Question & AnswerQ&A (Resolution NO. 2018-1089)
Accreditation refers to the formal or official approval granted to an organization upon meeting the basic requirements and achievement standards, including qualifications, for a period of three (3) years.
APO (Accredited Professional Organization) is a professional organization where membership is voluntary, while AIPO (Accredited Integrated Professional Organization) is mandated by law to integrate all professionals of a discipline into one national organization with automatic and mandatory membership.
Key qualifications include: established for the benefit and welfare of professionals of one discipline; membership open to all registered professionals of that discipline; duly registered as a non-stock, non-profit with SEC and BIR; and having at least 50% plus one of the registered professionals in the discipline with valid PICs.
Disqualifications include committing acts inimical to the profession's interest; failure to comply with lawful orders of the Board or PRC; non-compliance with government regulatory policies; adopting discriminatory membership policies; and other similar acts.
Documents include: notarized Petition for Accreditation; Secretary’s Certificate or Board Resolution authorizing representation; list of officers and members with photocopies of PICs; authenticated SEC and BIR registrations; Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws; latest Audited Financial Statements; proof of payment of processing fee; and complete list of members in good standing with details.
The Board evaluates petitions for accreditation, either endorsing or recommending approval/denial of applications to the PRC within thirty (30) days and provides reasons for its recommendations.
Rights include representing the profession, submitting nominees for Board vacancies, nominating outstanding professionals, designating a CPD Council representative, being part of oath-taking ceremonies, representing the profession in ASEAN MRA monitoring, and exercising other rights under the law.
Duties include defining professional responsibilities for members, ensuring adherence to the Code of Ethics, improving standards through collaboration with the PRC and Board, proposing policy improvements, promoting welfare and harmony among members, and reporting violations of the Professional Regulatory Law.
Grounds include losing qualifications for accreditation, no longer serving the profession’s best interests, failing membership thresholds, committing acts inimical to its members or profession, failure to submit annual reports, neglecting duties required by the Board or PRC, and non-compliance with lawful orders from the Board or PRC.
After granting the petition, the PRC issues a Resolution published in a newspaper at the petitioner’s expense; accreditation takes effect upon publication; then the PRC issues the Certificate of Accreditation.
The PRC notifies the petitioner in writing citing reasons from the Board or PRC Resolution. The decision denying the petition is final and executory.
The organization must submit a notarized Petition for Renewal stating it maintains its purposes and membership requirements, Secretary’s Certificate authorizing representation, list of officers with PICs, updated Articles of Incorporation and By-laws if amended, proof of payment of prescribed fee, and list of members in good standing. Renewal documents must be submitted at least three (3) months before expiration.
Yes, the PRC or Board can initiate investigations motu proprio and may direct officers or members to testify or produce materials relevant to the investigation under the PRC Rules of Procedure on Administrative Investigation.
They automatically lose all rights, privileges, duties, and responsibilities, with effects equivalent to cancellation or suspension until a new accreditation is granted.