Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila

ixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO,__ 4325.

Introduced by Honorable Carlos M. Padilla

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill secks to provide for higher standards of regulation in the
practice of electrical engineering.

Republic Act (RA) No. 184, otherwise known as the
Engineering Law” was enacted on June 21, 1947 to regulate the pra
electrical engineering in the country. On February 24, 1995, the New Electrical
Engineering Law was enacted and repealed RA 184. RA 7920 provides for the
composition, powers and functions of the Board of Electrical Engineering,
examination and registration of profes: lonals, and the prohibitions in the
practice of the electrical engineering profession.

Electrical engineering is a wide discipline that provides society with
many critical utilities. | Many industries including telecommunications,
biomedical engineering, power generation, power plants, power transmission
and distribution, power transformers, electrical machines, watercrafts and
locomotives, manufacturing and electrical systems of high rise buildings require
the employment of electrical engineers. Electrical engineering and all the
industries where it has application has significant impact on the welfare and
safety, as well as on health and healthcare, the environment, quality of life,
transportation, businesses, and leisure of the general public. Advances in
technology, globalization and the change in trends in the electrical engineering
profession are challenges confronting the profession which necessitates the
revision of the existing law which governs the electrical engineering profession.
These revisions are aimed to further strengthen the profession and enable
electrical engineers to tackle and cope with these challenges.



This measure intends to integrate the classifications of electrical
engineers and provide for only one classification which shall be known as the
licensed electrical engineer. Existing professional electrical engineers shall be
issued by the Board of Electrical Engineering, upon the approval of the
Professional Regulation Commission, with the corresponding Certificates of
Specialty in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the Board of
Electrical Engineering for the purpose. On the other hand, existing Master
Electricians shall be given a two year period to enroll and complete the required
modules on major subjects in Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering to
qualify and be registered as licensed electrical engineers

These revisions are necessary to continually enhance the competence of
the profession through peer recognition of specialization in electrical
engineering and the strengthening of the accredited national organization and
other associations of electrical engineers in the country.

In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

As fer

LOS M. PADILLA



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular n

HOUSE BILL NO. 43 25

Introduced by Honorable Carlos M. Padilla

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR HIGHER STANDARDS OF REGULATION IN THE
PRACTICE, LICENSING, AND REGISTRATION OF ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERS

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

ARTICLE I
TITLE AND DEFINITION OF TERMS

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Electrical
Engineering Act.”
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
a) Practice of electrical engineering refers to the act of rendering or
offering to render professional electrical engineering service in the form of:
1. Consultation, investigation, valuation and management of

services requiring electrical engineering knowledge;


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2. Design and preparation of plans, specifications and
estimates for electric power systems, power plants, power distribution
systems including power transformers, transmission lines and network
protection, switchgear, building wiring electrical machines, equipment
and others;

3i Supervision of erection, installation, testing and

commi:

ioning of power plants, substations, transmission lines, industrial
plants and others;

4. Supervision of operation and maintenance of electrical
equipment in power plants, industrial plants, watercrafts, electric
locomotives and others;

5. Supervision of the manufacture and repair of electrical
equipment including switchboards, transformers, generators, motors,
apparatus and others;

and

6. Teaching of electrical engineering professional subjec

7. Taking charge of the sale and distribution of electrical
equipment and systems requiring engineering calculations or applications
of engineering data;

b) Electric supply equipment refers to any equipment which produces,

modifies, regulates, or controls the supply of electric energy;

c) Electric plant refers to an establishment or a system for the

production and modification of electric energy;


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4) Power plant design refers to planning, specifying, coordinating
layouting of electrical equipment in power plants, substations and the like;
©) Substation refers to any building, room or separate place which

houses or encloses electric supply equipment connected to transmission or

distribution lines and the interior of which is accessible, as a rule, only to
properly qualified persons;

1) Electrical system design refers to the choice of electrical systems,
including planning and detailing of requirements for protection, control,
monitoring, coordination and interlocking of electrical systems among others;

2) Voltage refers to the highest effective potential difference between

ed in volts,

any two conductors of the circuit concerned expt
h) — Kva refers to the installed capacity of an alternating current (AC)
electric plant or supply equipment, or the connected load of industrial plants,

commercial establishments, institutional buildings expressed in  kilovolt-

amperes;

i) Kw refers to the installed capacity of a direct current (DC) electric plant
on board watercraft expressed in kilowatts;

j) Utilization equipment refers to energy-consuming equipment
including motors, heaters, furnaces, light sources and other devices which

utilize electric energy, for any purpose;


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k) Industrial plant or factory refers to manufacturing assembly plants,
including, engineering shops, shipyards or other business endeavors where
electrical machinery and equipment are installed;

