(REPEALED
BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7920)
ARTICLE I
Organization
Section 1. Title of Act. � This Act shall be known as
the "Electrical Engineering Law."
Sec. 2. Creation and composition of a Board of
Electrical Engineering Examiners. � Within thirty days after the
approval of this Act, there shall be created by a Board of Electrical
Engineering Examiners to be composed of a chairman and two members to
be appointed by the Secretary of Public Works and Communications.
Sec. 3. Powers vested in Board. � The Board of
Electrical Engineering Examiners is vested with authority conformably
with the provisions of this Act, to administer the provisions thereof,
to issue, suspend or revoke certificates of registration for the
practice of electrical engineering and to administer oaths in
connection therewith.
In carrying into effect the provisions of this Act, the board may under
the hand of its chairman and the seal of the board, subpoena witnesses
and compel their attendance, and may also require the production of
books, documents, etc., in a case involving violation of any of the
provisions of this Act. Any member of the board may administer oaths or
affirmations to witnesses appearing before it. If any person shall
refuse to obey any subpoena so issued, or shall refuse to testify or
produce any book, document, etc., the board may present its petition to
the Court of First Instance, setting forth the facts, and thereupon
such court shall, in a proper case, issue its subpoena to such person
requiring his appearance before such court and there to testify or
produce such books, papers, documents, etc., as may be deemed necessary
and pertinent to the board. Any person failing or refusing to obey the
subpoena or order of the said court may be proceeded against in the
same manner as for refusal to obey any other subpoena or order of the
court.
The board shall exercise the powers conferred upon it by this Act,
shall from time to time, look into conditions affecting the practice of
electrical engineering in the Philippines and, whenever necessary,
recommend to the Secretary of Public Works and Communications the
adoption of such measures as may be deemed proper for the maintenance
of good ethics and standards in the practice of electrical engineering
in the Philippines and thus safeguard public welfare, life, health and
property.
Sec. 4. Qualifications of board members. � Each
member of the board shall, at the time of his appointment:
(1) Be a citizen of the Philippines and a resident
thereof;
(2) Hold the degree of B.S.E.E. or M.S.E.E. or the
equivalent thereof conferred by an engineering school or college
legally chartered and of good standing;
(3) Be legally qualified to practice professional
electrical engineering for at least ten years and actually in active
practice on the date of his appointment;
(4) Not be a member of the faculty of any school,
college or university where a regular course in electrical engineering
is taught, nor have pecuniary interest in such institution.
Sec. 5. Term of office. � The members of the board
shall hold office for a term of three years after their appointment or
until their successors shall have been appointed and duly qualified.
The members of the board appointed under this Act shall hold office for
the following terms: one member for one year; one member for two years;
and one member for one year; one member for two years; and one member
for three years. Each member of the board shall qualify by taking the
proper oath prior to entering upon the performance of this duties.
Sec. 6. Executive officer of the board. � The
Commissioner of Civil Service shall be the executive officer of the
board, shall conduct the examinations given by the board and shall
designate any subordinate officer of the Bureau of Civil Service to act
as Secretary of the board. All records and minutes of the board
including all examination papers, shall be kept by the Bureau of Civil
Service.
Sec. 7. Removal of board members. � The Secretary
of Public Works and Communications may remove any member of the board
for continued neglect of duty or incompetency, or for unprofessional or
dishonorable conduct, after having given the member concerned an
opportunity to defend himself in the proper administrative
investigation.
Sec. 8. Compensation of the board. � The members
of the board shall each receive as compensation the sum of five pesos
for each applicant examined or registered without examination for any
of the first three grades provided under section eleven hereof; and
three pesos for each applicant examined or registered without
examination for the grade of Master Electrician. Any electrical
engineer in the Government of the Philippines appointed as member of
the board shall receive the compensation herein provided in addition to
his salary. All fees shall be received by the officer designated by
competent authority as collecting officer for the Bureau of Civil
Service, and such officer shall pay all authorized expenditures of the
board including the compensation provided for in this Act for the
members of the board.
Sec. 9. Rules and regulations. � (a) The board
may, with the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and
Communications and with the advice and consent of the Commissioner of
Civil Service, adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to
carry the provisions of this Act into effect. Penal provisions may be
included in said regulations, the violation of which shall be
punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred pesos or by
imprisonment for not more than two months, or both in the discretion of
the court.
Section 10. Annual report. � The board shall submit
an annual report to the Secretary of Public Works and Communications
after the close of each fiscal year giving a detailed account of its
proceedings during the year and making such recommendations as it may
deem proper.
