Sec. 2, R.A. No.

8559

“… the State hereby guarantees the delivery of basic and technical services to accelerate agricultural
modernization through adequate and well trained agricultural engineers throughout the country”

Policy Mandates of R.A. No. 8559

 Sec. 3 (a2) - The practice of agricultural engineering shall include the following ….

 Management or supervision and the preparation of engineering designs, plans,

specifications, project studies and estimates for agricultural, aquaculture and fishery,
and forest product machinery, agricultural buildings and structures, farm electrification
and energy systems, agricultural processing equipment, irrigation and soils conservation
systems and facilities, agricultural waste utilization systems and facilities;

 Sec. 21 (b) - No officer or employee of the government, chartered cities, provinces and
municipalities now or hereafter charged with the enforcement of laws, ordinances or
regulations relating to the construction or alteration of agricultural structures,
machineries and equipment, processes and systems shall accept or endorse any plans or
specifications which have not been prepared and submitted in full accord with the
provisions of this Act, nor shall any payment be approved by any such officer for any
work, the plans and specifications of which have not been so prepared, signed and
sealed by a duly registered agricultural engineer.

 ….Violation of any of the foregoing shall be ground for administrative and/or criminal
action.

DILG Memo Circular No. 2008-167

 Addressed to all Provincial Governors, City/Municipal Mayors, Sanggunians and DILG Regional
Directors for the ---

 “ INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION IN THE LGUS

SUPPLEMENTING DILG MC NO. 2001-25 RE: IMPLEMENTATION OF RA. NO. 8559.”

 DILG Memo Circular No. 2008-167

Internal Institutionalization

 Reallocation of Agriculturist and Other Positions performing AE works into Engineer

Positions
 Creation of Agricultural Engineer Plantilla Positions in the Agriculture and Engineering
Offices of LGUs
 Appointment of licensed AEs to Head the LGU AE Groups and Agri Engineer positions
 Capability Upgrading of LGU Agricultural Engineers through CPE
  DILG Memo Circular No. 2008-167
External Institutionalization
Requiring the plans and designs be signed and sealed by licensed AE and enforcement of PAES in
 Issuance of Building Permits for agricultural buildings and structures – complements with
BOAE MC No. 208-18
 Business Licenses for Agricultural Machineries and Agro-processing Firms
 Bidding documents for irrigation, farm-to-market roads and other agricultural
infrastructure projects

DILG Memo Circular No. 2012-128

Addressed to all Provincial Governors, City/Municipal Mayors, Sanggunians and DILG Regional
Directors for the ---
 “ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES IN THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
PROFESSION IN THE LGUS SUPPLEMENTING DILG MC NO. 2008-167 AND 2001-25 AND TO
FURTHER ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH RA. NO. 8559.”

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION IN THE LGUs

 Reallocation of Positions - reallocate the Agriculturist, Agricultural Technologist and Other
Positions of their agricultural engineers into appropriate level of Engineer (Agricultural)
positions.

 Creation of Agricultural Engineer Positions- create an adequate number of appropriate level of

Agricultural Engineer Positions in its existing Agricultural Engineering Division or Section of the
Provincial and City Agriculture Offices of the LGUs, and at least one agricultural engineer
position in Office of the Provincial Engineer and in the City and Municipal LGUs.

 Furthermore, all LGUs shall have at least one agricultural engineer with appropriate
position in the Office of the Provincial/City/Municipal Planning and Development
Coordinator

 Strengthening the Agricultural Engineering Groups

 all concerned LGUs shall strengthen their existing Agricultural Engineering

Division/Section in the Office of the Provincial and City Agriculture in terms of
manpower complement of agricultural engineers and logistical support

Preparation, Signing and Sealing of Plans, Designs, Technical Specifications and Cost Estimates by
Registered and Licensed Agricultural Engineers required under Section 3 and 21 of R.A. No. 8559
 Procurement of Agricultural Infrastructure and Other Agricultural Engineering Projects - All
LGUs shall require, as part of the procurement of farm-to-market roads, small water impounding
projects, irrigation, agricultural machineries, post harvest facilities and other agricultural
engineering projects, its plans, designs, technical specifications and cost estimates/program of
works be signed and sealed by licensed agricultural engineer/s. Further to this, the LGUs shall
 include their agricultural engineer/s as part of the membership of the Bids and Awards
Committee or its Technical Working Group

 Issuance of Building Permits- All LGUs through their Building Official shall require that the plans,
designs, technical specifications and cost estimates be signed and sealed by registered and
licensed agricultural engineers as part in the issuance of building permits for agricultural
buildings and structures

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION IN THE LGUs

 Continuing Professional Education - All LGUs shall encourage the participation of their
agricultural engineers to the Continuing Professional Education Program of the PRC-BOAE and
the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers

 Ensuring Valid Certificate of Registration and Professional License to all LGU Agricultural
Engineers - must have a valid certificate or registration and renewed professional license issued
by the Professional Regulation Commission

The Current Stock of Agri-Engineers: Where are they now?

