘The PRC shall designate the Secretary of the Board and shall provide the secretariat with
the necessary support services to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 10, Removal of a Member of the Board. ~ The President may remove any member of
the Board, upon the recommendation of the PRC, on the following grounds:

(a) Neglect of duty or incompetence;

(b) Violation or tolerance of the violation of this Act or the Code of Ethics or Technical
Standards for Plumbing Engineers; and

(c) Final judgment of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Members shall be given due notice and hearing where the right to be heard and to defend
themselves, assisted by a counsel, shall be respected in a proper administrative investigation the
PRC shall conduct.

SEC. 11. Annual Report. ~ The Board shall, at the close of each calendar year, submit an
annual report to the President of the Philippines through the PRC, giving detailed account of its
recommendation for the adoption of measures that will upgrade and improve the conditions
affecting the practice of plumbing engineering in the Philippines.

ARTICLE III
EXAMINATION, REGISTRATION, AND LICENSE

SEC. 12. Licensure Examination Required. ~ All applicants for registration as plumbing
engineers shall be required to undergo and pass a written examination as hereinafter provided.

SEC. 13. Qualifications of Applicants for Plumbing Engineering Examination. — The
applicant for the plumbing engineering examination shall, on the day of the examination, possess
the following qualifications:


(a) Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;

(b) Be a citizen of the Philippines or of a foreign country that upholds the reciprocal
practice of plumbing engineering therein by Philippine nationals;

(c) Be of good moral character; and

(d) Be a holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Plumbing Engineering,

SEC. 14. Scope of Examination. ~ The applicant for registration as plumbing engineer shall
be examined in the following subjects:
(a) General Engineering and Mathematics 20%
(b) Plumbing Code 20%
(c) Plumbing Design 40%
(d) Practical Problems and Installation 20%
100%

The subjects and their syllabi may be amended by the Board to conform to technological
changes brought about by the continuing trends in the profession.

SEC. 15. Suspension or Revocation. ~ The Board may suspend or revoke a Certificate of
Registration obtained through misrepresentation in the application for examination.

SEC. 16. Examination Fees. — Every applicant admitted to take the plumbing engineering
examinations shall pay such fees as may be prescribed by the PRC.

SEC. 17. Schedule of Examination, — Examinations for candidates for plumbing
engineering shall be given by the Board twice a year in Metro Manila, and in such other places as
may be deemed appropriate by the Board. The dates of the examinations shall be fixed by the
Board.

SEC. 18. Admission to Examination. ~ The Board, with the approval of the PRC, shall
promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement or carry out the provisions
of this Act, especially those relating to the scope of examinations for plumbing engineering, proper
conduct of the examinations, custody and correction of examination papers, and registration of
plumbing engineers. The Board shall have control and jurisdiction over examination papers, from
the preparation, printing and distribution to examinees, during the review of test scores up to the
time the list of successfull examinees is released for publication in newspapers of general circulation
in the country.

SEC. 19. Rating in the Board Examination, ~ To pass the board examination for Plumbing
Engineers, an examinee must obtain a weighted general average of seventy percent (70%), with no
grade lower than fifty percent (50%).

SEC. 20. Reexamination. — An applicant who fails to pass the examination for the third time
shall be allowed to take another examination only after the lapse of one (1) year.

SEC. 21. Report of Ratings. — The Board shall submit to the PRC the ratings obtained by
each examinee not later than the twentieth (20" ) day after the examination, unless extended for a
just cause. Upon the release of the results of the examination, the Board shall send by mail the
rating received by each examinee at the latter’s given address, using the self-addressed mailing
envelope submitted during the examination.

SEC. 22. Oath. — All successful plumbing engineering examinees and all those who have
qualified for registration without examination shall be required to take the Oath of Profession


before the Board or any person authorized by the PRC to administer oaths before the examinee can
be registered and issued a Certificate of Registration and professional identification card. The oath
taking shall be a prerequisite to the practice of the profession as a Plumbing Engineer.

SEC. 23. Issuance of Certificates of Registration and Professional License. ~ The effectivity
of the registration of plumbing engineers commences on the date the registrant's name is entered in
the roll of registrants ot licenses for the profession. Every registrant who has satisfactorily met all
the requirements specified in this Act, upon payment of the registration fee, shall be issued a
Certificate of Registration as a Plumbing Engineer.

The Certificate of Registration shall show the full name of the registrant and a serial
number, signed by the Chairperson and members of the Board, and stamped with the official seal,
evidencing that the person named therein is entitled to practice the profession with all the rights and
privileges appurtenant thereto. The Certificate of Registration shall remain in full force and effect
until withdrawn, suspended, or revoked.

A professional license signed by the Chairperson and bearing the registration number, the
date of issuance and the month of expiry or renewability shall likewise be issued to every registrant
who has paid the registration fees for three (3) consecutive years and has complied with the
requirements of the CPD, unless exempted therefrom. This license shall serve as evidence that the
licensee can lawfully practice the profession until the expiration of its validity.

