Legal basis and operative coverage
- Republic Act No. 5527 took effect on June 21, 1969.
- The Decree was issued to correct provisions found prejudicial to certain medical technology practitioners and to address deficiencies affecting the high standard of the profession.
- Section 1 directs the amendment of Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 16, 17, 21, and 29 of Republic Act No. 5527.
Core definitions and profession scope
- Section 2(a) (as amended) provides that a person is deemed to be in the practice of medical technology when, for a fee, salary, or other compensation or reward, directly or indirectly through another, the person renders professional services to aid the physician in diagnosis, study and treatment of diseases, and promotion of health in general.
- The amended definition includes examination of tissues, secretions, excretions, and body fluids using electronic, chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic, hematologic, serologic, immunologic, nuclear, and other laboratory procedures and techniques (manual or automated).
- The amended definition includes blood banking procedures and techniques.
- The amended definition includes parasitologic-mycologic and microbiologic procedures and techniques.
- The amended definition includes histopathologic and cytotechnology, and it expressly provides that nothing inhibits a duly registered medical laboratory technician from performing histopathologic techniques and procedures.
- The amended definition includes clinical research involving patients or human beings requiring use and/or application of medical technology knowledge and procedures.
- The amended definition includes preparations and standardization of reagents, standards, stains, and others, provided these are exclusively for the use of the laboratory.
- The amended definition includes clinical laboratory quality control and collection and preservation of specimens.
- Section 2(a) includes a qualification: any person who has passed the corresponding Board examination for a profession already regulated by existing laws is not subject to the provisions covering the “last four (4) preceding paragraphs” when the performance of such acts or services is merely incidental to that profession.
- Section 2(d) (as amended) defines “Medical Laboratory Technicians” as persons certified and registered with the Board as qualified to assist a medical technologist and/or qualified pathologist in the practice of medical technology as defined in the Act.
Council of Medical Technology Education
- Section 3 establishes a Council of Medical Technology Education.
- Section 3 provides that the Council is composed of:
- the Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission as Chairman;
- the Chairman of the Board of Medical Technology as Vice-Chairman;
- two (2) members of the Board of Medical Technology;
- the Director of Private Education or duly authorized representative;
- the Director of the Bureau of Research and Laboratories of the Department of Health; and
- a representative of the deans or heads of the private schools of medical technology.
- Section 4 provides that for every meeting actually attended, the Chairman is entitled to Fifty pesos (P50.00) per diem.
- Section 4 provides that for every meeting actually attended, each member is entitled to Twenty-five pesos (P25.00) each regardless of whether or not they receive regular government salaries.
- Section 4 provides that the Chairman and members are entitled to traveling expenses in connection with official duties.
Medical Technology Board and appointments
- Section 7 creates a Medical Technology Board under the Professional Regulation Commission.
- Section 7 provides that the Board is composed of:
- a Chairman who is a pathologist, and
- two (2) members who are registered medical technologists.
- Section 7 provides that Board members (Chairman and members) are appointed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Professional Regulation Commission.
- Section 7 provides that Board members hold office for three (3) years after appointment or until successors are appointed and duly qualified.
- Section 7 provides that incumbent members continue to serve until expiration of their terms.
- Section 7 provides that in case of death, disability, or removal of a member, the successor serves only the balance of the term.
Qualifications of Board examiners and authority
- Section 8 prohibits appointment to the Medical Technology Board unless the person is:
- a duly registered medical technologist of the Philippines with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Bachelor of Science in Hygiene/Public Health, and
- not a member of the faculty of any medical technology school for at least two (2) years prior to appointment and with no pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in such institution.
- Section 11(c) (as amended) grants the Board authority to issue, suspend, and revoke certificates of registration for:
- the practice of medical technology, and
- the practice as a medical laboratory technician.
- Section 11 (as amended) empowers the Board:
- to determine the adequacy of the technical staff of all clinical laboratories and blood banks before they could be licensed with the Department of Health in accordance with R.A. No. 4355 and 1517;
- to prescribe qualifications and training of medical technologists in special fields and supervise their specialty examinations conducted by an accredited professional organization under the Professional Regulation Commission; and
- to classify and prescribe qualifications and training of technical staff of clinical laboratories as Chief Medical Technologist; Senior Medical Technologist; Medical Technologist; and Medical Laboratory Technician.
