Legal basis and adopting authority
- The resolution is adopted pursuant to Section 9(h), Article III of Republic Act No. 8559 (the “Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998”).
- The resolution is also adopted pursuant to Section 39, Article XI of Resolution No. 01, series of 1998 (the “Rules and Regulations Implementing the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998”).
- The Board of Agricultural Engineering, subject to approval by the Professional Regulation Commission, adopts and promulgates the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
- The resolution adopts the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards prescribed and issued by the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers, Inc. (PSAE).
- The PSAE is recognized as the one and only Integrated and Accredited Association of Agricultural Engineers in the Philippines recognized by the Board and the Commission by virtue of Section 26, Article V of Republic Act No. 8559.
Definitions and key terms
- “Code” refers to the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for agricultural engineers that provides a system of rules and regulations for maintaining high standards of competence and integrity of agricultural engineers in performing their responsibilities.
- “Commission” refers to the Professional Regulation Commission created by Republic Act No. 8981, the “PRC Modernization Act of year 2000.”
- “Board” refers to the Board of Agricultural Engineering.
- “Client/Employer” is a person, natural or juridical, who engages the professional services of agricultural engineer(s) who hold a valid certificate of registration and professional identification card issued by the Board and the Commission under Republic Act No. 8559.
- “Firm/Partnership/Association” is a group of two or more agricultural engineers registered with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) engaging in the practice of agricultural engineering.
Core duties and professional life
- Every registered agricultural engineer must discharge responsibilities with the highest sense of integrity, nationalism, and spiritual values, and must:
- act with fidelity, fairness, and impartiality to employers and clients;
- uphold the honor and dignity of the agricultural engineering profession and avoid connection with any enterprise or individual with questionable character;
- apply technical knowledge for the benefit of mankind and agro-industrial development of the country; and
- deal with fellow agricultural engineers with fairness and tolerance.
- Agricultural engineers must endeavor to make the profession effective, relevant, and dignified through shared information and experiences with other agricultural engineers and students, and through active participation, support, and contributions to programs and activities of agricultural engineering societies/associations, schools, and related organizations.
- Agricultural engineers must:
- not advertise their work or merit in a self-laudatory manner and must avoid conduct that would discredit and injure the dignity and honor of the profession;
- continuously update and enhance professional knowledge, skills, and competitiveness through participation in Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs required by the CPE Council for Registered Agricultural Engineers.
Public relations obligations
- Agricultural engineers must endeavor to establish and maintain good public relation, and must:
- disseminate public knowledge on agricultural engineering and discourage, and where possible curb, the spread of untrue, unfair, and exaggerated statements about agricultural engineering;
- have direct responsibility for safeguarding the life and health of the public and employees affected by their work;
- express only opinions founded on adequate knowledge and honest conviction when serving as a witness before a court, commission, or other tribunal;
- not make ex-parte statements, criticisms, or opinions on matters connected with public policy that are inspired or paid for by private interest unless the statement indicates on whose behalf it is being made; and
- refrain from publicly expressing opinions on agricultural engineering subjects unless they are well-informed on the facts.
Client, employer, and confidential dealings
- Agricultural engineers must establish and maintain good relations with clients and employers, and must:
- act as faithful agents and trustees;
- exercise fairness and justice in the execution of contracts;
- make their position clear before undertaking an engagement, particularly when it requires the use of inventions, agricultural engineering apparatus and equipment, and/or other things with financial interest;
- guard against conditions dangerous or threatening to life, limb, or property on work for which they are responsible;
- clearly explain the consequences that might arise if deviations from their agricultural engineering works or opinions are overruled by non-technical authority;
- assist or advise on agricultural engineering matters and cooperate with other experts and specialists whenever the client’s or employer’s interest is best served by such service; and
- not disclose information concerning clients’ business affairs or technical processes without consent, unless in obedience to a lawful order or a court.
Fellow engineers and professional conduct
- Agricultural engineers must establish and maintain good relations with fellow agricultural engineers and allied professionals, and must:
- endeavor individually or collectively to protect and uphold the profession’s dignity, honor, and prestige;
- ensure credit for engineering work is given to those properly entitled;
- maintain professional standards and observe reasonable or adequate compensation, including for those employed in subordinate capacity;
- create opportunities for professional development and advancement of agricultural engineers employed by them;
- refrain from acts that injure or tend to injure fellow engineers’ professional reputation, prospects, or practice; where there are sufficient grounds to believe unethical, illegal, or unfair acts were committed, they must bring the matter to the Board or proper authorities for appropriate action;
- refrain from criticizing another’s work in public, recognizing that agricultural engineering societies and engineering press provide the proper forum for technical discussions and criticisms;
- not take away a prospective employment after becoming aware that another agricultural engineer has taken definite steps toward its consummation;
- not resort to unfair competition by underbidding or reducing usual fees after acquiring information of other engineers’ fees for similar services;
- not take advantage of a salaried position to compete unfairly with fellow agricultural engineers;
- refrain from associating with agricultural engineers who engage in unethical or illegal practices and refuse to share responsibility for their work.
General rules in practice; scope of services
- Persons as individuals, members of a firm, officers or employees of government, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, and other concerned government and private agencies who are engaged in the practice of agricultural engineering under Republic Act No. 8559 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations must be guided by these rules and principles.
- They must advertise or convey to the public the impression that they are skilled in agricultural engineering and qualified to render professional service as agricultural engineer(s) for a fee or other reward or compensation paid to them or to another in their behalf, or even without such fee, reward, or compensation.
- They must maintain a regular office for transaction of business as registered agricultural engineers, or render service as such in the office of clients.
- They must perform professional services for or on behalf of clients in specified areas of agricultural engineering, including:
- agricultural machinery, equipment and power units;
- agricultural buildings and structures;
- agricultural (rural) electrification and energy;
- agricultural processing and food engineering;
- soil and water conservation;
- irrigation, drainage and water resources management;
- agricultural waste disposal, utilization and environmental management;
- agricultural information resources and technologies;
- agricultural instrumentation and control, fishery and aquaculture resources engineering; and
- forest product resources engineering.
- They must sign and seal agricultural plans, designs, specifications, reports, and other agricultural engineering documents prepared for clients in accordance with the Rules and Regulations on the design of seal and the signing and sealing of plans, designs and other documents by registered agricultural engineers promulgated through Board Resolution No. 7, Series of 2003.
Administrative penalties; separability
- Any registered and licensed agricultural engineer who violates any provision of the Code is administratively liable under Section 23, Article IV of Republic Act No. 8559 and Resolution No. 01, series of 1998 (the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998).
- The Board must impose disciplinary action of either:
- revocation of the engineer’s certificate of registration, or
- suspension from the practice of the engineer’s profession.
- If any section, clause, provision, or paragraph of the resolution is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the judgment does not affect or impair other parts, and the judgment is confined to the section, clause, provision, or paragraph directly involved in the controversy.
Responsible offices and approvals
- The resolution is issued by the Board of Agricultural Engineering and is subject to approval by the Professional Regulation Commission.
- The resolution is attested by the Secretary, Professional Regulatory Boards indicated in the resolution.
- The resolution is approved by the PRC chairperson and commissioner indicated in the resolution.