Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1534)
The main purpose of Presidential Decree No. 1534 is to further amend Republic Act No. 5527 as amended by Presidential Decree No. 498, which is otherwise known as the Philippine Medical Technology Act of 1969, to address issues affecting the functions of the Department of Education and Culture, the Department of Health, and to protect the practice of anatomic and clinical pathology by qualified physicians.
The Council of Medical Technology Education is composed of the Director of Higher Education as Chairman; the Chairman of the Professional Regulation Commission as Vice-Chairman; the Director of the Bureau of Research and Laboratories of the Department of Health; the Chairman and two members of the Board of Medical Technology; a representative of the Deans of Schools of Medical Technology and Public Health; and the Presidents of the Philippine Society of Pathologists and the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists.
A member of the Medical Technology Board must be a qualified Pathologist or a duly registered Medical Technologist of the Philippines holding a degree of Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, Bachelor of Science in Hygiene, or Public Health.
Subparagraphs (g) and (i) of Section 11 of Republic Act No. 5527 as amended were repealed by PD No. 1534.
The Department of Education and Culture shall approve schools of Medical Technology in conjunction with the Board of Medical Technology. The Department of Health, through the Bureau of Research and Laboratories, shall approve laboratories for accreditation as training laboratories in conjunction with the Board of Medical Technology, ensuring qualified personnel, proper equipment, and sufficient scope of activities in various laboratory fields.
Training laboratories must offer sufficient training in Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Serology, Parasitology, Hematology, Blood Banking, Clinical Microscopy, and Histopathologic techniques.
PD No. 1534 explicitly states that it does not repeal or amend any portion of the Medical Act of 1959, the Clinical Laboratory Act of 1966, the Blood Banking Law of 1956, or the rules and regulations issued pursuant to these laws.
Presidential Decree No. 1534 took effect immediately upon its signing on June 11, 1978.
President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed the decree, with Jacobo C. Clave as the Presidential Executive Assistant endorsing it.
Certain sections of Presidential Decree No. 498 were found to hamper or render ineffective certain functions and duties of the Department of Education and Culture and the Department of Health, and contained provisions that prejudiced the practice of anatomic and clinical pathology by qualified physicians.