ARTICLE II
Registration and Examination
Section 11. Grades. � Certificates of registration
for the practice of electrical engineering shall be of four grades and
in the order of rank as follows:
(1) Professional electrical engineer, (2) Associate
electrical engineer, (3) Assistant electrical engineer, and (4) Master
electrician.
Section 12. Inhibitions against the practice of
electrical engineering. � Unless exempt from registration, no person
shall practice or offer to practice electrical engineering in the
Philippines without having previously obtained a certificate of
registration from the Board of Electrical Engineering Examiners.
Section 13. Definitions of terms. � (a) Electrical
Engineering: A person shall be deemed to be practicing electrical
engineering or rendering electrical engineering service within the
meaning and intent of this Act who shall, for a fee, salary or other
reward or compensation paid to himself or to another person, or even
without such reward or compensation render or offer to render
professional electrical engineering service in the form of
consultation, investigation, valuation, planning, designing or
preparation of specifications for any electrical construction,
installation or project; or take charge of the sale or distribution of
any electric supply or utilization equipment requiring engineering
calculations and/or application of engineering principles and data; or
take charge of or supervise any electrical constructions, or
installation, or the operation, tending and maintenance of any electric
generating plant; Provided, however, That it shall be unlawful for any
person to use in connection with his name or otherwise use, assume or
advertise any title tending to convey the impression that he is a
professional electrical engineer or associate electrical engineer or
assistant electrical engineer or master electrician or that he is
engaged in the practice of electrical engineering unless he is duly
licensed and registered as such in conformity with the provisions of
this Act.
(b) The term electric supply equipment as used in
this Act, shall mean any equipment which produces, modifies, regulates,
controls or safeguards a supply of electric energy.
(c) The term utilization equipment as used in this
Act, shall mean equipment, devices and connected wiring which utilize
electric energy for any purpose and are not a part of electric supply
equipment or electric generating plant.
(d) The term electric generating plant as used in
this Act, shall mean the complete establishment or system for the
production, transmission and/or distribution of electric energy and
shall include all the electric supply equipment and lines used for
these purposes: Provided, however, That if the complete establishment
includes one or more substations which are or may be interconnected,
requiring personal supervision for their proper operation, each
substation shall be considered as a separate electric generating plant
for purposes of compliance with the provisions of this Act: Provided,
finally, That the provisions of this Act shall not apply to any
electric generating plant of the United States Army or Navy, or of the
National, provincial, city or municipal government, or to any electric
generating plant on conveyances used in connection with land and air
transportation.
(e) The term electric supply line as used in this
Act, shall mean those conductors and their necessary supporting, or
containing structures which are located entirely outside of buildings
and are used for transmitting a supply of electric energy.
(f) The term substation as used in this Act, shall
mean any building, room or separate place which houses electric supply
equipment for trying with the generating plant and the interior of
which is accessible, as a rule, only to properly qualified persons.
(g) The term kilowatt or KVA capacity or simply
capacity as used in this Act, when applied to electric generating
plants shall mean the total full capacity in kilowatts or
kilovolt-amperes of all the electric supply equipment installed to
produce electric energy for transmission and/or distribution as stamped
on the name plate attached to each generator. In the absence of a name
plate rating, the kilowatt or KVA capacity shall be determined by
reference to the manufacturer or by calculation or other method of
determination conforming with the latest standards of the American
Institute of Electrical Engineers or their equivalent.
(h) The term voltage or volts as used in this Act,
shall mean the highest effective voltage between any two conductors of
the circuit concerned, except that in grounded multiwire circuits not
exceeding 750 volts between outer conductors, it shall mean the highest
effective voltage between any wire of the circuit and the ground. In
ungrounded circuits not exceeding 750 volts, voltages to ground shall
mean the voltages of the circuit.
Section 14. Exemptions from registration. �
Registration shall not be required of the following persons:
(a) Officers or enlisted men of the United States
Army or Navy, or employees of the Federal Government of the United
States, while engaged in the practice of electrical engineering for
said Army and Naval or Government of the United States;
(b) Employees and officials of the Government of the
Philippines whether National, provincial, city or municipal while
engaged in the practice of electrical engineering for said Government;
(c) Electrical engineers, or erection or guarantee
engineers called in for consultation or for a specific design,
installation or project, provided that their practice shall be limited
only to the particular work for which they were called and such
engineers are legally qualified to practice electrical engineering in
their own state or country in which the requirements and qualifications
for obtaining a certificate of registration are not lower than those
specified in this Act;
(d) Foreigners employed as technical officers,
professors or consultants in such special branches of electrical
engineering as may, in the judgment of the Secretary of Public Works
and Communications, be necessary and indispensable for the country;
(e) Engineering students, apprentices and other
persons employed or acting as subordinates of/or undergoing training
under a person holding a valid certificate of registration under this
Act;
(f) Any person in charge of or supervising the
operation, tending and maintenance of an electric generating plant for
private use employing voltages not exceeding 250 volts: Provided,
however, That the owner or operator shall be required to have the plant
or establishment periodically inspected at intervals of not more than
one year by a registered professional engineer or associate electrical
engineer or by a National, city, provincial or municipal authority
exercising legal jurisdiction over electrical installations.
