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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
flfflr;f 1")7: 
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First Regular Session 
1 0 Ji.Jl 15 P 3 :34 
SENff97 
S.No. ___ _ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XII, Section 14, provides: 
The sustained development of a reservoir of national talents 
consisting of Filipino scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals, 
managers, high-level technical manpower, and skilled workers and 
craftsmen in all fields shall be promoted by the State. 
(// 
PD. No. 223, created the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) which is tasked to 
administer, implement, and enforce regulatory policies of the national government with respect 
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to the regulation and licensing of the various professions and occupations under its jurisdiction, 
including the maintenance of professional and occupational standards and ethics and the 
enforcement of the rules and regulations relative thereto. 
According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), there are more than forty (40) 
recognized professions in the country. Each of these professions has their own organizations or 
associations. Unfortunately, many professionals, for some reason or another, fail to become 
members of such organizations or associations. Thus, these professionals are unable to avail of 
benefits given to members. 
This bill seeks to address this problem by mandating that all examinees who pass the 
PRC licensure examination shall automatically become members of their respective accredited 
professional organization upon compliance with the membership requirements: 
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'futrAM DEFE SOR SA~iTIA<pt> 
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, This bill was originally filed during the Thilieenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


r 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN'1497 
S,No, ___ _ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santi~go 
1 
AN ACT 
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1 0 JUt 15 P 3 :34 
2 
PROVIDING FOR AUTOMATIC MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR 
3 
RESPECTIVE ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1, Short Title, - This Act shall be cited as the "Automatic Professional 
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Membership Act" 
, 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy, - The State shall enhance, promote, and protect 
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various professional disciplines and towards this end, shall unify and strengthen the bond 
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amongst all professionals and shall encourage their active involvement and participation in 
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organizations or societies which will serve as vehicles for nurturing and enhancing the standard 
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of practice of their profession, thereby ensuring the contribution of professionals to the 
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upliftment of the general welfare, economic growth, and development of the nation. In pursuit of 
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these objectives, automatic membership of professionals in their respective accredited 
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professional organizations shall be required, 
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SECTION 3, Accredited Professional Organization. - There shall be one professional 
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organization for each profession which shall be accredited by the Professional Regulation 
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Commission (PRC), herein referred to as the Commission, which shall serve as the umbrella 
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organization for all professionals in their respective professions. The establishment of this 
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accredited professional organization shall not be a bar to the formation and continued existence 
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of other voluntary organizations which may co-exist with the accredited professional 
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organization, Duly accredited professional organizations now existing shall continue to be 
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recognized as such by the Commission. 
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Each Accredited Professional Organization (APO) shall coordinate and work together 
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with their respective Professional Regulatory Board (PRE), here referred to as the Board, in the 
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exercise of its function for the effective enhancement of their profession particularly in the 
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promotion of programs and activities which will advance and foster excellent and globally 
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competitive professionals in their respective fields of expertise. 
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The flmctions and responsibilities of the APO are as follows: 
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(A) Maintain an updated roster of membership in the organization; 
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(B) Enforce mles and regulations for membership in good standing; 
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(C) Organize, conduct, and accredit continuing professional education and training 
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programs for its members; • 
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(D) Monitor and supervise the activities and operations of organizations belonging under 
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APO; 
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(E) Assist the Board in monitoring and ensuring that members maintain the highest 
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professional competence and comply at all times with their professions' Code of 
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Ethics; 
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(F) Report and recommend sanctions to the Board on illegal and malpractice cases ofthe 
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profession; 
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(G) Assist the Board in enforcing compliance with member registration and renewal of 
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licenses; 
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(H) Select, evaluate, and submit to the Commission nominees to fill up any vacancies in 
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the Board; 
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(I) Assist the Board in the preparation, adoption, and issuance of syllabi or tables of 
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specifications ofthe subjects for licensure examinations; 
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(1) Assist government agencies in activities related to the delivery of services and 
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improvement ofthe professionals and the profession; and 
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(K) Perform such other functions and responsibilities normally performed by accredited 
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professional organizations 
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SECTION 4. Automatic Membership. - All examinees who pass the PRC licensure 
2 
examinations and who have been issued a Certificate of Registration and a Professional License 
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or Certificate of Competency, as the case may be, shall automatically become members of their 
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respective accredited professional organizations upon compliance with the membership 
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requirements. All professionals, whose names now appear in the roster of professionals or who 
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may hereafter be included, upon registration and payment of required fees, shall automatically 
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become members of their respective accredited professional organization and shall be issued a 
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certificate of membership. Professionals with more than one profession shall automatically be 
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considered as members of all the appropriate APOs under the same terms and conditions 
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provided herein. 
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A Certificate of Membership 111 Good Standing from each respective APO shall be 
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presented by the professional to the Commission before the latter may renew his license to 
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practice his profession. 
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SECTION 5. Inactivation of Membership. - The Accredited Professional Organization 
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shall consider a member under inactive status in the event that the member decides to 
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discontinue the practice of the profession, in which case, his name shall not be dropped from the 
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roster of membership, provided, however, that if he wants to resume the practice of the 
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profession, he shall follow the procedure and requirements for registration for new members of 
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the organization. 
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SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -
The Professional Regulation 
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Commission shall formulate the necessary implementing rules and regulations within ninety (90) 
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days after the approval of this Act in consultation with the representatives of the existing 
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accredited professional organizations and professional regulatory boards. 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction; adj11inistrative order, or rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
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