Legal basis and related authorities
- The NTC promulgated these rules pursuant to Act 3846, as amended.
- The NTC promulgated these rules pursuant to E.O. No. 546.
- The NTC promulgated these rules pursuant to Department Order No. 7 and 23.
Policy, purpose, and governing coverage
- The circular establishes rules and regulations governing Radio Training Schools (RTS) that offer the Communications Technician Course (CTC).
- The circular governs the accreditation of RTS, the delivery of the CTC, the use of radio training stations, and the related licensing, inspections, renewals, and penalties.
- The circular sets standards for facilities, equipment, faculty qualification, student intake limits, and required subject matter for the course.
Accreditation requirement and course coverage
- No person, firm, association, or corporation shall offer a two-year Communications Technician Course without first securing a Certificate of Accreditation from the NTC (I.1.1).
- Certificates or diplomas issued by an unaccredited RTS shall not be honored by the NTC (I.1.2).
- The course is a two (2) year Communication Technician Course (III).
- Graduates of the CTC may qualify to take the First Class Radiotelephone Operator’s examination conducted by the Commission (III).
Accreditation application requirements
- RTS must comply with administrative requirements for accreditation, including submitting a Letter of Intent (2.1.1).
- RTS must submit duly accomplished information sheets of the Board of Directors if the applicant is a corporation (2.1.2).
- RTS must submit a feasibility study identifying the required capitalization in opening up an RTS (2.1.3).
- RTS must provide proof of financial capability (2.1.4).
- RTS must submit proof of ownership, structured as follows:
- If a corporation, submit Articles of Incorporation issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (2.1.5).
- If a single-proprietor, submit registration of business by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (2.1.5).
- RTS must submit a Business Permit (2.1.6).
- RTS must submit a proposed course curriculum and class programs/timetables (2.1.7–2.1.8).
- RTS must submit a list of instructors with an application for Permit to Teach for each instructor (2.1.9), and must submit proof of ownership of lot and building or a valid lease contract (2.1.10).
Technical accreditation requirements
- RTS must meet technical requirements, including laboratory and test equipment (2.2.1).
- RTS must provide textbooks and magazines (2.2.2).
- RTS must obtain a Permit to Purchase (2.2.3).
- RTS must obtain a Permit to Possess (2.2.4).
- RTS must secure a Construction Permit (2.2.5).
- RTS must secure a Radio Station License (2.2.6).
- RTS must secure an Accreditation Certificate as required for accreditation (2.2.7).
Course content, entry standards, and limits
- The CTC curriculum must include the following minimum subject-matter requirements:
- Elementary principles of electricity (4.1).
- Practical operation, adjustment, and repairs of radiotelephone, broadcast, and telecommunications equipment (4.2).
- Operation of apparatus used for direct-finding bearings, and general knowledge of principles of operation of other radio navigation apparatus (4.3).
- Installation and calibration of equipment and apparatus used in telecommunications facilities (4.4).
- Radio laws and regulations, local and international (4.5).
- Basic tools commonly used in radio, broadcast, and telecommunications equipment (4.6).
- Antenna fundamentals including type, classes, and applications (4.7).
- Computer fundamentals, common computer peripherals, and basic computer concepts (4.8).
- Basic operations of radio communications equipment for portable, mobile, and point-to-point radio (4.9).
- Analysis and operations of different transmission media used in communication (4.10).
- Elementary principles of electronics, semiconductor devices, electrical performance of circuits, and signal processing (4.11).
- At least 240 hours of “on the job training” in telecommunications, broadcast, or radio specialization (4.12).
- Entry standards require students to be at least high school graduates (5.1).
- Entry standards require good moral character (5.2).
- Course intake limitations require:
- Lecture instruction classes must not exceed 35 students (6.1).
- Practical training or laboratory work groups must have a maximum of 6 students (6.2).
Facilities, teaching aids, faculty qualifications
- RTS classrooms must be at least 42 square meters for 35 students, equipped with necessary required facilities (7.1).
- Classrooms must include a whiteboard/blackboard or flipchart and an overhead projector (7.2).
- RTS must have audiovisual materials such as videos, slides, tape recorders, etc. when needed (7.2).
- RTS must provide adequate working space for practical training equipment (7.3), including the following enumerated equipment counts:
- Oscilloscope (3); Signal Generator (3); Multi-tester (7); Soldering Iron (7); Pliers (7); Breadboard (7) (7.3).
- AC/DC variable power supply (7); Spectrum analyzer (3); Computer sets (3) (7.3).
- AM/FM, SSB, DSB trainer kit (1); Telephone trainer kit (1); Antenna trainer kit (1); Telecommunications switchboard (1); Frequency filter trainer kit (1) (7.3).
- PAM, PCM, TDM trainer kit (1); Signal tracer (1); Tone generator (1) (7.3).
- Required teaching aids and textbooks must be provided by the school and must thoroughly cover the prescribed subject matter (VIII).
- Faculty may teach when the individual possesses any of the following qualifications:
- Graduate of electrical, electronics or radio engineering courses from universities or schools of good standing (10.1).
- Bachelor of Science in Education with at least two (2) years of specialized knowledge and training related to the course (10.2).