Section 15. Examination required. � Except as
otherwise specifically allowed, all applicants for registration for the
practice of electrical engineering shall be required to undergo a
technical examination as provided in this Act.
Section 16. Qualifications of applicant for
Professional Electrical Engineer. � Any person applying for examination
and for a certificate of registration as professional electrical
engineer shall, prior to admission to examination, establish to the
satisfaction of the board:
(a) That he is at least twenty-five years of age;
(b) That he is of good reputation and moral
character;
(c) That he has completed the high school course or
its equivalent;
(d) The he has graduated in electrical engineering
from a university, school, college, academy, or institute duly
constituted and recognized as such by the Government or the state in
which it is established after completing a resident collegiate course
of not less than four years and, in addition has a specific record of
four years or more of active practice in electrical engineering of
responsible character indicating that the applicant is competent to
practice professional electrical engineering in its full scope as
defined in this Act; or
(e) That he has completed at least two years of
resident collegiate engineering training in a university, school,
college, academy or institute duly constituted and recognized as such
by the Government or the state in which it is established and, in
addition, has a specific record of eight years or more of active
practice in electrical engineering of responsible character indicating
that the applicant is competent to practice professional electrical
engineering in its full scope as defined in this Act.
In considering the qualifications of applicants, being in charge of
electrical engineering teaching in an engineering school, university,
college, academy or institute duly constituted and recognized as such
by the Government or the state in which it is established may be
regarded as active practice of electrical engineering of responsible
character.
Section 17. Qualifications of applicant for Associate
Electrical Engineer. � Any person applying for examination and for a
certificate of registration as associate electrical engineer shall,
prior to admission to examination, establish to the satisfaction of the
board:
(a) That he is at least twenty-five years of age;
(b) That he is of good reputation and moral
character; and
(c) That he has completed the high school course or
its equivalent;
(d) That he has graduated in electrical engineering
from a university, school, college, academy, or institute duly
constituted and recognized as such by the Government or the state in
which it is established after completing a resident collegiate course
of not less than four years and, in addition, has a specific record of
two years or more of active practice in electrical engineering of
responsible character indicating that the applicant is competent to
take charge of or supervise any electrical construction or
installation, or the operation, tending and maintenance of any electric
generating plant, or take charge of the sale or distribution of any
electric supply or utilization equipment requiring engineering
calculations and/or application of engineering principles and data; or
(e) That he has a specific record of eight years or
more of active practice in electrical engineering of responsible
character indicating that the applicant is competent to take charge of
or supervise any electric construction or installation or the
operation, tending and maintenance of any electric generating plant, or
take charge of the sale or distribution of any electric supply or
utilization equipment requiring engineering calculations and/or
application of engineering principles and data: Provided, however, That
experience on installation or writing of utilization equipment only
shall not be considered as complying with the requirements of this
paragraph.
In considering the qualifications of applicants, being in charge of
electrical engineering teaching in an engineering school, university,
or college, academy or institute duly constituted and recognized as
such by the Government or the state in which it is established, may be
regarded as active practice in electrical engineering of responsible
character.
Section 18. Qualifications of applicant for Assistant
Electrical Engineer. � Any person applying for examination and for a
certificate of registration as assistant electrical engineer shall,
prior to admission to examination, establish to the satisfaction of the
board:
(a) That he is at least twenty-three years of age;
(b) That he is of good reputation and moral
character;
(c) That he has completed the high school course or
its equivalent;
(d) That he has graduated in electrical engineering
from a university, school, college, academy or institute duly
constituted and recognized as such by the Government or the state in
which it is established after completing a collegiate course of not
less than four years.
Section 19. Qualifications of applicant for Master
Electrician. � Any person applying for examination and for a
certificate of registration as master electrician shall, prior to
admission to examination, establish to the satisfaction of the board:
(a) That he is at least twenty-three years of age;
(b) That he is of good reputation and moral
character;
(c) That he has graduated in an electrical course of
instruction from a vocational or trade school or a correspondence
school of well known standing and, in addition, has a specific record
of at least three years of practice of such character as to indicate
that he is competent to take charge of or supervise any electric wiring
or installation or utilization equipments; or
(d) The he has completed a four-year high school
education or its equivalent and, in addition, has a specific record of
at least five years of practice in electric wiring or installation of
utilization equipment.
