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Adopted: 23 September 2014
Date Filed: 15 May 2015
WHEREAS, Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10601, otherwise known as the Agricultural and Fishery Mechanization Law, mandates the Board of Agricultural Engineering (Board) to promulgate guidelines and standards on the required manpower complement of licensed Agricultural Engineers in all agricultural and fisheries machinery pools and service centers, including sales and distribution outlets and manufacturing establishments, either public or private, to ensure efficient operation and maintenance and good management practices;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 8559, otherwise known as the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998, regulates the practice of agricultural engineering in the country;

WHEREAS, the management or supervision, manufacture, sale, testing and evaluation and preparation of plans, designs and technical specifications of agricultural and fishery machinery constitute the practice of agricultural engineering;

WHEREAS, Section 20 of Republic Act No. 8559 and Section 43 (6) Article XIII of its implementing Rules and Regulations provide that no person shall practice Agricultural Engineering unless such person has secured a license to practice Agricultural Engineering.

NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of the powers and mandate vested in the Professional Regulatory Board of Agricultural Engineering under Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10601 and Section 9(a) and (g) Article III of Republic Act No. 8559, the Board RESOLVES, as it now RESOLVED, to promulgate the Guidelines and Standards of Manpower Complement of Licensed Agricultural Engineers in all Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery Pools and Service Centers, including Sales and Distribution Outlets and Manufacturing Establishments, either Public or Private.

SECTION 1. Definition of Terms - As used in this Resolution, the following terms are defined:

Agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment - refers to machinery and equipment for the production, harvesting, processing, storage, manufacture, preserving, transporting and, distribution of agricultural and fisheries products. It includes, but is not limited to, tractors and their attachments, power, tillers, seeders, transplanters, windmills, harvesting machines, crop protection and maintenance equipment, irrigation equipment and accessories, greenhouses and other thermal conditioning equipment, livestock equipment, fishery equipment, slaughtering equipment, meat/fishery and crop processing equipment, postharvest machines such as milling machines, dryers, threshers, grain and other strippers, agricultural transport machinery and storage facilities;

Commission – refers to the Professional Regulation Commission;

Board – refers to the Professional Regulatory Board of Agricultural Engineering.

SECTION 2. Required Manpower Complement - 1) There must be at least one (1) registered and licensed Agricultural Engineer to be engaged, hired or employed in the following public or private entities or businesses:

	a)	Agricultural and fishery machinery service centers to be established and operated by registered cooperatives or by businesses registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Strategic Agricultural Development Zones (SAFDZs) or Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), pursuant to Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10601, which will provide the following services:
		1)	After-sales service and warranty to their respective clients;
		2)	Custom plowing, harrowing, harvesting, drying, milling and other farm mechanization services;
		3)	Repair and troubleshooting services of agricultural and fishery machinery and equipment; and
		4)	Training of maintenance and proper use of agricultural machineries and equipment.
	b)	Sales and distribution outlets of agricultural and fishery machinery and equipment of all concerned registered cooperatives or businesses registered with SEC and DTI;
	c)	Agricultural and fishery machinery and equipment pools, service centers, common service facilities, post harvest and agri-fisheries processing centers established and/or operated by agricultural plantations, agro-industrial firms, agri-fishery cooperatives, farmers organizations, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in the research, demonstration and training stations/centers of the Department of Agriculture (DA), academic institutions, local government units, and other concerned government agencies and private institutions; and
	d)	Manufacturing/assembling establishments of agricultural and fishery machinery and equipment registered with SEC and DTI which include joint venture with foreign entities.

2) Depending on the magnitude of professional services needed, the agricultural engineer to be engaged, hired or employed, as consultant or otherwise, shall be on-full time or part-time basis.

SECTION 3. Professional Services - The registered and licensed Agricultural Engineers to be engaged, hired or employed in public or private entities covered in Section 2 of this Guidelines and Standards shall provide professional services on the following:

1. Preparation and/or evaluation of project feasibility studies including the technical specifications of agricultural and fishery machinery pools and service centers;
   
2. Management or supervision of the operation and maintenance of agricultural and fishery machinery pools and service centers;
   
3. Training and supervision of agricultural machinery technicians and operators in agricultural and fishery machinery pools and service centers;
   
4. Management or supervision of the sales and distribution outlets, and assembling/manufacturing establishments of agri-fishery machinery and equipment, including the preparation of designs and technical specifications; and
   
5. Research and development to improve the operation and management of agricultural and fishery machinery pools and service centers, and in agricultural and fishery machinery assembling and manufacturing establishments;

SECTION 4. Qualifications - The registered and licensed Agricultural Engineers to be engaged shall have valid and updated PRC licenses.

SECTION 5. Compensation - The compensation of registered and licensed Agricultural Engineers to be hired in agricultural and fisheries machinery pools and service centers, sales and distribution outlets and manufacturing establishments shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Salary Standardization Law, Labor Code of the Philippines and prevailing professional fee rates.

SECTION 6. Compliance Monitoring - The Commission and the Board shall conduct monitoring and ocular inspections of agricultural and fisheries machinery pools and service centers, sales and distribution outlets and manufacturing establishments, and other concerned public and private entities or businesses on their compliance with this Guidelines and Standards.

SECTION 7. Sanctions and Penalties - Any person who violates the provisions of this Guidelines shall be liable for the administrative and criminal sanctions and penalties imposed under Section 31 and 32 of Republic Act No. 10601 and Section 32 of Republic Act No. 8559.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause - If any section, provision or paragraph hereof shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a competent authority, such declaration shall not affect, invalidate or impair any other section, provision or paragraph hereof.

SECTION 9. Effectivity. This Resolution shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its full and complete publication in the Official Gazette, or in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Let copies of this Resolution be furnished the Board, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, Cooperative Development Authority, Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers, Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors, Inc., and other concerned government agencies and private firms and establishments for their information and appropriate action.

Done in the City of Manila this 23^rd day of September 2014.

(SGD) ARIODEAR C. RICO Chairman
(SGD) JUANA T. TAPEL Member	(SGD) FELIMAR M. TORRIZO Member
Attested by:
(SGD) LOVELIKA T. BAUTISTA Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Secretary to the Professional Regulatory Boards
Approved:
(SGD) TERESITA R. MANZALA Chairman	(SGD) ANGELINE T. CHUA CHIACO Commissioner