Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 1364)
Republic Act No. 1364 is officially known as the "Sanitary Engineering Law."
The practice of sanitary engineering includes sanitary surveys, reports, design, direction, management, consultation, and investigation of water purification plants, drainage and sewer systems, sewage treatment plants, malaria control structures, and other public health structures. It also covers projects on stream pollution, insect control, food sanitation, industrial hygiene engineering, and professional research supporting these activities.
The Board is composed of a chairman and two members appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Commissioner of Civil Service, who are persons of recognized standing with at least five years of practice in sanitary engineering and who are academically and morally qualified by bona fide sanitary engineering associations.
Members must be Philippine citizens and residents, at least 30 years old, of good moral character, graduates in sanitary engineering or registered civil engineers with major subjects in sanitary engineering, registered sanitary engineers with at least five years of practice, not members or former members of the faculty of any sanitary engineering school within the last three years, and must take an oath before assuming office.
The Board administers oaths, issues, suspends, and revokes registration certificates, issues certificates of recognition, investigates violations, issues subpoenas, inspects educational institutions offering sanitary engineering, and performs other duties to uphold ethical and technological standards in the profession.
Exemptions apply to officers or enlisted men of the US and Philippine Armed Forces and their civilian employees stationed in the Philippines while rendering sanitary engineering services for these governments and to foreign sanitary engineers or experts called for specific consultation, provided they do not engage in private practice.
Any person practicing or offering to practice sanitary engineering without registration, using a forged certificate, impersonating a registrant, or using a revoked/suspended certificate commits a misdemeanor and may face a fine of 500 to 2,000 pesos or imprisonment of six months to one year, or both.
Subjects include mathematics, hydraulics, surveying, design and construction of structures, hydrology, water and sewage analysis, microbiology, bacteriology, design and construction of sewers, water purification, sewage treatment plants, and plumbing. Registered civil engineers are exempted from some basic subjects.
Applicants must be at least 21 years old, Filipino citizens, of good moral character, and graduates of four-year courses in sanitary engineering or civil engineering with major sanitary engineering subjects from recognized schools.
It is unlawful for any person to prepare plans, designs, reports, or perform sanitary engineering services or supervise construction unless holding a valid certificate of registration. Firms must engage registered sanitary engineers to practice and advertise. Unregistered persons cannot collect professional fees except as employees of registered sanitary engineers.