Sec. 20. Holding of examinations. � Examinations
for candidates desiring to practice electrical engineering in the
Philippines shall be given twice a year in the City of Manila and other
places where conditions may warrant, on such working days as the board
may fix with the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and
Communications. Written or printed notice of such examination shall be
mailed to each candidate who has filed his name and address with the
Secretary of the Board, at least thirty days prior to the date of the
first day of examination.
Sec. 21. Scope of examination. � (a) The
examination for the professional electrical engineer grade shall cover
questions relating to the production, transmission, distribution and
application of electrical energy to power and communication to
determine if the applicant has sufficient knowledge to insure safety to
life, health and property as well as economy in the design,
construction, installation, maintenance, organization and management of
electric generating plants and other projects wherein electric supply
or utilization equipment are called for and also questions on rules and
regulations embodied in the latest editions of the National Safety and
Electrical Codes of the United States or of the Philippines as may be
adopted: Provided, however, That the board may, if it deems it further
necessary, test the knowledge of an applicant on the following
fundamental subjects; mathematics, including differential and integral
calculus, and the use of complex notation in electrical engineering
problems, rational and applied mechanics, surveying, geology, and
foundations, hydraulics, resistance of materials and construction
materials, electrical circuits and machinery, electronics and their
application to electrical communication and industry: Provided,
finally, That the examination for the grade of assistant electrical
engineer shall be limited to the above fundamental subjects only and to
question on rules and regulations embodied in the latest edition of the
National Safety and Electrical Codes of the United States or of the
Philippines as may be adopted.
(b) Subjects of examination for Associate Electrical
Engineer. � Strength of materials used in electrical constructions,
including foundations, question on the installation, erection,
operation ending and maintenance of electric generating plants, lines
and other electric supply equipments, knowledge of standard materials
used in electrical installations and of the approved methods of
construction, knowledge of the rules and regulations embodied in the
latest editions of the National Safety and Electrical Codes of the
United States or of the Philippines as may be adopted.
(c) Subjects of examination for Master Electrician. �
Practical applications of Ohm's Law, knowledge of standard materials
used in electric wiring or installation of utilization equipments and
of the approved methods of construction, knowledge of the rules and
regulations embodied in the latest editions of the National Electrical
Code of the United States or of the Philippines as may be adopted,
applicable to electric wiring or installation of utilization equipment,
reading of wiring plans and interpretation of standard symbols
used.
Sec. 22. Report of ratings. � The Board of
Electrical Engineering Examiners shall, within one hundred twenty days
after the date of completion of the examinations, report the ratings
obtained by each candidate to the Commissioner of Civil Service, who
shall submit such ratings to the Secretary of Public Works and
Communications for approval.
Sec. 23. Reexamination. � An applicant who for the
third time fails to pass the examination for the same grade shall not
be allowed to take another until at least one year has elapsed after
the examination.
Sec. 24. Registration as Professional Electrical
Engineer without examination. � Certificates of registration as
professional electrical engineer without examination shall be issued to
the members of the first board of electrical engineering examiners
appointed under the provisions of this Act.
No examination shall be required of any person who shall, with his
application for registration as professional electrical engineer,
present evidence or other proof satisfactory to the board that, on the
date of the approval of this Act, he had a specific record of four
years or more of active practice in electrical engineering, of
responsible character indicating that he may be entrusted to perform or
render professional electrical engineering in its full scope as defined
in section thirteen and if he possesses any of the following
qualifications:
(a) Had passed a civil service examination for senior
electrical engineer; or
(b) Was an electrical engineer duly licensed by the
Board of Examiners for Electrical Engineers under Act Numbered Two
thousand nine hundred eighty-five of the Philippine Legislature of
nineteen hundred twenty-one as amended.
Sec. 25. Registration as Associate Electrical
Engineer without examination. � No examination shall be required of any
person who shall, with his application for registration as associate
electrical engineer, present evidence or other proof satisfactory to
the board showing that, on the date of the approval of this Act, he had
any of the following qualifications:
(a) A specific record of ten years or more of active
practice in electrical engineering of responsible character, indicating
that the applicant may be entrusted to take charge of or supervise any
electrical construction or installation, or the operation, tending and
maintenance of any electric generating plant, or take charge of the
sale or distribution of any electric supply or utilization equipment
requiring engineering calculations and/or application of engineering
principles and data and has the first three qualifications specified in
section seventeen, or
(b) Had passed a civil service examination for senior
or assistant electrical engineer or was an electrical engineer duly
licensed by the Board of Examiners for Electrical Engineers under Act
Numbered Two thousand nine hundred eighty-five of the Philippine
Legislature of the year nineteen hundred and twenty-one as amended and
has a specific record of two years or more of active practice in
electrical engineering of responsible character indicating that the
applicant may be entrusted to take charge of or supervise any
electrical construction or installation, or the operation, tending and
maintenance of any electric generating plant, or take charge of the
sale or distribution of any electric supply or utilization equipment
requiring engineering calculations and/or application of engineering
principles and data: Provided, however, That persons registered as
associate electrical engineer by virtue of the qualifications
enumerated in this paragraph (b) shall not be required to undergo
further examination when applying for a certificate of registration as
professional electrical engineer after fulfilling the engineering
experience required for that grade.