8000 Licensed 7193

6953
7000 AEs 6253 6458 6615 6737
6071
6000 5095 5291 5502 5661 5836

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000 504 262 265
533 382 433 474 501 541 630 609
294
0
Where are now the Agri-Engineers? (Based on submitted BOAE AE Data Form)

LOCATION NUMBER POSITION/WORK

Government 382 Engineers, Agriculturists,

 DA and its Attached 61 Agricultural Technologists,
Agencies 15 Agrarian Reform Officers,
 DAR 110 Researchers, Planners,
 Other NGAs Managers
 LGUs

Academe 124 Professors, Instructors,

Researchers

Banks (LBP, DBP) Appraisers, Loan Officers

Private Firms (AMMDA 26 Sales Engineers, Farm

companies, plantations) Technicians/Supervisors

Self- Employed 15 Consultants, Entrepreneurs,

Private practice

TOTAL 733

Supply & Demand Situation : An Overview

Employment Level in Government and Private Firms
Few/No Agricultural Engineers
Many Agricultural Engineers
. Government Agencies: Government Agencies:
 DA- RFUs (Reg’l AE Division),  BFAR, DENR, AFP (Engineering
Bureaus- Philmech, BSWM, Brigade)
BPI; Attached Agencies- NIA,
 Municipal LGUs
NFA, FIDA, PCA, PhilRice, NTA.

 DAR, LGUs (Province)

2. Private Firms
2. Private Firms
• Agricultural Machinery
 Agro and Food Processing Firms-
Distributors
Milling Plant ( rice, corn, feed,
• Agricultural Plantations (DOLE, coconut, sugar); Food Chain- MC
Del Monte, etc.) Donald, Jollibee, etc.
 Constructors of Agricultural Infra
3. HEI ( AE Schools) Projects both government and
private– irrigation, farm-to-market
4. Banks- LBP roads and post harvest facilities;
 Agri-based Coops, NGOs and
Farmers’ Organizations
3. HEIs offering agriculture & fishery
courses
4. Banks- DBP, Rural Banks

POTENTIAL LOCAL DEMAND WITH FULL ENFORCEMENT OF AE LAW

Offices/Firms/Establishments No. of Offices Potential No. of AEs to be

employed
Government Agencies

DA (BFAR, BAI, NMIS, Other Agencies) 150 150

DENR ( Central, Regional and Field 150 150

Offices)
Others ( DPWH, AFP, etc) 200 200

LGUs (Provincial, City and Municipalities 3825 3825

Private Firms and Establishments

Agro and Food Processing Firms (Rice 10,538 5,000

Mills, Feed Mills, Coconut Oil Mills,
Sugar Mills, Agricultural Plantations,
Food Processing Plants)
Constructors (Farm to- Market Roads, 1,600 1,600
Irrigation)
Agricultural Machinery Dealers 300 300
POs/NGOs ( Agri-based Coops, Irrrigators 18,500 5000
Associations, POs)
Banks ( LBP, DBP, Rural Banks, etc.) 300 500
TOTAL 35,563 16,875

Overseas Demand for Agricultural Engineers

Countries/ Organizations Demand Status

Saudi Arabia, Qatar Hard to fill positions as per DOLE Project JOBSFIT Final
Report
UAE ( Irrigation Supervisors)

ASEAN- Malaysia and For their agricultural development

Myanmar

USA Employment of agricultural engineers is expected to grow

9 percent between 2010 and 2020 ( US Bureau of Labor
Statistics)

AUSTRALIA In demand by employers,  in accordance with the

Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of
Occupations (ANZSCO) 2339-12 .
(www.visabureau.com/australia)

AFRICA (Uganda, Sudan, In need, 1,000 quota for foreign agricultural

South Africa) engineers(www.expatnetwork.com)