Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9268)
The official title is "The Philippine Veterinary Medicine Act of 2004."
Its objectives include governing the administration and conduct of licensure exams, registration, and licensing of veterinarians; supervising the practice of veterinary medicine; integrating veterinarians under an accredited professional organization; and developing professional competence through continuing professional education (CPE).
A veterinarian is a natural person registered and issued a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card by the Professional Regulatory Board of Veterinary Medicine under this Act.
The Board consists of a chairman and two members appointed by the President from a list of three recommendees for each position submitted by the PRC from nominees provided by the accredited professional organization of veterinarians.
They must be a Filipino citizen and resident for five years, in good health and moral character, a registered veterinarian, a member in good standing of the accredited professional organization, have 10 years of veterinary practice, not be a faculty member in any school teaching veterinary medicine, and not hold office in the professional organization at nomination.
The subjects include Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine (including Ethics, Surgery, Animal Welfare, and Jurisprudence), Zootechnics, Veterinary Microbiology and Public Health, Veterinary Physiology, Veterinary Anatomy, and Veterinary Pathology.
Applicants must be Filipino citizens or foreigners with reciprocal rights, be of good health and moral character, free from final criminal conviction involving moral turpitude, and hold a Veterinary Medicine degree from a recognized CHED-accredited college.
Grounds include conviction of criminal offenses involving moral turpitude, immoral or dishonorable conduct, unsound mind declaration, violations of the Animal Welfare Act, unprofessional or unethical conduct, gross incompetence, fraud in obtaining documents, chronic substance abuse, aiding illegal practitioners, and practicing during suspension.
Punishable by a fine between P50,000 and P100,000, or imprisonment from one to five years, or both, for practicing without valid registration or professional identification card, using false documents, impersonation, abetting illegal practitioners, or using revoked/suspended certificates.
Decisions by the Board can be appealed to the PRC within 15 days from receipt and subsequently to the Court of Appeals following the Rules of Court.