SEC. 24, Seal of Plumbing Engineer. — All licensed plumbing engineers may obtain a
personal seal of a design prescribed by the Board bearing the registrant's name, the certificate
number and the legend “Plumbing Engineer”. Plans, specifications, reports, and other professional
documents prepared by or executed under the immediate supervision of and issued by a licensee
shall be stamped on every sheet with the seal when filed with government authorities or when
submitted or used professionally.

It shall be unlawful for anyone to use the seal on any document when the registrant’s name
has been delisted from the roster of plumbing engineers, or after the validity of the professional
license has expired. The seal or stamp can be used again only after the registrant is reinstated to the
practice of the profession and reissued a new professional license.

SEC. 25. Refusal to Issue Certificates. - The Board shall not issue a Certificate of
Registration to any person convicted by the court of any criminal offense involving moral
turpitude, or to any person guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct, or to any person of unsound
mind. In the event of refusal to issue certificates for any reason, the Board shall give the applicant a
written statement setting forth the reasons for such action, which statement shall be incorporated in
the records of the Board.

SEC. 26. Grounds for Revocation. — The Board shall have the power, upon proper notice
and hearing, to revoke or suspend any Certificate of Registration of any registrant who:

(a) Has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude:

(b) Has been found guilty of dishonorable conduct:

(c) Has been found of being unsound mind;

(d) Has been found guilty of gross negligence or incompetence, or unprofessional or
dishonorable conduct; and

(e) Has been found guilty of any violation of this Act, the rules and regulations and other
policies of the Board, and the Code of Professional Ethics.


The decision of the Board may be appealed to the Chairperson of the PRC, whose decision
shall be final.

Any person, firm, association, or corporation may file charges against a certified licensed
plumbing engineer in accordance with the provisions of this section in writing, sworn to, and filed
with the Secretary of the Board. The Board may investigate or take cognizance of acts and practices
constituting cause for the suspension or revocation of the Certificate of Registration by proper
resolution or order.

SEC. 27. Reissue of Revoked Certificates and Replacement of Lost Certificates. — A person
may apply to the Board for reinstatement of a license or certificate at any time afier one (1) year
from the date of revocation of the license or certificate. The application shall be in writing and shall
conform with the requirements provided by the Board. No license or certificate shall be reissued
unless the Board is satisfied that good cause exists to warrant such reinstatement. A new Certificate
of Registration to replace any certificate that has been lost, destroyed, or mutilated may be issued
subject to the rules of the Board.

SEC. 28. Exemption from Examination and Registration of Foreigners. ~ (a) Examination
and registration shall not be required of foreign plumbing engineers employed as technical
consultants by the Philippine government or by private firms subject to the certification of pertinent
professional society that no qualified Filipino professional is available, subject to the following
conditions:

(1) That the foreign professionals are legally qualified to practice their profession in their
‘own country in which the requirements and qualifications for obtaining a license or Certificate of
Registration are not lower than those specified in this Act:

(2) That the scope of work to be performed by foreign professionals shall be limited only to
the particular work for which they were contracted:

(3) That prior commencing to work, the foreign professionals shall secure a special permit
from the PRC;

(4) That foreign professionals shall not engage in private practice on their own account;

(5) That for every foreign professional contracted pursuant to this section, one (1) Filipino
understudy who is registered under the provisions of this Act shall be employed by the private firm
utilizing the services of such foreign professional for at least the duration of the latter’s tenure with
said firm; and

(6) That the exemption herein granted shall be good only for six (6) months, renewable for
another six (6) months at the discretion of the Board. In case a foreign professional ceases to be
employed in accordance with this section and engages in an occupation requiring registration as
plumbing engineer, the foreigner must be registered under the provisions of this Act.

(b) No registration with the Board shall be required of engineering students, apprentices and
other persons employed or acting as subordinates of, or undergoing training under a person holding
a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid professional license under this Act.


ARTICLE IV
PRACTICE OF PLUMBING ENGINEERING

SEC. 29, Practice of Plumbing Engineering. ~ Except as may be provided in this Act, no
person shall use the title “Registered Plumbing Engineer”, or display or use any title, sign, card,
advertisement, or other device to indicate such person practices or offers to practice plumbing
engineering unless the person shall have received from the Board a Certificate of Registration and
issued a professional identification card by the PRC and the Board.

The activities enumerated in Section 3 describing the coverage of the practice of plumbing
engineering shall not be construed as excluding any other work requiring plumbing engineering
knowledge and application.

No firm, partnership, corporation or association may be licensed and registered as such for
the practice of plumbing engincering, but duly licensed and registered plumbing engineers may
form partnerships among themselves or with other licensed and registered engineers and architects
and use the title “Plumbing Engineers”, “Engineers”, or “Engineers and Architect:
partnership names.