Sec. 26. Registration as Assistant Electrical
Engineer without examination. � No examination shall be required of any
person who shall, with his application for registration as assistant
electrical engineer, present evidence or other proof satisfactory to
the board showing that, on the date of approval of this Act, he had any
of the following qualifications:
(a) Had passed a civil service examination for senior
or assistant electrical engineer, or
(b) Was an electrical engineer duly licensed by the
Board of Examiners for Electrical Engineers under Act Numbered Two
thousand nine hundred and eighty-five of the Philippine Legislature of
the year nineteen hundred and twenty-one, as amended; Provided, That
persons registered as assistant electrical engineers by virtue of the
qualifications enumerated in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section
shall not be required to undergo further examination when applying for
certificate of registration as professional electrical engineer or
associate electrical engineer after fulfilling the engineering
experience required respectively for those grades.
Sec. 27. Registration as Master Electrician
without examination. � Certificate of registration as master
electrician without examination shall be issued to any applicant who
shall, with his application for registration as master electrician,
present evidence or other proof satisfactory to the board that, on the
date of the approval of this Act, he had any of the following
qualifications:
(a) Had passed a civil service examination for
electrical inspector or its equivalent, or
(b) Was practicing as licensed electrical contractor
in chartered cities having ordinances which require examination for
obtaining a license as contractor for electrical installations:
Provided, however, That the applicant is still holding a valid license
on the date his application is submitted to the board.
Sec. 28. Issuance of certificates. � The Secretary
of Public Works and Communications shall, upon recommendation of the
board issue a certificate of registration upon payment of the
registration fee as provided for in this Act to any applicant who, in
the opinion of the board and after approval of the Secretary of Public
Works and Communications, has satisfactorily met all the requirements
specified in this Act for the particular grade for which he is
registering.
All certificates of registration shall show the full name of the
registrant; shall have a serial number and shall be signed by all
members of the board, the Secretary of Public Works and Communications
and the Commissioner of Civil Service, and shall be attested by the
official seal.
The issuance of a certificate of registration by the board to a
registrant shall be evidence that the person named therein is entitled
to all the rights and privileges of a registered professional
electrical engineer, associate electrical engineer, assistant
electrical engineer, or master electrician, as the case may be, while
said certificate remains unrevoked or unsuspended.
Sec. 29. Seal of Professional Electrical Engineer.
� Each registrant for the grade of professional electrical engineer
shall, upon registration, obtain a seal of a designed prescribed by the
board bearing the registrant's name, the certificate number and the
legend "Professional Electrical Engineer." Plans, specifications,
reports and other professional documents prepared by or executed under
the immediate supervision of, and issued by a registrant, shall be
stamped on every sheet with said seal when filed with Government
authorities or when submitted or used professionally: Provided,
however, That it shall be unlawful for any one to stamp or seal any
document with said seal after the certificate of the registrant named
therein has been revoked or suspended unless said certificate shall
have been reinstated or reissued.
Sec. 30. Fees for examination and registration. �
Every applicant for examination for the grade of professional
electrical engineer, or associate electrical engineer, or assistant
electrical engineer, shall pay an examination fee of thirty pesos and,
for the grade of master electrician, a fee of twenty pesos.
Every registrant for the grade of professional electrical engineer or
associate electrical engineer or assistant electrical engineer shall
pay a registration fee of ten pesos and, for the grade of master
electrician, a fee of five pesos: Provided, however, That when the
applicant is registered without examination, for the grade of
professional electrical engineer or associate electrical engineer or
assistant electrical engineer he shall pay a registration fee of
twenty-five pesos and, for the grade of master electrician, a fee of
fourteen pesos.
Sec. 31. Refusal to issue certificate. � The Board
of Electrical Engineering Examiners shall refuse to issue certificate
of registration to any person convicted by a court of competent
jurisdiction of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude or to
any person guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct or to any person
of unsound mind. In the event of refusal to issue certificates for any
reason, the board shall give the applicant a written statement setting
forth the reasons for such action, which statement shall be
incorporated in the record of the board.
