QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 9297)
RA 9297 is titled “Chemical Engineering Law of 2004.” Its policy is to supervise and regulate the practice of chemical engineering vital to national development, upgrade chemical engineering education to ensure competitiveness globally, and reserve the profession’s practice to Filipino citizens.
It means rendering or offering professional chemical engineering service for a fee, salary, reward, or compensation paid to the person or through another, or even without compensation. The term is synonymous with rendering chemical engineering service.
An “industrial plant” is any plant involving a unit process and/or unit operations, including related pollution control and abatement processes. A “unit process” is the chemical change involved in manufacturing products or treating industrial/chemical wastes. A “unit operation” is the physical operation controlling or conducting a desired step in an industrial process (e.g., storage, heat transfer, transfer, evaporation, mass transfer, and separation processes).
These include chemical engineering thermodynamics; chemical engineering calculations; physical and chemical principles; industrial processes; momentum transfer; heat transfer; mass transfer; industrial waste management and control; process equipment and plant design; and biochemical engineering/bioengineering; and similar chemical engineering topics.
Professional chemical engineering service embraces consultation (requiring chemical engineering knowledge/skill), investigation, estimation/valuation, planning, preparation of feasibility studies, designing, preparation of specifications, supervision of installation, operation including quality management (excluding chemical laboratory analysis/laboratory operation), and research and development. Teaching, lecturing, and reviewing professional chemical engineering subjects in the curriculum or in licensure examination review contexts are also considered professional chemical engineering service.
A Board of Chemical Engineering is created under the administrative control/supervision of the PRC, composed of a Chairman and two (2) members appointed by the President from among nominees recommended by the PRC from the duly integrated and accredited national organization of chemical engineers.
The Board supervises and regulates the profession; determines/evaluates qualifications for registration; prescribes and administers licensure examination particulars (subjects, syllabi/weights, test questions, rating, submission of results); issues certificates in coordination with PRC; issues special permits and certificates of recognition; inspects establishments and enforces compliance; inspects educational programs (with CHED); adopts rules, Code of Ethics, and Code of Technical Standards; investigates violations; issues subpoenas; hears/decides administrative cases (appealable to PRC within 15 days); administers oaths; adopts official seal; submits annual reports; prosecutes criminal actions through PRC assistance; and sets CPE guidelines (with the integrated organization), among others.
They must be natural-born Filipino citizens and residents of the Philippines; at least bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (or equivalent recognized by government); registered chemical engineers with at least 10 years of active practice; members in good standing of the integrated national organization; and must not have pecuniary interest (directly/indirectly) in schools/institutions conferring the academic degree or offering licensure review, nor be faculty/administration there at the time of appointment.
They have a term of three (3) years with reappointment. Vacancies are filled only for the unexpired term.
They must pass the licensure examination prescribed by the Board, given twice each calendar year, and comply with qualification requirements (Philippine citizenship, good moral character, BS Chemical Engineering degree from a government-recognized school, and no conviction involving moral turpitude).
The licensure exam covers subjects including Physical and Chemical Principles; General Engineering; and Chemical Engineering, with the condition that the relative weight of Chemical Engineering is not less than 40%.
A registrant must obtain a general average of no less than 70% and a rating of no less than 50% in any examination subject.
No. RA 9297 requires both a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card. Practicing without them (or with a suspended/revoked certificate) is a misdemeanor.
Proposals/designs/specifications/working drawings/plans for an industrial plant or part thereof submitted to any government agency (including GOCCs) will not be processed or approved, and permits/licenses/authorizations will not be issued unless signed by a registered chemical engineer with the engineer’s seal and registration number affixed.
A person cannot practice/render service without valid certificates/ID; cannot pass off or advertise as a chemical engineer without valid credentials or during suspension/revocation; cannot use another’s certificate/seal or impersonate a registered chemical engineer; and cannot furnish false information/documents to secure registration.
No. No firm, partnership, corporation, or association may be licensed and registered as such for chemical engineering practice; however, duly licensed and registered chemical engineers may form partnerships among themselves or with other licensed and registered engineers and architects and use the permitted professional partnership title.
For certificates of registration: misrepresentation in alleged performance; acts inimical to the chemical engineering profession; gross immorality or acts involving moral turpitude. For certificates of compliance: noncompliance with the Act’s provisions. Complaints may be filed by any person or motu proprio by the Board.
Violations constitute misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than ₱10,000 nor more than ₱1,000,000, or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than five (5) years, or both, at the discretion of the court.