With an overwhelming 246 votes, the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to strengthen further the mechanical engineers career through amendments to the 25-year-old Philippine Mechanical Engineers Act.
“We need this law as we continue to build our massiv infrastructure projects that will immensely benefit our countrymen. We need our engineers to build and take care of our bridges, roads, tunnels and skyways, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said.
Administration and opposition lawmakers approved in plenary session House Bill No. 9134 or An Act Strengthening the Mechanical Engineering Profession through the modification of Republic Act No. 8495 or the Philippine Mechanical Engineers Act of 1998.
HB 9134 upgraded the capacity of mechanical works and set of skills necessary to ensure the integrity of infrastructure projects.
The bill makes it unlawful for companies to allow individuals who are not licensed professional mechanical engineers to work in projects in varying degrees or stages of the development, particularly with kilowatt capacities in plants.
“A supervising licensed professional M in-charge of mechanical work project or plant in operation shall be allowed to supervise multiple establishments under the non-critical classification, provided that licensed MEs in charge of the same project or operation are required for each and every shift,” the bill read.
The measure also mandated the setting of guidelines for the “qualification and engagement of the in-charge supervising professional MEs and define the critical and non-critical classifications of the establishment.”
“Further, the Board shall, in consultation with the industry stakeholders, review and amend the categories and classification every three years when necessary,” the measure stated.