Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 6239)
The official title of Republic Act No. 6239 is 'The Forestry Profession Law.'
Practicing the forestry profession includes scientific conservation and management of forests, forestry consultation, investigation, planning, logging, forest reconnaissance, timber estimation, scaling and grading of logs and lumber, identification of woods, administration and supervision of forest plantations, wildlife protection, reforestation, supervision of forestry activities, and other related forest protection and silviculture activities.
A 'forester' is a natural person duly registered with the Board of Examiners as a forester who is either qualified and exempt from the board examination or has passed the Forestry Board Examination.
The Board is composed of three foresters chosen from a list of six nominees recommended by the National Society of Filipino Foresters and appointed by the President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments. Members hold office for three years with staggered terms for the first board.
Each Board member must be a natural-born Filipino citizen of good moral character, hold at least a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry or its equivalent, have at least 10 years of forestry practice, and not be connected with any forestry educational institution.
The Board administers oaths, issues and revokes registration certificates, investigates malpractice, conducts hearings, issues subpoenas, inspects forestry education institutions, endorses codes of ethics, and ensures forestry profession standards are maintained.
Applicants for examination must pay not less than fifty pesos (P50.00), and for each certificate of registration, not less than twenty pesos (P20.00).
Applicants must be at least 21 years old, a Filipino citizen, of good moral character, and a graduate of a four-year forestry course or its equivalent from a recognized institution in the Philippines or abroad.
Exempted are those holding a Bachelor of Science in Forestry or higher with at least 10 years of technical forestry experience or who have passed civil service exams for foresters; forestry experts from other countries called by the Philippine government with recognized qualifications; and foreign forestry experts contracted by private Filipino forestry enterprises with certified expertise.
Violators may be fined up to five hundred pesos. Those submitting false testimony or falsified evidence may be penalized under the Revised Penal Code for perjury or falsification. The Board may also revoke the certificate of registration for malpractice or unethical conduct.