The House Committee on Appropriations approved a substitute bill which seeks to regulate the practice of environmental engineering in the country. The approval was done in a recent hearing of the said committee before its recent session break.
Rep. Celso Lobregat (1st District, Zamboanga City), a co-author of the bill, referred to environmental engineering as the “application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment.”
“Environmental engineers are actively involved in the design of systems and processes used for pollution control and mitigation. Physical, chemical, and biological aspects of treatment processes are investigated and developed,” said Lobregat.
Lobregat said it is the primary objective of the measure to professionalize and regulate the practice of environmental engineering to advance the cause of a balanced and healthful environment in the midst of industrial and economic growth in the Philippines.
The proposed “Environmental Engineering Act” shall cover the following: a) examination, registration, and licensure of practitioners; b) regulation, supervision, and control of the practice; and c) development, upgrading, and updating of the environmental engineering curriculum, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and higher educational institutions, among others.
Congressman Lobregat said that the bill provides for the establishment of the Professional Regulatory Board of Environmental Engineering under the administrative supervision and control of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
The Board shall be comprised of a Chairperson and four board members, who shall all be appointed by the President of the Philippines.
All applicants for registration shall be required to pass a written technical examination. The measure further specifies the qualifications of licensure examinations for environmental engineers, as well as environmental engineering technologists and technicians.
To pass the licensure examinations, a candidate must obtain a weighted general average of at least 70 percent with no grade lower than 50 percent. If ever the applicant reaches a 70 percent weighted general average or higher but gets a rating below 50 percent in any given subject, he or she must retake the particular subject/s accordingly.
The bill shall be referred to the plenary when the Third Regular Session of the 17th Congress resumes.