- Duly licensed first/second class radiotelephone/radiotelegraph operators with at least five (5) years satisfactorily service as radio operators in any private or government institutions (10.3).
- Persons in government service with at least three (3) years experience as technical inspector (10.4).
Instruction delivery and required reports
- Instructors must follow the prescribed course timetable, detailed teaching syllabus, and lesson plan or instructor’s guide (XI).
- Accredited RTS must submit to the Commission at the end of each semester:
- the names of students enrolled during the semester; and
- the names of students who successfully completed the course (XII).
Course certificate and accreditation term
- RTS must issue a certificate or diploma attesting successful course completion after students complete the program (XI).
- RTS is granted a Certificate of Accreditation only after complying with the necessary requirements under the circular (13.1).
- The Certificate of Accreditation may be issued for a maximum period of three (3) years (13.2).
Training radio station licensing and operations
- All radio communications equipment used for training purposes must be covered with a radio station license (14.1).
- Licensed radio operators must operate only duly licensed radio stations (14.2).
- A radio station license may be issued for a maximum period of three (3) years, but must not exceed the validity of the Certificate of Accreditation (14.3).
- The circular allocates the following frequencies currently used for radio training stations:
- 2639 KHz/5220 KHz — J3E
- 2835 KHz — General Calling, J3E
- 7520 KHz — Calling and Working, J3E
- 149.19 MHz — Calling and Working, F3E
- 149.25 MHz — Calling and Working, F3E (XVI).
Inspections, corrections, and renewals
- NTC technical staff must conduct an inspection prior to approval of a Certificate of Accreditation to verify compliance with standards in the circular (15.1).
- NTC inspection findings must be noted and made known to authorized officials of the concerned RTS (15.2).
- RTS with noted deficiencies must be given a grace period of thirty (30) days to correct deficiencies.
- RTS must notify the Commission of compliance, after which the Commission must conduct a re-inspection (15.3).
- Renewal must be filed three (3) months before expiration of the Certificate of Accreditation and the radio station license (17.1).
- The Commission must conduct inspection at any reasonable time prior to approval of renewal to ensure continuous compliance (17.2).
- Late filing surcharge rules apply based on time from expiration:
- Late filing not beyond six (6) months from expiration requires a surcharge of 50% of the certificate/license fee.
- Late filing beyond six (6) months but not more than one (1) year requires a surcharge of 100%, and so on (17.3).
- If an RTS fails to file for renewal, the Commission shall not recognize the diploma/certificate issued for training conducted after expiration of the Certificate of Accreditation or License (17.4).
Grounds for denial and revocation
- The Commission may deny, disapprove, or revoke a Certificate of Accreditation based on:
- failure to comply with any requirements mentioned in Section II (18.1);
- failure to comply with existing radio laws and regulations affecting RTS (18.2);
- non-compliance with standards in the circular (18.3);
- non-payment of required fees (18.4).
Fines and penalties for violations
- Illegal purchase or possession of a radio transceiver is penalized at PHP 2,500.00 (per unit) (19.1).
- Illegal installation (per station) is penalized as follows:
- with a permit to purchase/possess: PHP 3,000.00 (19.2.1);
- without a permit to purchase/possess/construct (per violation): PHP 4,000.00, with forfeiture of equipment (19.2.2).
- Illegal operation (per station) is penalized as follows:
- with a permit to purchase/possess/construct: PHP 4,000.00 (19.3.1);
- without a permit to purchase/possess/construct (per violation): PHP 5,000.00, with forfeiture of equipment (19.3.2).
- Penalties for operating with unlicensed radio operators and/or unauthorized frequency include:
- allowing operation with an unlicensed radio operator (station covered with an appropriate permit/license) per violation: PHP 4,000.00 (19.3.3);
- allowing operation with an unlicensed radio operator (station not covered with an appropriate permit/license) per violation: PHP 5,000.00 (19.3.4);
- use of an authorized frequency (station covered by an appropriate permit/license): PHP 4,000.00 (19.3.5);
- use of an authorized frequency (station not covered by an appropriate permit/license) per violation: PHP 5,000.00, with forfeiture of equipment (19.3.6).
- Operating without a valid Certificate of Accreditation and Radio Station license (per violation) is penalized at PHP 4,000.00 (19.4).
- Failure to install appropriate radio facilities as required is penalized at PHP 3,000.00 (19.5).
Fees and charges
- The filing fee upon filing an application is PHP 200.00 (XX).
- Permit to Purchase (per unit) fees are:
- VHF/UHF: PHP 96.00
- HF/SSB: PHP 120.00 (XX).
- Permit to Possess (per unit) fees are:
- VHF/UHF: PHP 60.00
- HF/SSB: PHP 96.00 (XX).
- A Construction Permit costs PHP 500.00 (XX).
- The inspection fee is PHP 500.00 per year (XX).
- The Radio Station License fee is PHP 1,000.00 per year (XX).
- The Certificate of Accreditation fee is PHP 3,000.00 per year (XX).
Repeal and supersession; effectivity mechanics
- Any circular, memorandum, order, or parts thereof inconsistent with these rules is deemed amended or superseded (XXI).