1) Commercial establishments refer to department __ stores,
supermarkets, shopping malls, office buildings, hotels, theaters, stadiums,
condominiums, convention centers, restaurant and the like, used for business or
profit;

m) Institutional buildings refer to school buildings, hospitals,

museums, display centers, government buildings and the like;

n) Watercraft refers to any waterborne unit which is designed and
built to have an electric plant;

0) — Electric locomotive refers to the power plant mounted on wheels as
used in the railroad transportation industry;

p) Electrical system in agricultural lands refers to any generation,
operation and utilization of electrical power in any agricultural lands.

q) Specialty refers to the specific fields which are taken in advance

study such as a masters degree in electrical engineering and those requiring

specialized knowledge, training, experience, competence and expertise in
various fields in electrical engineering including power generation, power
plants, power transmission and distribution, power transformers, electrical

machines, watererafts and locomotives, electrical systems of high rise buildings

and other such competencies to be determined by the Board.


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ARTICLE I
BOARD OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

SEC. 3. Composition of the Board. — The Board of Electrical
Engineering, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall be created as a collegial

body under the general supervision and administrative control of the

Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), The Board shall be composed of
a chairperson and two (2) members to be appointed by the President of the
Philippines from among the recommendees of the Commissioner of the PRC,
hereinafter referred to as the Commissioner, ‘The recommendees of the
Commission shall be chosen from the nominees of the integrated and accredited

association of electrical engineers and of other registered associations of

electrical engineers and allied fields.

SEC. 4. Powers and Duties of the Board. ~ The Board shall exercise
executive or administrative, or quasi-legislative (rule-making), or quasi-judicial

(investigative) powers in carrying out the provisions of this Act. It shall be

vested with the following specific powers, functions, duties and responsib

a) Supervise and regulate the practice of electrical engineering in the
Philippines;

b) Determine and evaluate the qualifications of the applicants for
registration with or without licensure examinations and for special permits;

©) Prepare the examination questions in accordance with Section 17

hereof or modifications thereof; prescribe the syllabi of the subjects and their


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relative weights for the licensure examinations; formulate or adopt test
questions and deposit them in a test question bank; draw the test questions at
random through process of computerization; conduct the examination; correct
and rate the examination papers manually or through process of
computerization; and submit the examination results to the PRC within the
period provided for by the rules of the PRC;

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

) Register successful applicants for applicants who have passed the
licensure examinations for registered electrical engineers and issue the
corresponding certificates of registration and professional licenses;

£) Issue special permits to individual foreign electrical engineers and
electricians for specific projects and for a specific duration of times

2) — Look into the conditions affecting the practice of the electrical
engineering profession, adopt measures for the enhancement of the profession
and the maintenance of high professional, technical, and ethical standards and
conduct ocular inspection of places where registrants practice their profession,
such as, but not limited to: electric plants, substations, industrial plants or
factories, commercial establishments, institutional buildings, watercraft,
electric locomotives, engineering offices, repair shops and similar places to

determine and enforce compliance with this Act. The Board shall authorize the


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duly integrated and accredited electrical engineering association and other
registered electrical engineering associations to render assistance in this
function;

h) Promulgate rules and regulations including a code of ethics,
administrative policies, orders and issuances to carry out the provisions of this
Act;

i) Investigate violations of the Act and the rules and regulations, code
of ethics, administrative policies, orders and issuances promulgated by the
Board. The rules on administrative investigation promulgated by the PRC shall
govern in such investigation;

aD) Issue subpoena or subpoena duces fecum, to secure the attendance

of respondents or witnesses or the production of documents at and relative to
the investigation conducted by the Board;

k) Delegate the investigation of any case to the chairperson, a
member of the Board or a PRC attorney. If the case concerns strictly the
practice of the profession, the investigation shall be presided by the chairperson
or a member of the Board with the assistance of a PRC attorney;

)) Render decision, order or resolution on preliminary investigation
or inquiry, on undocketed cases and on docketed administrative cases against
examinees or registrants which shall become final and executory unless

appealed with the PRC within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the copy thereof.


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The decis

n of the PRC may be appealed to the Court of Appeals in
accordance with the procedure provided in the Rules of Court;

m) After due notice and hearing, cancel examination papers and bar
any examinee from future examination; refuse or defer applicant’s registration;
reprimand the registrant with stern warning; suspend registrant from the
practice of the profession; revoke registrant’s certificate of registration; delist
registrant’s name from the roll of licensed electrical engineers for continuous

non-payment of annual registration fees and non-compliance with the

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements; reinstate or reenroll
registrant’s name in the said roll, reissue or return registrant’s certificate of

registration. A decision of suspension or revocation of the certificate of

registration, or delisting from the roll by the Board as provided herein, may be
appealed initially to the PRC within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof, The
decision of the PRC may be appealed to the Court of Appeals in accordance
with the procedure provided in the Rules of Court.

