Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1572)
The main purpose of Presidential Decree No. 1572 is to empower the Secretary of Trade to regulate and control the operation of service and repair enterprises for motor vehicles, heavy equipment, electronics, office equipment, medical and dental equipment, and other consumer and industrial mechanical and electro-mechanical appliances, including the technical personnel employed therein.
All enterprises and technical personnel engaged in the service and repair of motor vehicles, heavy equipment, engines, electronics, electrical, air-conditioning, refrigeration, office equipment, medical and dental equipment, and other consumer and industrial equipment must apply for accreditation with the Department of Trade.
They must apply within ninety (90) days from the promulgation of the Decree and renew their accreditation on or before January 31 of every year thereafter.
No, no such enterprise shall be licensed or permitted to operate for the first time without being accredited by the Department of Trade.
The Secretary of Trade can develop and implement accreditation programs, set ethical standards, conduct research, impose penalties, collect fees, create accreditation boards, appoint personnel, delegate power, and issue rules and regulations for implementation and compliance with this Decree.
The Accreditation Boards provide technical assistance to the Secretary of Trade in implementing the Decree. There are separate boards for motor vehicles and heavy equipment, electronics and electrical appliances, office equipment, and medical and dental equipment service and repair enterprises.
Members must be Filipino citizens, possess good moral character, unquestionable integrity, responsibility, and recognized competence in their respective fields of repair, technical servicing, service management, or contracting.
Violators face fines from One Hundred Pesos to Five Thousand Pesos, or imprisonment from thirty days to one year, or both. For corporations or associations, penalties extend to directors or responsible persons. Aliens can be deported after serving sentences; naturalized citizens lose citizenship and are deported; government officials face additional perpetual disqualification from public office.
Filing fees amount to Fifty Pesos; accreditation fees range from One Hundred to Five Hundred Pesos depending on enterprise classification; technicians not licensed by the Professional Regulation Commission pay classified fees: First Class at Fifty Pesos, Second Class at Thirty-Five Pesos, and Third Class at Twenty Pesos.
An annual appropriation of One Million Pesos is made from the National Treasury to fund the Accreditation Boards and the Secretary of Trade may allocate the funds as needed. Additional appropriations may be granted upon the Secretary's justification.