Sec. 32. Suspension and revocation of
certificates. � The board shall have the power, upon proper notice and
hearing, to suspend and revoke any certificate of registration of any
registrant for any cause specified in the preceding section, or for the
use or perpetration of any fraud or deceit in obtaining a certificate
of registration, or for gross negligence or incompetency or for
unprofessional or dishonorable conduct: Provided, however, That the
action of the board shall be subject to appeal to the Secretary of
Public Works and Communications whose decision shall be final.
It shall be sufficient ground for the revocation of a certificate
issued to a person under this Act, for unprofessional or dishonorable
conduct, if: (1) he has signed and affixed his seal on any plans,
designs, technical reports, valuation, specification, estimate or other
similar documents or work not prepared by him or not executed under his
immediate supervision or (2) has represented himself as having taken
charge of or supervise any electrical construction or installation, or
the operation, tending and maintenance of any electric generating plant
or in charge of the sale or distribution of any electric supply or
utilization equipment requiring engineering calculation and/or
application of engineering principles and data, without actually having
done so.
Any person, firm, association or corporation, may prefer charges in
accordance with the provisions of this section against any registrant,
or the board may motu proprio investigate and/or take cognizance of
acts and practices constituting sufficient cause for suspension or
revocation of the certificate of registration by proper resolution or
order, such charges shall be in writing and shall be sworn to by the
person making them and shall be filed with the secretary of the board.
Sec. 33. Reissue of revoked certificates and
replacement of lost certificates. � The board may, after the expiration
of one year from the date of revocation of a certificate, for reasons
it may deem sufficient, entertain an application for a new certificate
of registration from a person whose certificate has been revoked, in
the same manner as application for original ones, and in doing so it
may, in its discretion, exempt the applicant from the necessity of
undergoing an examination.
A new certificate of registration to replace any certificate that has
been lost, destroyed or mutilated may be issued, subject to the rules
of the board, and a charge of five pesos shall be made for such
issuance.
Sec. 34. Special permits. � The board may, in its
discretion and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Works
and Communications, issue special permit for the practice in a
specified line, branch or activity of electrical engineering for a
specific design, investigation or construction project or in a
specified plant or organization to any person already holding a valid
certificate of registration issued by a Board of Engineering Examiners
in the Philippines who shall, with his application, present evidence or
other proof satisfactory to the board indicating that he is competent
to perform the service or activity for which he applies for said permit
and that the issuance of such permit is necessary and will not
jeopardize the interest of any person duly registered for the practice
of electrical engineering under this Act.
Special permit to take charge of or supervise the operation, tending
and maintenance of any electric generating plant for public utility or
for use in connection with the operation of a public utility or
convenience employing voltages not exceeding 250 volts, or a special
permit to take charge of or supervise the construction, installation
and/or operation of any electric supply equipment for public service
communication or signalling or the construction, installation and/or
operation of X-ray or electronic equipment for public use requiring the
employment of dangerous voltages, may also be granted to any person who
shall with his application, present evidence or other proof
satisfactory to the board showing that he may be entrusted to perform
the duties and responsibilities of the position for which the permit is
desired and that he has been rendering satisfactory service in
connection therewith without any serious accident as certified by his
employer for a period of not less than three years: Provided, however,
That the permit shall be valid only for the specific purpose for which
it is issued which shall be stated in detail in the said permit.
All special permits shall be subject to all the provisions and
requirements of this Act and the rules and regulations which may be
adopted by the board pertaining to certificates of registration, and
may be suspended, revoked or reissued by the board in the manner
prescribed for certificates of registration. Any person who has been
granted a special permit shall, for purposes of compliance with the
provisions of this Act, be considered as registered in the Board of
Electrical Engineering Examiners while said permit is still valid.
A fee of ten pesos shall be collected for the issuance of a special
permit and no person shall hold more than one permit at one time.