n) Administer oaths in connection with the administration,
implementation, or enforcement of this Act;

0) Submit an annual report on the proceedings and accomplishments
during the year and on recommendations of the Board to the PRC after the close
of each fiscal year;

p)  Prosecute or institute criminal action against any violator of this

Act or the rules and regulations of the Board;


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q) Adopt an official seal;

1) Coordinate with the PRC and the Department of Education in
prescribing, amending or revising the courses;

s) Prescribe guidelines and criteria on the CPE program for licensed
electrical engineers and renew their professional licenses after compliance with
the CPE requirements;

19) Perform such other functions and duties as may be necess

ry to
effectively implement this Act. The policies, resolutions, rules and regulations,

orders or decisions issued or promulgated by the Board shall be subject to the

review and approval by the PRC; however, the decisions, resolutions or orders
of the Board which are not interlocutory, rendered in an administrative case,
shall be subject to review only if on appeal.

SEC. 5. Qualifications of Board Members. — Each Board member must,
at the time of appointment:

a) Be a natural born Filipino citizen and a resident of the Philippines
for at least five (5) consecutive years;

b) _Be at least thirty-five (35) years of age, of proven integrity with
high moral values in personal as well as professional conduct;

) Be a person with no final conviction by the court of an offense
involving moral turpitude;

d) Be a holder of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical

Engineering (BSEE) from a university, school, college, academy or institute


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duly constituted, recognized and accredited by the Philippine government;

e) Be a licensed electrical engineer with a valid certificate of
registration and a valid professional license duly qualified to practice electrical
engineering in the Philippines, and with at least a masters degree in electrical
engincering, public administration or other allied management field;

f) Have practiced electrical engineering for a period of not less than
ten (10) years prior to appointment, with a swom statement as such; and

2) Not be an official nor a member of the faculty of, nor have a
pecuniary interest in, any university, college, school or institution conferring a
bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering for at least three (3) years prior to
appointment, and is not connected with a review center or with any group or
association where review classes or lectures in preparation for the licensure
examinations are offered or conducted at the time of appointment.

SEC. 6. Term of Office. — ‘The members of the Board shall hold office
for a term of three (3) years from the date of appointment or until their
successors shall have been appointed and qualified. They may, however, be
reappointed for a second term. Each member shall qualify by taking an oath of
office before entering upon the performance of duties.

Vacancies in the Board shall be filled by the President of the Philippines
from the list of recommendees by the Commissioner who were chosen from the
list of nominees submitted by the integrated and accredited national association

of electrical engineers for the unexpired term only.


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SEC. 7. Removal of Board Members. — Any member of the Board may
be removed by the President of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of
the Commissioner for neglect of duty, incompetence, malpractice, commission
or tolerance of irregularities in the examinations, or for unprofessional,
unethical, or dishonorable conduct, after having been given the opportunity to
defend oneself in a proper administrative investigation,

SEC. 8. Compensation of Chairperson and the Board Members, - The
chairperson and members of the Board shall receive a monthly compensation of
no less than fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00): Provided, That the chairperson
shall receive a monthly compensation of ten percent (10%) more: Provided,

further, That such compensation shall be increased or modified pursuant to the

General Appropriations Act of the year: Provided, furthermore, That they shall
receive other benefits that may be provided for by law.

SEC. 9, Executive Officer of the Board. — The Commissioner shall be
the executive officer of the Board and shall conduct the examination given by
the Board and shall designate any subordinate officer of the PRC to act as
secretary and custodian of all records including all examination papers and
minutes of the deliberations of the Board.

ARTICLE I
EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION

SEC. 10, Examination Required. ~ All applicants for registration for the

practice of electrical engineering in the Philippines shall be required to pass a


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technical examination as hereafter provided except as otherwise specifically
allowed under this Act.

SEC. 11. Registration and License Required. — A valid certificate of
registration and a valid professional license from the PRC are required before
any person is allowed to practice electrical engineering in the Philippines except
as otherwise allowed under this Act.

SEC. 12. Examination Fees. — All applicants for the electrical
engineering licensure examinations shall be subject to payment of fees
prescribed by the PRC: Provided, That ninety percent (90%) of the fees is to be
treated as a special fund for the programs, projects and activities of the PRC and
the remaining ten percent (10%) shall be set aside as a trust fund for the
establishment and maintenance of the center for continuing education and
research.

SEC. 13. Registration Fees, License Fees and Fines. ~ All applicants
for registration and license to practice as electrical engineer shall be subject to

the payment of registration fees, license fees, and fines in case of violation of

the pertinent rules and regulations for the amounts prescribed by the Board and
approved by the PRC: Provided, That fifty percent (50%) from these

collections are to be treated as a special fund for programs, proj and

activities of the PRC and the other fifty percent (50%) shall be set up in a

separate special fund for the supervisory and regulatory functions of the Board.