SEC. 30, Prohibited Acts. — The following acts shall be prohibited:

(a) Practice or offer to practice plumbing engineering in the Philippines without having
previously obtained a Certificate of Registration and a professional license from the Professional
Regulatory Board of Plumbing Engineering:

(b) Use or attempt to use the Certificate of Registration, professional license or seal of
another;

(c) Submission of fraudulent evidence of any kind to the Board or to any member thereof to
obtain a Certificate of Registration and professional license;

(d) Fraudulent impersonation of any registrant of like or different name;

(e) Attempt to use a revoked or suspended Certificate of Registration or an expired

professional license:

(8) Use, in connection with the person’s name, or otherwise assume or advertise any title or
description tending to convey the impression that such person is a plumbing engineer or master
plumber without holding a valid certificate or a valid license; and

(g) Sign a document involving plumbing design, plan, technical specification, valuation,
and the like on behalf of a plumbing engineer.

>. 31, Roster of Plumbing Engineers. — The PRC shall keep a roster of all duly licensed
and registered plumbing engineers, stating their names, registration numbers, and places of
business. The PRC shall regularly update such roster and make it available to the public.

SEC. 32. Submission of Designs, Specifications and Reports. — Any proposal, design,
specification, working drawing, program, or report to be submitted to any government agency.
national or local, including government owned or -controlled corporations, shall not be processed
or approved if such proposal, design, specification, drawing, and similar documents have not been
signed by a registered plumbing engineer, with the seal and registration number affixed thereto.



SEC. 33. Foreign Reciprocity. — No foreign engineer shall be admitted to take the board
examination, be given a Certificate of Registration, or be entitled to any of the rights and privileges
under this Act unless the country of which the person is a subject or citizen specifically permits
Filipino engineers to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subjects or citizens
of that country.

SEC. 34. License Number and Privilege Tax Receipt. — The plumbing engineer shall be
required to indicate the Certificate of Registration, the professional identification card number, the
date of issuance, and the duration of validity, including the privilege tax receipt (PTR) on the
documents the plumbing engineer signs, uses, or issues in connection with the practice of the
profession

SEC. 35. Integration of the Plumbing Professional Organizations. - The plumbing
professional organizations shall be integrated into one (1) national organization which shall be
recognized by the Board as the one and only integrated and accredited association of plumbing
engineers, A plumbing engineer, upon registration with the Board as such, shall ipso facto become
a member of the integrated national organization. Those who have been registered with the Board
but are not members of the said organization at the time of the effectivity of this Act shall be
allowed to register as members of the said integrated organization within three (3) years after the
effectivity of this Act. Membership in the integrated organization shall not be a bar to membership
in other associations of the engineering profession.

SEC. 36. Continuing Professional Development (CPD). ~ The CPD guidelines shall be
prescribed and promulgated by the Board subject to the approval of the PRC, after consultation
with the integrated and accredited plumbing engineering associations, other associations of the
plumbing engineering profession, and other concerned sectors. The Board shall incorporate in the
said guidelines the creation of a CPD council that shall be composed of officers coming from the
Board, the PRC, the APO, and other concerned sectors. It shall be vested with the functions, duties
and responsibilities to implement the guidelines and shall have the juridical 16 personality that is
distinct and separate from and independent of the Board, the PRC and the APO.

ARTICLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 37. Penalties. — In addition to the administrative sanctions, a person found to have
violated any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be penalized by a fine of not less
than fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) nor more than two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00)
or imprisonment of not more than six (6) years, or both, at the discretion of the court.

If the offender is a corporation, partnership, or juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed
on the officers responsible for permitting or causing a violation of the provision of this Act.

SEC. 38. Enforcement. — The Board shall be assisted by the PRC in carrying out the
provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and regulations and other policies. The lawyers of
the PRC shall act as prosecutors against illegal practitioners and other violators of this Act and its
rules. The duly constituted authorities of the government shall likewise assist the Board and the
PRC in enforcing the provisions of this Act and its rules.

SEC. 39. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Subject to the approval of the PRC, the
Board shall, not later than the ninetieth (90th) day after the effectivity of this Act, adopt and


promulgate such rules and regulations including the Code of Ethics and Code of Technical
Standards for Plumbing Engineers for the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 40. Funding Provisions. ~ The Chairperson of the PRC shall include in the PRC’s
program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 41, Transitory Provisions. — (a) All registered master plumbers holding valid
certificates of registration and professional license issued under Republic Act No. 1378 shall
register within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, and be issued new certificates of
registration and new professional license as plumbing engineers under this Act to replace their
original ones. Their serial numbers shall be provided by the PRC.

(a) A licensed Sanitary Engineer with a valid Certificate of Registration may register as a
Plumbing Engineer within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act and upon approval of the
Board.

(b) A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, and Geodetic
Engineering may take the board examination not later than the seventh year from the promulgation
of this Act.

As soon as a course leading to a Bachelor's degree in Plumbing Engineering is implemented
by the CHED, the Board shall make the said course a requirement for taking the licensure
examination.

ARTICLE VI
FINAL PROVISIONS.

SEC. 42. Separability Clause. — If any section or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining sections or provisions not affected shall remain in full
force and effect.

SEC. 43. Repealing Clause. ~ Republic Act No. 1378 is hereby repealed. All laws, decrees,
orders, rules and regulations, ordinances, and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 44. Effectivity.— This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,