ARTICLE III
Sundry Provisions Relative to the Practice of Electrical Engineering
Sec. 35. Prohibitions in the practice of
electrical engineering. � Any person who shall practice or offer to
practice electrical engineering in the Philippines without being
registered or exempted from registration in accordance with the
provisions of this Act, or any person presenting or attempting the use
as his own the certificate of registration or the seal of another, or
any person who shall give any false or forged evidence of any kind to
the board or to any member thereof in obtaining a certificate of
registration, or any person who shall falsely impersonate any
registrant of like or different name, or any person who shall attempt
to use a revoke or suspended certificate of registration, or any person
who shall use in connection with his name or otherwise assume, use or
advertise any title or description tending to convey the impression
that he is an electrical engineer or that he is registered under any of
the grades enumerated in section eleven of this Act without holding a
valid certificate of registration for that grade, or any person who
shall violate any of the provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of
misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not
less than one hundred pesos nor more than one thousand pesos, or to
suffer imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or both,
in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 36. Field of action authorized for each
grade; prohibitions. � It shall be unlawful for any person, unless
exempted from registration under section fourteen of this Act:
(a) To practice, perform or render electrical
engineering service in its full scope as defined in section thirteen
unless he holds a valid certificate of registration as professional
electrical engineer;
(b) To take charge of or supervise any electrical
construction or installation, or the operation, tending and maintenance
of any electric generating plant; or to take charge of the sale or
distribution of any electric supply or utilization equipment requiring
engineering calculations and/or application of engineering principles
and data unless he holds a valid certificate of registration as
professional electrical engineer or associate electrical
engineer;
(c) To take charge of or supervise the operation,
tending and maintenance of any electric generating plant employing
voltages up to 4,800 volts, or to take charge of or supervise any
electric wiring or installation of utilization equipment unless he
holds a valid certificate of registration as professional electrical
engineer, associate electrical engineer, or assistant electrical
engineer;
(d) To take charge of or supervise the operation,
tending and maintenance of any electric generating plant employing
voltages up to 750 volts, or to take charge of or supervise any
electric wiring or installation of utilization equipment unless he
holds a valid certificate or registration as professional electrical
engineer, associate electrical engineer, assistant electrical engineer,
or master electrician;
(e) To take charge of or supervise the operation,
tending and maintenance of any electric generating plant for public
utility or for use in connection with the operation of a public utility
or convenience employing voltages up to 250 volts unless he holds a
valid certificate of registration as professional electrical engineer,
associate electrical engineer, assistant electrical engineer, or master
electrician or a valid special permit;
(f) To take charge of or supervise the construction
or installation of any electric supply equipment for public service
communication or signalling or for X-ray or electronic equipment
requiring the employment of dangerous voltages unless he holds a valid
certificate of registration as professional electrical engineer or
associate electrical engineer or assistant electrical engineer or a
valid certificate of special permit.
Sec. 37. Personnel required in electric generating
plants. � Except as otherwise provided in this Act, every generating
plant in operation shall have not less than the following complement of
resident engineers or persons holding valid special permits:
(a) Electric generating plants of any capacity for
public utility or for use in connection with the operation of a public
utility or convenience employing voltages up to 250 volts: one
professional electrical engineer, or one associate electrical engineer,
or one assistant electrical engineer, or one master electrician, or one
person with valid special permit;
(b) Electric generating plants of any capacity
employing voltages up to 750 volts: one professional electrical
engineer, or one associate electrical engineer, or one assistant
electrical engineer, or one master electrician;
(c) Electric generating plants of any capacity
employing voltages up to 4,800 volts: one professional electrical
engineer, or one associate electrical engineer, or one assistant
electrical engineer;
(d) Electric generating plants of any capacity
employing voltages above 4,800 volts: one professional electrical
engineer in charge of the complete establishment and one associate
electrical engineer for each substation of the complete establishment:
Provided, however, That in all the above cases, additional qualified
subordinate personnel shall be required commensurate with the
exigencies of efficient operation and service and the safeguarding of
public welfare, life and property.
Sec. 38. Provisions affecting preparation of
plans, supervision of construction, permits for construction,
application of the National Electrical Code. � It shall be unlawful for
any person not authorized under this Act to draw up plans, designs,
and/or specifications for any electrical construction or installation
of project; and no electrical construction or installation shall be
undertaken unless plans, designs, and/or specifications have been
prepared under the responsible charge of, and signed and sealed by, a
professional electrical engineer and a construction permit for the
execution thereof secured, and unless the work is executed under the
responsible charge or supervision of a professional electrical engineer
or associate electrical engineer or assistant electrical engineer or
master electrician in conformity with the field of action authorized
for each grade, or a person with valid special permit or exempt from
registration under subsections (b), (c) and (d) of section fourteen of
this Act and all requirements of the Government agency, if any,
exercising jurisdiction over the particular construction or
installation have been complied with.
(For the purpose of coordinating the work in carrying into effect the
provisions of this Act and, except as otherwise provided, the safety
inspectors of the Bureau of Labor or such district or city engineers or
other government agents as the Secretary of Labor may designate shall
enforce the requirement of this Act pertaining to the installation,
operation, tending and maintenance of electric generating plants and
pass upon applications for electrical construction or installation
within their respective districts in all cases which are not acted upon
by the Public Service Commission and issue the corresponding permits if
the plans and/or specifications submitted are in conformity with the
requirements of this section.)
