WHEREAS, the Board of Agriculture issued Board Resolution No. 02, series of 2002 entitled, "Rules and Regulations Implementing PRC Resolution No. 2000-663, s. of 2000" and Board Resolution No. 01, Series of 2003, amending Section 39, Article VIII of Board Resolution No. 02, Series of 2002;

WHEREAS, Board Resolution No. 02, Series of 2002 has failed to define clearly the qualifications of applicants for examination, particularly the specializations and the minimum basic courses taken under the BS Agriculture and related curricula in all academic institutions offering these programs;

WHEREAS, Board Resolution No. 01, Series of 2003, amending Section 39, Article VIII of Board Resolution No. 02, Series of 2002 has failed to provide clearly the requirements for registration of Agriculturists without examination, particularly the Baccalaureate Program, the minimum agriculture courses taken and the minimum work experience required before AFMA's effectivity; and;

WHEREAS, there is a need to amend Sec. 26, d. and Sec. 28, Article VI of Board Resolution No. 02, Series of 2002 and Sec. 39, Article VIII thereof as amended by Board Resolution No. 01, Series of 2003 to provide objectively the technical requirements for the registration of Agriculturists with or without examination;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Board hereby resolved, as it now resolves, to amend Sec. 26, d. and Sec. 28, Article VI of Board Resolution No. 02, series of 2002, and Sec. 39, Article VIII of Board Resolution No. 02, series of 2002 as amended by Board Resolution No. 01, series of 2003, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 26, d. on the qualifications of applicant for examination shall now read as follows:

 

"SEC. 26. Qualifications of Applicants for Examination - Each applicant for examination shall establish to the satisfaction of the Board that:

 

x x x x x x x x x x

 

"d. He/she is a graduate of a Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture (BSA) degree, or a related Baccalaureate Program from a school, college, or university accredited or recognized by the government, requiring the minimum nine basic subjects in agriculture, namely: two crop science subjects, two crop protection subjects, two animal science subjects, one soils science, one agricultural economics and marketing and one agricultural extension and communication subject, or their equivalent; Provided, that a Filipino citizen who graduated from a foreign educational institution desiring to take the licensure examination for Agriculturist shall be required to have enrolled and passed any of the afore-mentioned courses or their equivalent, duly certified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)."

 

SECTION 2. Section 28 on the scope of examination shall now read as follows:

 

"SEC. 28. Scope of Examination - The examination for Agriculturists shall cover the following minimum basic areas of specialization, or their equivalent, in Agriculture:

 

1. Crop Science (Principles and Crop Production),
2. Crop Protection (Principles of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Weed Science),
3. Animal Science (Principles and Animal Production),
4. Soils Science,
5. Agricultural Economics and Marketing, and
6. Agricultural Extension and Communication".

 

"The Board may recommend to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) changes in the said subjects to conform to modern and advanced technologies in agriculture."

 

"The Board shall not allow an applicant to take the licensure examination for Agriculturist, if the required basic courses/subjects mentioned above, or their equivalent, were not part of his/her Baccalaureate curriculum, or he/she had not enrolled and passed any one of them".

SECTION 3. Section 39 on the registration of agriculturists without examination shall now read as follows:

 

"SEC. 39. Registration of Agriculturists Without Examination - Upon approval of the application and payment of the prescribed fees, certificate of registration and professional identification card shall be issued to the applicant for registration as agriculturist without examination who can prove, to the satisfaction of the Board, that the applicant is a graduate of a BSA degree, or any of the other Baccalaureate programs from a school, college, or university established or recognized by the government;"

 

"Provided, that the applicant: has served the agriculture industry, in any technical capacity from the government or private sector for not less than five (5) years prior to the effectivity of AFMA in December, 1997 as certified in the service record(s) of the applicant if a government employee, and/or as certified under oath issued by an authorized official/officer of the firm, company or corporation if employed in the private sector; Provided, further, that the documents in support of the degree or program and the minimum work experience of five years shall be submitted together with the application."

 

"The applicant shall attach to his/her application a clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued not earlier than six months prior to filing of his/her application. If the applicant is a government employee, another clearance from the Ombudsman must also attached thereto."

 

"The deadline or last day for filing of application for registration without examination shall not be later than December 31, 2006".

SECTION 4. Effectivity - This resolution shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its full and complete publication in the Official Gazette, or in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Adopted: 14 March 2005

                                                                                                                                                 

(SGD.) FORTUNATO A. BATTAD
Chairman
(SGD.) GONZALO O. CATAN, JR.	(SGD.) VICENTE L. DOMINGO
Member	Member
(SGD.) NORA B. INCIONG	(SGD.) RODOLFO M. ELA
Member	Member
(SGD.) TEODORO A. ABILAY
Member
Attested by:
(SGD.) CARLOS G. ALMELOR
Secretary, Professional Regulatory Boards
Approved:
(SGD.) LEONOR TRIPON-ROSERO
Chairperson
(SGD.) AVELINA A. DE LA REA
Commissioner