Schools, training laboratories, and examinations
- Section 13 requires the Department of Education and Culture to approve schools of medical technology upon recommendation of the Medical Technology Board.
- Section 13 requires the Professional Regulation Commission to approve laboratories as training laboratories upon recommendation of the Medical Technology Board.
- Section 13 requires approval of training laboratories based on satisfactory evidence that laboratories have:
- qualified personnel and
- proper equipment to carry out laboratory procedures commonly required in bacteriology, serology, parasitology, hematology, biochemistry, and blood banking;
- and that the laboratory’s scope of activities provides sufficient training in those laboratory procedures.
- Section 16(b) (as amended) requires completion of a course of at least four (4) years leading to Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology or Bachelor of Science in Public Health from a recognized school, college, or university under the Decree.
- Section 16(b) (as amended) also allows eligibility for those who graduated from another profession and were actually performing medical technology for the last five (5) years prior to the date of examinations, if such performance began prior to June 21, 1969.
- Section 17(a) sets examination coverage and relative weights:
- Clinical Chemistry — 20%
- Microbiology & Parasitology — 20%
- Hematology — 20%
- Blood Banking & Serology — 20%
- Clinical Microscopy (Urinalysis and other body fluids) — 10%
- Histopathologic Techniques, Cytotechnology, Medical Technology Laws, Related Laws and its implementing rules, and the Code of Ethics — 10%
- Section 17(a) provides that the Board prepares the schedule of subjects and submits it to the Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission for publication at least thirty (30) days before the examination date.
- Section 17(a) requires the Board to compute each examinee’s general average according to the relative weights.
- Section 17(a) allows the Board to change, add to, or remove subjects or weights as science progresses, but only subject to prior approval of the Professional Regulation Commission, and publication of the change or amendment at least three (3) months prior to the examination date when it takes effect.
Certificate issuance and registration thresholds
- Section 21(a) requires that every applicant who satisfactorily passes the required examination for medical technologist is issued a certificate of registration as such.
- Section 21(a) prohibits issuance of any certificate to a successful applicant who has not attained age twenty-one (21) years.
- Section 21(a) requires that all certificates be signed by the Board members and by the Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission.
- Section 21(a) requires duly registered medical technologists to display their certificate of registration in the place where they work.
- Section 21(a) provides that the Board must issue a certificate of registration as medical technologist without examination upon:
- filing an application and paying the required fee of one hundred and fifteen pesos (P115.00), and
- showing graduation with Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology/Bachelor of Science in Public Health in duly recognized schools in the Philippines or in a foreign country, provided the standard of education is substantially the same as the Philippine standard, and
- having at least three (3) years of practice of medical technology prior to filing in laboratories accredited by the Bureau of Research and Laboratories, Department of Health, or in foreign countries if practice began prior to June 21, 1969; and
- for persons who graduated from other professions, having actually performed medical technology practice for the last eight (8) years prior to filing, with practice beginning prior to June 21, 1969.
- Section 21(a) provides that the Board issues a certificate of registration as medical laboratory technician without examination upon:
- application and payment of the required fee of fifty pesos (P50.00), and
- submission of evidence satisfactory to the Board of any of the following:
- passing the civil service examination for medical technician given on March 21, 1964;
- finishing a two-year college course and having at least one (1) year of experience as medical laboratory technician, with a rule that for every year of deficiency in college attainment, two (2) years of experience may be substituted;
- having at least ten (10) years experience as a medical laboratory technician as of the date of approval of the Decree regardless of academic attainment; or
- failing to pass the board examination for medical technology but obtaining a general rating of at least 70%.
- Section 21(a) provides an employment eligibility rule: a registered medical laboratory technician employed in the government must have equivalent civil service eligibility not lower than second grade.
Prohibited hiring and practice by employers
- Section 29(j) (as amended) makes it unlawful for any person or corporate body to allow anyone in employment who is not a registered medical technologist/medical laboratory technician to engage in the practice of medical technology or to recommend for appointment to the position of medical technologist/medical laboratory technician, knowing the person is not registered.
Repeals and effectivity
- Section 12 repeals, amends, or modifies all laws, executive orders, decrees, rules, and regulations or parts thereof that are inconsistent with the Decree’s provisions.
- Section 13 provides that the Decree takes effect immediately.
- The Decree was signed in Manila on June 28, 1974, and execution was by Alejandro Melchor as Executive Secretary.