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SEC. 14. Exemption from Examination and Registration, — a)

Examination and registration shall not be required of foreign electrical

engineers, erection, commissioning, or guarantee engineers employed as
technical consultants by the Philippine government or by private firms, for

which the pertinent professional society certifies that no qualified Filipino

professional is available, or of foreign electrical installers for the erection and
installation of a special project or for any other specialized work, subject to the
following conditions:

1, That the abovementioned 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 said foreign
professionals shall be limited only to the particular work for which they

were contracted;

3. That prior to commencing work, the foreign profess
shall secure a special permit from the PRC;

4. — That said foreign professionals shall not engage in private
practice on their own account;

5, That for every foreign professional contracted pursuant to
this section, one Filipino understudy who is registered under the

provisions of this Act shall be employed by the private firm utilizing the


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services of such foreign professional for at least the duration of the alien
expert'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: Provided, That in case the foreign professional ceases to be

employed in accordance with this section and engages in an occupation

requiring registration as electrical engineer such professional must be
registered under the provisions of this Act.
b) No registration with the Board shall be required of the following:

1. 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;

2. Persons in charge of or supervising the operation, tending
and maintenance of an electric generating set for private use employing
voltages not exceeding two hundred fifty volts (250 V) and capacity not
exceeding twenty-five kilovolt amperes (25 Kva): Provided, That the
owner or operator shall be required to have the electric generating set
periodically inspected at intervals of not more than one (1) year by a
licensed electrical engineer of a national, city, provincial or municipal
government authority exercising legal jurisdiction over electrical

installations; and


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3. Graduates of three-year courses such as electrical
technology course or its equivalent, shall instead acquire a national
certificate (NC) or certificate of competency (COC) from the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority ([ESDA).

SEC. 15, Holding of Examinations. — Examinations for the practice of
electrical engineering in the Philippines should be given twice a year in the City
of Manila and other places on dates that the Board may recommend for
determination of scheduling,

To qualified applicants for examination, notice of admission shall be
issued not later than ten (10) days prior to the first day of examination,

SEC. 16. Qualifications of Applicants for the Electrical Engineer
Examination, — A person applying for admission to the electrical engineering
examination, as herein provided, shall establish to the satisfaction of the Board
that, on or before the date of the examination, the applicant is:

a) Acitizen of the Philippines;

b) At least twenty-one (21) years of age;

¢) Of good reputation with high moral values;

d) Has not been finally convicted by the court of an offense involving
moral turpitude; and

e) A holder of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering (BSEE) from a university, school, college, academy or institute

duly constituted, recognized and accredited by the Philippine government.


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SEC. 17. Scope of Examination. — The applicant for registration as an

electrical engineer shall pass a written examination on different subjects or
group of subjects as follows:
a) Mathematics, such as: algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry,

differential calculus, integral calculus, differential equations, complex numbers,

probability and statistics, advanced engineering mathematics including
matrices, power series, Fourier analysis, Laplace transforms, and others. The
weight is twenty-five percent (25%);

b) Engineering sciences and allied subjects, such as general

chemistry, college physics, computer fundamentals and programming,
engineering materials, engineering mechanics, fluid mechanics, strength of
materials, thermodynamics, electrical engineering law, engineering economics,
engineering management, contracts and specifications, code of professional
ethics, Philippine Electrical Code, Parts 1 and 2 and others. ‘The weight is thirty
percent (30%); and

c) Electrical engineering professional subjects, such as: electrical
circuits, electronic theory and circuits energy conversion, power transmission
and distribution, instrumentation and measurement, circuit and line protection,
control systems, principles of communication, electrical machines, electrical
equipment, components and devices, electric systems, power plant, electronic

power equipment, illumination, building wiring and others. The weight is forty-

five percent (45%).


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The passing general weighted average rating shall be seventy percent
(70%) with no grade below fifty percent (50%) in any group of subjects listed
above.

‘The examination questions on the foregoing subjects shall cover only
basic theories and principles, and shall exclude questions based on experience
and trade practices, The number of questions shall be such that the examination
can be finished in three (3) consecutive eight-hour days.

SEC. 18. Report of Ratings. ~ The Board of Electrical Engineering shall,
within one hundred fifty (150) days after the date of completion of the
examinations, report the ratings obtained by each candidate to the PRC.

SEC. 19. Reexamination of Failed Subjects. ~ An applicant shall be
allowed to retake, any number of times, only the subject or subjects in which
the applicant has obtained a grade below fifty percent (50%), When the
applicant has obtained an average grade of seventy percent (70%) in the subject
or subjects repeated, the applicant shall be considered to have passed the
licensure examination.