Provided, however, That the submission of plans may be waived in
application for electric construction or installation for lighting
and/or household appliances utilizing electrical energy involving the
installation of twenty outlets or less; or for power or heat
applications utilizing electrical energy not exceeding four kilowatts;
or for telephone installations, on condition that such applications
include a layout sketch of the proposed construction or installation
with a list of the materials and devices to be used and a signed
statement to the effect that it shall conform with the rules and
regulations of the National Electrical Code of the United States or of
the Philippines as may be adopted:
Provided, further, That the Secretary of National Defense and the
Collector of Customs, respectively, shall enforce the requirements
pertaining to the installation, operation, tending and maintenance of
electric generating plants in radio stations and in conveyances used in
connection with water transportation and also respectively, shall
regulate electrical constructions or installations of equipment for
radio communications and for conveyances used in connection with water
transportation:
Provided, finally, That the Collector of Internal Revenue shall enforce
the requirements of this Act checking the licenses of persons in charge
of the sale or distribution of any electric supply or utilization
equipment requiring engineering calculation and/or application of
engineering principles and data.
All applications for electrical construction permits including the
plans and/or layouts or statements shall be filed for reference.
Sec. 39. Application to firms and corporations. �
A firm or a co-partnership, or corporation, or an association may
engage in the practice of electrical engineering in the Philippines
provided only that such practice is carried on be duly licensed and
registered electrical engineers, associate electrical engineers,
assistant electrical engineers, or master electricians in conformity
with the field of action authorized respectively for each grade under
this Act; or by persons exempt from registration under subsections (c)
and (d) of section fourteen of this Act.
In case of a firm, co-partnership, corporation, association, society or
company, the manager, administrator or the person who has charge of the
management or administration of the business shall be held personally
liable for violation of this Act.
Sec. 40. Posting of certificates. � The owner,
manager or other person in charge of any electric generating plant, or
of a firm, co-partnership, corporation or joint stock association shall
post or cause to be posted in a conspicuous place within such plant or
establishment, the certificate of registration of the engineer or
engineers, associate, assistant and master electrician employed in such
a plant or establishment, in a frame protected by transparent glass or
equivalent.
Sec. 41. Roster of electric engineers and
electricians. � A roster showing the names and place of business of all
registered professional electrical engineers, associate electrical
engineers, assistant electrical engineers, and master electricians
shall be prepared by the Commissioner of Civil Service during the month
of July every year, commencing one year after the date this Act becomes
effective. Copies of this roster shall be mailed to each person so
registered, place on file with the Secretary of Public Works and
Communications and copies furnished to all department heads to the
mayors of all chartered cities, the Director of Public Works, to the
office of the Public Service Commission, to the Collector of Customs,
to such other bureaus or government agencies and provincial and
municipal authorities as may be deemed necessary and to the public upon
request.
Sec. 42. Foreign reciprocity. � No foreign
engineer shall be admitted to examination, be given a certificate of
registration or be entitled to any of the rights and privileges under
this Act unless the country of which he is a subject or citizen
specifically permits Filipino engineers to practice within its
territorial limits on the same basis as the subjects or citizens of
such country.
Sec. 43. Enforcement of the Act by officers of the
law. � It shall be the duty of all constituted officers of the law of
the National Government, of any provincial, city or municipal
government or of any political subdivision thereof to prosecute any
person violating the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of Justice
or his assistant shall act as legal adviser of the board and render
such legal assistance as may be necessary in carrying out the
provisions of this Act.
Sec. 44. Act not effecting other professions. �
This Act shall not be construed to affect or prevent the practice of
any other legally recognized profession.
ARTICLE IV
Final Provisions
Sec. 45. The sum of two thousand pesos is hereby
appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, to be disbursed by the Secretary of Public Works and
Communications in accordance with the provisions of this Act. All sums
collected in accordance with this Act shall be paid into the National
Treasury as part of the general funds thereof: Provided, That during
the first twelve months of the operation of this Act, any portion of
the sums collected may be used for the purpose of this Act to cover
disbursements in excess of the amount appropriated herein.
Sec. 46. All existing provisions of provincial,
city or municipal ordinances or regulations pertaining to examinations
for electrical contractors, electrical inspectors or electricians, and
all other laws, part of laws, orders, ordinances or regulations in
conflict with the provisions of this Act including Act Numbered
Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five as amended shall be and are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 47. This Act shall take effect upon its
approval except sections thirty-five to forty, inclusive, which shall
take effect one year after this Act becomes effective.
Approved: June 21, 1947
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