THE Senate passed on third and final reading Monday a bill seeking to promote, strengthen, and regulate the practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering profession in the country.
Senate Bill 2434 seeks to repeal Republic Act 8559 or the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998.
The bill will transform Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agricultural Engineering presently being offered in 46 higher education institutions into BS in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
Agriculture and Biosystems engineering is the application of engineering science and designs to the processes and systems involved in the sustainable production and post-production of safe food, feed, fiber, timber, and other agricultural and biological materials and the efficient utilization, conservation, and management of natural and renewable resources in order to human health in harmony with the environment.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, sponsor and author of the bill, said the proposed law would update the current law governing agricultural engineering, noting that the country is lagging behind United States, Europe, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
"After 17 years, there are new developments and transformation worldwide on the practice of agricultural engineering which necessitates the immediate updating of the law," Trillanes said.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the bill is important in giving the country an edge in developing and modernizing its agricultural sector, stressing that the country’s agricultural workers "must strive to keep up with our competitors, in terms of methods and technologies employed."
"Agricultural remains an integral part of our economic growth, and we must welcome every innovation to help agricultural workers, who represent a third of the nation's workforce, keep up with new regional or global market demands," Drilon said.
Unless the country would modernize the practice of agricultural engineering, Trillanes said the agricultural sector would be “adversely" affected, especially with the commencement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economic integration.
"Our agricultural sector, being part of the biosystem, is faced with threats from climate change, soil erosion and environmental degradation. In order to cope with these challenges, it is necessary that our country has a strong, empowered, and competitive Philippine agricultural and biosystems engineers," he said.
Under the bill, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) will be directed to develop and continuously update the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Curriculum.
It will also create a Professional Regulatory Board of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering that will supervise the registration, licensure, and practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering in the country.
The board, which is under the administrative supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission, will be composed of a chairman and two members.
All applicants for registration for the practice of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering will be required to undergo and pass the licensure examination, Trillanes said.
To be qualified, a candidate must obtain weighted general average of 70 percent of higher, with no grades lower than 55 percent in any given subject.
The applicant who will get a weighted general average of 70 percent but obtains a rating below 55 percent must retake the examination in the subject or subjects where he obtained a grade below 55 percent and must get not lower than 55 percent in the retake.
An applicant who fails to pass the examination for the third time shall be allowed to take another examination after one year and after having undertaken a refresher program in a duly accredited institution.
All agricultural engineers registered under RA 8559 will be automatically registered as agricultural and biosystems engineers, Trillanes said.
Trillanes said only registered and licensed agricultural and biosystems engineers with valid PRC license will be appointed to all positions in government and private firms with agricultural and biosystems functions and responsibilities.
He said accreditation of specialization for the practice of agricultural engineers such as agricultural meteorology and soil and water conservation would be established once the bill is enacted into law.
Agricultural meteorology is the study and application of relations between meteorology and agriculture.
Soil and water conservation, on the other hand, is the management of soil to prevent soil erosion and depletion by wind and water, and the protection, development, and efficient management of water resourced.
The bill is co-authored by Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of Senate committee on agriculture and food. (Sunnex)