SEC. 20. Oath. — All successful candidates in the examination shall be
required to take a professional oath before the Board or any government official
authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the practice of electrical
engineering.

SEC. 21. Issuance of Certificates of Registration and

Professional Licenses. — The registration of an clectrical engineer


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commences from the date the electrical engineer’s name is entered in the
roll of registrants or licensees 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 licensed electrical engineer that shows the full name of the registrant
and serial number, signed by the Commissioner and by the chairperson
and members of the Board, stamped with the official seal, as evidence
that the person named therein is entitled to practice the profession with
all rights and privileges appurtenant thereto, The certificate shall remain
in full force and effect until withdrawn, suspended, or revoked.

A professional license signed by the Commissioner and bearing the

registration number and date of issuance thereof and the month of expiry or
renewability shall likewise be issued to every registrant who has paid the annual
registration fees for three (3) consecutive years and has complied with the
requirements of the Continuing Professional Education (CPE), unless exempted
therefrom. This license will serve as evidence that the licensee can lawfully
practice the profession until the expiration of its validity.

SEC. 22. Continuing Professional Education Program. — ‘The CPE
guidelines shall be prescribed and promulgated by the Board subject to the
approval of the PRC, after consultation with the accredited electrical

engineering associations, other associations of the electrical engineering

profession, and other concerned sectors. The Board shall incorporate in the said


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guidelines the creation of a CPE council that shall be composed of officers
coming from the Board, the PRC, the accredited electrical associations, and
other concerned sectors. It shall be vested with the functions, duties and
responsibilities to implement the guidelines and shall have the juridical
personality that is distinct and separate from and independent of the Board, the
PRC, the accredited electrical engineering associations, and other associations
of the electrical engineering profession.

SEC, 23. National Organization of the Electrical Engineering
Profession. — There shall be only one integrated national organization of
electrical engineers which shall be recognized by the Board among. all
accredited associations of electrical engineers nationwide. Although there shall
be only one integrated national organization among all accredited associations
or organizations of electrical engincers recognized by the Board, membership in
the integrated national organization of electrical engineers shall not be a bar to
membership in other accredited associations of electrical engineers to provide
the members of the profession the freedom to choose the association they prefer
and to further enhance competence and the system of checks and balances in the
electrical engineering profession.

Upon registration with the Board, every licensed electrical engineer shall
register as member in one or more of the accredited electrical engineer

associations.


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The licensed electrical engineer shall receive the benefits and privileges
appurtenant to this listed membership in the duly integrated and accredited
electrical engineering association only upon payment of the required
membership fees and dues.

SEC. 24. Seal of Licensed Electrical Engineer. ~ All licensed electrical

engineers may obtain a seal of a design prescribed by the Board bearing the

registrant's name, the certificate number and the legend “Electrical Engineer.”
Plans, specifications, reports and other professional documents prepared by or

executed under the immediate supervision of and ed by a licensee, shall be

ped on every sheet with said seal when filed with government authorities

or when submitted or used professionally: Provided, however, That it is
unlawful for anyone to stamp or seal any document with said seal after the
registrant's name has been delisted from the roster of licensed electrical
engineers or after the validity of the professional license has expired.

The registrant shall be allowed again to use the seal or stamp in the

documents that the licensed electrical engineer prepares, signs or i

after the registrant is reinstated to the practice of the profession and r
new professional license.

SEC. 25. Indication of Registration or Professional License Number. —
The licensed electrical engineer shall be required to indicate the registration and

professional license number, the date registered, and the date of its expiry in the


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documents the licensed electrical engineer will sign, use or issue in connection
with the practice of profession.
SEC. 26. Refusal to Issue Certificates. — The Board of Electrical

Engineering 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.

After no less than a year from the finality of the Board’s decision, the

Board, out of equity and justice, may recommend to the PRC the issuance of the

certificate of registration to the applicant.

SEC. 27. Revocation of Certificates of Registration and Suspension
from the Practice of the Profession. ~The Board shall have the power, upon
proper notice and hearing, to revoke any certificate of registration of any
registrant, to suspend the registrant from the practice of profession or to
reprimand the registrant for any cause specified in the preceding section, or for
the use of or perpetration of any fraud or deceit in obtaining a certificate of
registration, or for gross negligence or incompetence or for unprofessional or

dishonorable conduct, for any violation of this Act, the rules and regulations

ional Ethics.

and other policies of the Board and the Code of Profess



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It shall be sufficient ground for the revocation of a certificate issued to a

person under this Act, and suspension from the practice of profession for

unprofessional or dishonorable conduct, if:

a) Being a professional electrical engineer, the registrant has signed
and affixed the registrant’s seal on any plan, design, technical report, valuation,
estimate, specification or other similar document or work not prepared by the
registrant or not executed under the registrant's immediate supervision;

b) The registrant has represented himself as having taken charge of or
supervised: any electrical construction or installation; operation, tending and
maintenance of any electric plant; manufacture or repair of electrical
equipment, teaching of electrical engineering subjects; sale or distribution of
any electric supply or utilization equipment requiring engineering calculations
or application of engineering principles and data, without actually having done
50.

