AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER NOW A MUST IN LGUS

Source: www.dilg.gov.ph

The government’s effort to develop the agriculture sector got a boost with the institutionalization of the Agricultural Engineering profession in provinces, cities and municipalities of the country.

This developed as Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno issued a memorandum circular recently enjoining all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors and sanggunian members to institutionalize the position of agricultural engineer in their respective local governments.

Puno said the institutionalization of the agricultural engineering profession is mandated by Republic Act 8559 or the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998.

He explained that RA 8559 was enacted to promote, upgrade and regulate the practice of agricultural engineering profession in the country in terms of planning, designing, supervision and management, research and extension, testing, evaluation and inspection, valuation, consultation, marketing and management of agricultural , fishery and forest machinery, buildings and structures, irrigation, soil and water conservation and utilization and other engineering facilities, systems and technologies.

The said also further enhance the delivery of basic agricultural services and facilities which had been devolved to local government units by the Local Government Code.

In his directive, the DILG secretary reminded local officials that with the institutionalization of the agricultural engineering profession LGUs shall ensure that planning, designing and implementation of small water impounding projects, communal irrigation, tractor and agricultural machinery pools, post harvest facilities, agricultural buildings and structures, slaughterhouses, poultry dressing plans, farm-to-market roads and other agricultural engineering facilities and systems are performed by licensed and registered agricultural engineers in their localities.

The registered agricultural engineer shall also be the one who will sign the design, plans, technical specifications and cost estimates in the procurement and implementation of LGU’s programs and projects on agricultural and fishery machinery, buildings and structure, post harvest facilities, slaughterhouses, farm-to-market roads and other engineering facilities and systems.

Puno said that with the implementation of RA 8559, LGUs may also reallocate agriculturist positions and other positions performing agricultural engineering works to the existing engineer class of positions subject to the approval of the sanggunian concerned through an ordinance enacted for the purpose.

At the same time, LGUs shall implement and enforce provisions of the law and the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards as part of the licensing, registration and issuance of business permits of firms engaged in agricultural and fishery machinery manufacturing, distribution and operation including issuance of building permits of agricultural buildings and structures.