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Republic of the Philippines & &A\
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House BILL No8465

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AUTOMATIC MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONALS
IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

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.

P.D. No. 223, created the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) which is tasked to
administer, implement, and enforce regulatory policies of the national government with
respect 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.
Mall A

Luis IND “Lt F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL noe4é 5

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AUTOMATIC MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONALS
IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be cited as the “Automatic Professional
Membership Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall enhance, promote, and protect
various professional disciplines and towards this end, shall unify and strengthen the
bond amongst all professionals and shall encourage their active involvement and
participation in organizations or societies which will serve as vehicles for nurturing and
enhancing the standard of practice of their profession, thereby ensuring the contribution
of professionals to the upliftment of the general welfare, economic growth, and
development of the nation. In pursuit of these objectives, automatic membership of
professionals in their respective accredited professional organizations shall be required.

SECTION 3. Accredited Professional Organization. - There shall be one professional
organization for each profession which shall be accredited by the Professional
Regulation Commission (PRC), herein referred to as the Commission, which shall serve
as the umbrella organization for all professionals in their respective professions. The
establishment of this accredited professional organization shall not be a bar to the
formation and continued existence of other voluntary organizations which may co-exist
with the accredited professional organization. Duly accredited professional organizations
now existing shall continue to be recognized as such by the Commission.

Each Accredited Professional Organization (APO) shall coordinate and work together
with their respective Professional Regulatory Board (PRB), here referred to as the Board,


in the exercise of its function for the effective enhancement of their profession particularly
in the promotion of programs and activities which will advance and foster excellent and
globally competitive professionals in their respective fields of expertise.

The functions and responsibilities of the APO are as follows:

(A) Maintain an updated roster of membership in the organization;

(B) Enforce rules and regulations for membership in good standing;

(C) Organize, conduct, and accredit continuing professional education and training
programs for its members:

(D) Monitor and supervise the activities and operations of organizations belonging under
APO;

(E) Assist the Board in monitoring and ensuring that members maintain the highest

professional competence and comply at all times with their professions’ Code of

Ethics;

Report and recommend sanctions to the Board on illegal and malpractice cases of

the profession;

(G) Assist the Board in enforcing compliance with member registration and renewal of
licenses;

(H) Select, evaluate, and submit to the Commission nominees to fill up any vacancies in
the Board;

(I) Assist the Board in the preparation, adoption, and issuance of syllabi or tables of
specifications of the subjects for licensure examinations;

(J) Assist government agencies in activities related to the delivery of services and

improvement of the professionals and the profession; and

Perform such other functions and responsibilities normally performed by accredited

professional organizations

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SECTION 4. Automatic Membership. — All examinees who pass the PRC licensure
examinations and who have been issued a Certificate of Registration and a Professional
License or Certificate of Competency, as the case may be, shall automatically become
members of their respective accredited professional organizations upon compliance with
the membership requirements. All professionals, whose names now appear in the roster
of professionals or who may hereafter be included, upon registration and payment of
required fees, shall automatically become members of their respective accredited
professional organization and shall be issued a certificate of membership. Professionals
with more than one profession shall automatically be considered as members of all the
appropriate APOs under the same terms and conditions provided herein.

A Certificate of Membership in Good Standing from each respective APO shall be
presented by the professional to the Commission before the latter may renew his license
to practice his profession

SECTION 5. Inactivation of Membership. —- The Accredited Professional Organization
shall consider a member under inactive status in the event that the member decides to
discontinue the practice of the profession, in which case, his name shall not be dropped


from the roster of membership, provided, however, that if he wants to resume the
practice of the profession, he shall follow the procedure and requirements for registration
for new members of the organization.

SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Professional Regulation
Commission shall formulate the necessary implementing rules and regulations within
ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act in consultation with the representatives of
the existing accredited professional organizations and professional regulatory boards.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, or rule or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,