The decision of the board shall be final and executory unless it is
appealed by the respondent to the PRC within fifteen (15) days from the receipt
of such decision. The decision of the Board or PRC is appealable by the
respondent to the Court of Appeals in accordance with the procedure provided
under the Rules of Court.

Any person, firm, association or corporation may file charges in
accordance with the provisions of this section against any licensee, or the Board

may, on its own initiative investigate and take cognizance of acts and practices


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constituting cause for suspension or revocation of the certificate of registration
by proper resolution or order, such charges shall be in writing and shall be
sworn to by the person making them and shall be filed with the Board.

‘The rules and regulations of the PRC on administrative investigation
shall govern the procedure and conduct of administrative investigation before
the Board.

‘The respondent shall have the right to a speedy and public hearing and
the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses.

SEC. 28. Re-issuance of Revoked Certificates and Replacement of Lost
Certificates. — Subject to the approval of the PRC, the Board may, after the
expiration of one (1) year from the date of revocation of a certificate, for
reasons it may deem sufficient, entertain an application for a new certificate in
the same manner as the application for an original one. It may exempt the
applicant from undergoing an examination.

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.

ARTICLE IV
SUNDRY PROVISIONS RELATIVE TO THE
PRACTICE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
SEC. 29. Field of Practice. — The field of practice for licensed electrical

engineers includes the following:


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a) Authority to seal electrical plans, and similar documents, and to

practice electrical engineering in its full scope except those capacities that

require specialty as defined in this Act;

b) Supervision of operation and maintenance of electrical equipment
in power plants, industrial plants, watercraft, electric locomotive, and others;
manufacture and repair of electrical supply and utilization equipment including
switchboards, power transformers, generators, motors, apparatus, and others;
teaching of electrical subjects; and sale and distribution of electrical equipment
and systems requiring engineering circulations or application of engineering
data including the electrical system in agricultural lands: Provided, That if the

supervision, maintenance, teaching and sales require specialty, the work shall

be under the supervision of an electrical engineer with a certificate of specialty;

and

c) Supervision of the installation, wiring, operation, maintenance and
repair of electrical machinery, equipment and devices, in residential,
commercial, institutional, commercial and industrial buildings, in power plants,
substations, watercrafis, electric locomotives, electrical system in agricultural
lands and the like: Provided, That if the installation or the machinery requires
specialty, the work shall be under the supervision of a licensed electrical
engineer with a certificate of specialty.

SEC. 30. Prohibition in the Practice of Electrical Engineering. — No

person shall:


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a) Practice or offer to practice electrical engineering in the
Philippines without having previously obtained a certificate of registration and
a professional license from the Board of Electrical Engineering except as
provided for in Section 14 hereof;

b) Use, or attempt to use as one’s own, the certificate of registration,
the professional license or the seal of another;

c) Give false or forged evidence of any kind to the Board or to any
member thereof in obtaining a certificate of registration or professional licenses

d) Falsely impersonate any registrant of like or different name;

e) Attempt to use a revoked or suspended certificate of registration

or an expired professional licen:
f) ie

assume, use or advertise any title or description tending to convey the

in connection with the registrant’s name or otherwise

impression that the registrant is a licensed electrical engineer, without holding a
valid certificate or a valid license; and
g) Sign a document involving electrical design, plan, technical
specification, valuation and the like on behalf of a licensed electrical engineer.
SEC. 31. Personnel Required. ~ Except as otherwise provided in this
‘Act, every electric plant, industrial plant or factory, commercial establishment,
institutional building, watercraft, electric locomotive or in any other installation

where persons and properties are exposed to electrical hazards shall not have


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less than the following complement of licensed electrical engineer with a
certificate of specialty and a general practitioner licensed electrical engineer:

a) Electric plants with total installed generating capacity of any size
and employing voltages of any standard rating — two (2) licensed electrical
engineer, one of whom has a certificate of specialty. However, for capacities
up to five hundred-kilovolt amperes (500 Kva) and employing voltages of up to
six hundred volts (600 V) ~ at least one (1) licensed electrical engineer;

b) Industrial plants or factories, commercial establishments, or
institutional buildings having a connected Kva load of any size and employing
voltages of any standard rating — at least two (2) licensed electrical engineers,
one of whom has a certificate of specialty. However, for connected loads up to
five hundred kilovolt-amperes (500 Kya) and employing voltages up to six
hundred volts (600 v) — at least one (1) licensed electrical engineer;

c) Watercrafts or electric locomotives with installed generating
capacity up to the maximum size and voltage available for these units - at least
two (2) licensed electrical engineers, one of whom has a certificate of specialty.
However, for generating capacities up to five hundred _ kilovolt-
amperes/kilowatt (500 Kva/Kw) and employing voltages up to six hundred
volts (600 V) ~ at least one (1) licensed electrical engineer.

