Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1308)
The title of Presidential Decree No. 1308 is the "Law Regulating the Environmental Planning Profession in the Philippines."
Environmental planning refers to activities concerned with the management and development of land, as well as the preservation, conservation, and rehabilitation of the human environment.
The scope includes professional services in technical consultation, plan preparation, and implementation involving community, town, city, or regional development; site development for specific needs; land use and zoning plans; and pre-investment, pre-feasibility, and feasibility studies.
The Board is composed of a chairman and two members appointed by the President of the Philippines from among those recommended by the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP).
Members must be Filipino citizens and residents, at least 30 years old, of good moral character, hold an environmental planning degree or equivalent with practical experience, or hold a degree in related fields with additional environmental planning experience, and be registered environmental planners.
The Board issues certificates of registration, approves registration without examination under certain conditions, determines examination content, adopts a Code of Ethics, inspects educational institutions, investigates violations, and promulgates rules and regulations.
Applicants must register within one year after the Board's constitution, be at least 21 years old, Filipino citizens, currently practicing environmental planning, and possess specific academic and experiential qualifications as outlined in the Decree.
Subjects include physical planning (zoning, land use, water resources), social planning, economic planning, planning law and administration, and special planning studies such as project planning and feasibility studies.
Any person practicing without registration may face imprisonment of 6 months to 5 years, a fine ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 pesos, or both.
No, it is unlawful for an environmental planner to sign or seal any plans, specifications, or documents not prepared or supervised by him, or to sign for any work not performed by him.