Provided, however, That in all the aforementioned cases, additional
licensed electrical engineers shall be employed to ensure safe operation and

safeguard public welfare, life and property: Provided, further, That when the


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operation requires more than one shift of personnel every twenty-four (24)
hours, the minimum complement of qualified personnel shall be employed in
each shift.

This section, however, shall not apply to any installation which has a
connected load of twenty-five kilovolt-amperes (25 Kva) or less and employs
voltages of not more than two hundred fifty volts (250 v) and for installations

which are designed to be automatic and do not require ident personnel for

their safe operation: Provided, however, That their maintenance and repair
shall be under the charge of a duly registered personnel: Provided, further,
That a yearly inspection will be conducted and certified to be in a safe operating

condition by a duly licensed electrical engineer.

SEC. 32. Electrical Engineers in Government Agencies, — It shall be
mandatory for all national government agencies, local government units and
government-owned and -controlled corporations to employ not less than the
following complement of licensed electrical engineers to supervise certified
workers or those who hold a NC or COC from TESDA, who are in charge of
the operation and maintenance or handle technical works and documents
pertaining to electrical engineering, unless otherwise provided in this Act:

a) __ Implementing agencies of the government such as the Department

of Public Works and Highways including its district or provincial offices,
bureau of fire protection including its district, regional, provincial and other

sub-offices, the Office of the Provincial, City and Municipal Engineer, and the


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Office of the Building Official shall employ at least two (2) licensed electrical
engineers, one of whom has a certificate of specialty: Provided, that fifth and
sixth class municipalities shall employ at least one (1) licensed electrical
engineer;

b) The general manager of an electric cooperative shall be a duly
licensed electrical engineer with at least a master’s degree in management or
public administration;

c) Other government agencies and private establishments with loads

exceeding twenty-five kilovolt-amperes (25 Kva) at two hundred fifty volts

(250 V) as provided in this section shall have at least one (1) resident licensed

electrical engineer; and

d) Hardware stores selling electrical supplies shall have one (1)
licensed electrical engineer in charge of the sales of electrical supplies.

SEC. 33. Preparation of Plans, Supervision of Installation, Application
of the Philippine Electrical Code, ~ It shall be unlawful for any person not
authorized under this Act to prepare plans, electrical valuations or specifications
for any electrical wiring, equipment or system; and no installation thereof shall
be undertaken unless the plans, designs, valuations and specifications have been
prepared by or under the responsible charge of, and signed and sealed by a
licensed electrical engineer; and a construction permit for the execution thereof
is first secured; and unless the work is done in accordance with the Philippine

Electrical Code and is executed under the responsible charge or supervision of a


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licensed electrical engineer and the routinary fiscal and ministerial requirements
of the government agency, if any, exercising jurisdiction over the particular
installation have been complied with.

SEC. 34. Ownership of Electrical Plans and Other Related Electrical
Documents, — Electrical plans or drawings and other related electrical

documents duly signed, stamped or sealed as instruments in the practice of

electrical engineering, are the intellectual property and documents of the
licensed electrical engineer, whether the object for which they are made is
executed or not. It shall be unlawful for any person to copy or to make copies of
said plans and documents for use in the repetition of similar projects or
buildings without the written consent of the licensed electrical engineer, who
signed, stamped and sealed the subject electrical plans or drawings and other
related electrical documents.

SEC. 35. Practice Not Allowed for Firms and Corporations, Including
Schools, Institutes, Academies, Colleges And Universities. ~ The practice of

on to which is based on

jonal service admiss

electrical engineering is a profess
individual and personal qualifications. Hence, no firm or corporations including
schools, institutes, academies, colleges, and universities may be registered or
licensed as such for the practice of electrical engineering.

However, persons properly qualified and licensed as electrical engineers

may, among themselves, form a partnership or association and collectively


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render electrical engineering service. Individual members of such partnerships
or associations shall be responsible for their own respective acts,
SEC. 36, Requirements for Academic Institutions. — Schools, institutes,

ies shall not be allowed to offer Bachelor of

academies, colleges and univer
Science in electrical engineering without employing licensed electrical

ical engineers with a certificate of specialty or with a

engineers or licensed elect

master’s degree in electrical engineering as part of their faculty who will

and train their students in all major subj All academic institutions offering

Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering courses shall be equipped with
complete laboratory facilities,

To ensure high standards of education, good performance and
competence among academic institutions, the board shall recommend to the
Commission on Higher Education the imposition of sanctions against academic
institutions offering Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering courses where
less than fifty percent (50%) of the graduates register a passing rate in three (3)
successive licensure examinations.

SEC. 37. Posting of Certificates. — The owner, manager or the person in
charge of an electric plant, industrial plant or factory, commercial
establishment, institutional building, watercraft, or electric locomotive shall
post or cause to be posted in a conspicuous place within such plant or
establishment the certificate of registration of the licensed electrical engineers

employed in such plant or establishment, in a frame protected by transparent


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glass or equivalent.

The posting of the certificate of registration of the licensed electrical
engineer shall be a condition for the issuance of a permit to operate of the
electric plant, industrial plant or factory, commercial establishment, institutional
building, watercraft, or electric locomotive.

SEC. 38. Certificate of Specialty. — Certificates of specialty shall be
issued by the Board, subject to the approval of the PRC, to licensed electrical
engineers who have been screened and recommended by the accredited
clectrical engineering associations, These are for specific fields in which the
applicants have taken advance study or earned a masters degree in electrical

engineering, or acquired specialized knowledge, training and experience and

have demonstrated their competence and expertise in various fields in electrical
engineering including power generation, power plants, power transmission and
distribution, power transformers, electrical machines, watercrafis and
locomotives, electrical systems of high rise buildings and other such
competencies to be determined by the Board. The Board shall, subject to the

approval of the PRC, and after consultation with the said association, prescribe

and issue the necessary guidelines for the issuance of these certificates.

SEC. 39. Foreign Reciprocity. — No foreign engineer shall be admitted
to take a 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

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practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subjects or citizens
of such country.

SEC. 40. Enforcement of the Act by Officers of the Law. — It shall be
the duty of all constituted officers of the law of the national government, or any
provincial, city or municipal government or of any political subdivision thereof

to file charges against any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions

of this Act. The Secretary of Justice or duly appointed assistant shall act as
legal adviser of the Board and render such legal assistance as may be necessary
in carrying out the provisions of this Act.

SI

’. 41. Penalty Clause. ~ Any person who shall violate any of the

provisions of this Act shall be guilty of misdemeanor and shall, upon

conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos
(P100,000.00) nor more than five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) or
imprisonment for a period not less than six (6) months nor more than five (5)
years or both at the discretion of the court.

ARTICLE V.
TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

SEC. 42. Terms of Office of Board Members. — Upon approval of this
Act, the incumbent chairperson and two (2) members of the Board shall
continue to serve until their terms of office expire or until their replacements

have been appointed by the President and shall have been duly qualified.


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SEC. 43. New Certificates of Registration and Professional Licenses. —
a) Professional electrical engineers with valid certificates of registration and
professional license issued under Republic Act No. 184 or Republic Act No.
7920, otherwise known as the “New Electrical Engineering Law,” shall register
within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act and be issued new
certificates of registration and new professional license as electrical engineers
under this Act to replace their original ones. Their serial numbers shall be
provided by the registration division of the PRC. They shall also be issued the
corresponding certificate of specialty by the Board pursuant to the guidelines
promulgated by the PRC in accordance with the provisions of Section 38 of this
Act.

b) Registered electrical engineers with valid certificates of
registration and professional licenses issued under Republic Act No. 184 or
Republic Act No. 7920 shall register within two (2) years from the effectivity of
this Act and be issued new certificates of registration and new professional
licenses as electrical engineers under this act to replace their original ones.
Their serial numbers shall be provided by the registration division of the PRC.

c) Registered master electricians with valid certificates of registration

and professional licenses issued under Republic Act No. 184 or Republic Act
No. 7920 shall upgrade and register within one (1) year from the effectivity of
this Act and be issued new certificates of registration and new professional

licenses as interim electrical engineers under this Act to replace their original


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ones. Their serial numbers shall be provided by the registration division of the
PRC. Within a period of two (2) years from the effectivity of this act, they shall
enroll and complete the required modules on major subjects in Bachelor of
Science in electrical engineering, as follows: electrical circuits 1 and 2, energy

conversion, control system, electrical system design, electrical machines, power

system, and computer aided design. Failure to comply with the requirements

ration of the

under this subsection shall be a ground not to renew the regis
interim electrical engineer and for the revocation and cancellation of the interim
license.

4) The PRC shall continue to conduct licensure examinations for
electrical engineers and the approval and issuance of licenses and certificates of
specialty. However, the conduct of technical evaluation for professional
electrical engineers and the licensure examinations for master electricians shall
cease upon the approval of this act.

ARTICLE VI
FINAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 44. Repealing Clause. - Republic Act No. 7920 is hereby repealed.
All other laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules and regulations,
or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended,

repealed or modified accordingly.


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SEC. 45, Separability Clause. — If any provision or part of this Act is
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not
affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 46. Effectivity. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,