RA 5527

Kim G. Sarong
RA 5527
■ An act requiring the registration of medical technologists,
defining their practice, and for other purposes
SECTION 1: TITLE

PHILIPPINE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ACT

OF 1969
SECTION 2: DEFINITION OF
TERMS
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
■ auxiliary branch of laboratory medicine
■ deals with the examination of:
– chemical
– microscopic
– bacteriologic
– other medical laboratory procedures or technic
• which will aid the physician in the diagnosis,
study and treatment of disease and in the
promotion of health in general
PATHOLOGIST
■ duly registered physician
■ trained in methods of:
a) laboratory medicine
b) gross and microscopic study
c) interpretation of tissues, secretions
and excretions of the human body and
its functions in order to diagnose
disease
d) determine the effectivity of treatment
e) ascertain cause of death
f) advance medicine by means of
research
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST
■ engages in the work of medical
technology under the supervision
of a pathologist or licensed
physician authorized by the
Department of Health (DOH) in
the absence of a pathologist
MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
■ not a graduate of Bachelor of Science in
Medical Technology/Bachelor of Science in
Hygiene, but passed the civil service
examination (CSE)
■ performs the work of medical technology
under the supervision of a registered medical
technologist and/or qualified pathologist
ACCREDITED MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY TRAINING
LABORATORY
■ clinical laboratory, office,
agency, clinic, hospital
sanitarium
■ approved by the
Department of Health or its
authorized agency
RECOGNIZED SCHOOL OF
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
■ any school, college or university which
offers a course in medical technology
approved by the Department of Education
(DepEd)
■ upon the recommendation of the council of
medical technology education
COUNCIL

■ council of medical technology education

BOARD

■ board of examiners for medical technology

SECTION 3: COMPOSITION OF THE
COUNCIL OF MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY
Chairman: EDUCATION
Secretary of Education or Director of Private
Education
Vice Chairman: Director of the Bureau of Research and
Laboratories of the DOH
Members: (a) Board of Medical Technology
(b) Dean of the Institute of Hygiene of the
University of the Philippines
(c) Representative of the deans or heads of the
private schools of medical technology
(d) Presidents of the Philippine Association of
Medical Technologists and the Philippine
Society of Pathologists
REVISED
Chairman: Director of CHED
Vice Chairman: Chair of PRC
Members: (a) Director of DOH
(b) Board of MT
(c) PASMETH (Representative)
(d) PSP President
(e) PAMET President
SECTION 4: COMPENSATION AND
TRAVELING EXPENSES OF
COUNCIL MEMBERS
■ entitled to a twenty-five pesos per diem for every meeting
■ NOTE:
1. number of meetings authorized with a per diem shall not
exceed 2 in a month
2. officials receiving regular salaries from the Government
shall not receive per diem
3. chairman and members of the council shall be entitled to
traveling expenses in connection with their official duties
 SECTION 5: FUNCTIONS OF THE
COUNCIL OF MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

1. recommend the minimum required curriculum

2. prescribe number of students allowed
3. approve medical technology schools
4. require all medical technology schools to submit
an annual report
 SECTION 5: FUNCTIONS OF THE
COUNCIL OF MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

5. inspect medical technology schools

6. certify qualified MT interns
7. formulate and recommend approval of refresher
course
8. promulgate, prescribe and enforce necessary
rules and regulations
SECTION 6: MINIMUM
REQUIRED
COURSE
■ at least four years
■ 12-month satisfactory internship in
accredited laboratories
REVISED
■ CMO No. 14, s. 2006
– Title: Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Medical Technology
Education
 CMO Number 08, series of 1998
– Title: Updated Policies and Standards for Medical Technology
Education
■ CMO Number 27, series of 1998
– Title: Curriculum for the Common 2-Year Associate in Health Science
Education (AHSE)
■ MT Internship
– Title: Guidelines for the Medical Technology Internship Program
SECTION 7: BOARD OF
EXAMINERS FOR
MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY
Chairman: Pathologist
Members: 2 RMTs
SECTION 8: QUALIFICATIONS
OF EXAMINERS
■ Filipino citizen
■ Good moral character
■ Qualified Pathologist/ RMTs
■ Practicing (at least 10 years)
■ Not a faculty member for at least 2 years prior
to appointment
SECTION 9: EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF THE BOARD

■ Commissioner of Civil Service

SECTION 10: COMPENSATION OF
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
OF EXAMINERS FOR
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
■ 10 pesos for each applicant examined
■ 5 pesos for each applicant granted a
certificate of registration without
examination
SECTION 11: FUNCTIONS AND
DUTIES OF THE
■ BOARD
administer the provision of this Act
■ administer the oaths
■ issue, suspend and revoke certificates of
registration for the practice of MT
■ look into conditions affecting the practice
of MT
SECTION 11: FUNCTIONS AND
DUTIES OF THE
BOARD
■ investigate violations of this Act
■ draft rules and regulations
■ determine the adequacy of the technical
staff of all clinical laboratory & blood
banks
ADDITIONAL:
■ prescribe the qualifications and training of
MT staff as to specialty examinations
conducted by the professional organization
of MTs accredited by PRC
■ classify and prescribe the qualification &
training of technical staff as to different
categories
SECTION 12: REMOVAL OF BOARD
MEMBERS

■ neglect of duty
■ incompetency
■ malpractice or unprofessional
■ unethical
■ immoral or dishonorable conduct
SECTION 13: ACCREDITATION OF
SCHOOLS OF
MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY AND
OF TRAINING
■ Department of LABORATORIES
Education: approve schools
of medical technology
■ Department of Health or its authorized agency: approve
laboratories for accreditation as training laboratories for
Medical Technology students or postgraduate trainees upon
satisfactory evidence that said laboratories possess qualified
personnel and properly equipped to carry out laboratory
procedures commonly required in the following fields:
o Bacteriology
o Serology
o Parasitology
o Hematology
o Biochemistry
SECTION 14: INHIBITION AGAINST THE
PRACTICE OF MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY
■ valid certificate of registration from the Board provided that
registration shall not be required of the following:
– Duly registered physicians
– Medical technologist from other countries called in for
consultation or as visiting or exchange professors to colleges
or universities
– Medical technologists in the service of the United States
Armed Forces stationed in the Philippines rendering services
as such for members of the said forces only
Section 15: Examination
■ given by the Board annually in the greater Manila area,
Cebu and Davao during the month of August or September
on such days and places as the Board may designate
■ written notices of such examination shall be published in
at least 3 newspapers of national circulation by the
Secretary of the Board at least 30 days prior to the date of
examination

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Section 16: Qualification for Examination
■ good health and of good moral character
■ completed to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Medical
Technology or Bachelor of Science in Hygiene
– or persons having graduated from other paramedical
professions who are actually performing medical technology
for the last 5 years prior to the enactment of this Act
provided they meet the minimum requirements mentioned in
Section Six exceeding one year undergraduate internship or
practical training

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Section 17: Scope of Examination
Day 1
Clinical Chemistry ...................................................... 20%
Microbiology & Parasitology ...................................... 20%
Clinical Microscopy (Urinalysis and
other body fluids) ...................................………......... 10%

Day 2
Hematology ............................................................... 20%
Blood Banking & Serology ......................................... 20%
Histopathologic Techniques,
Cytotechnology, Medical
Technology Laws, Related
Laws and its implementing
rules, and the Code of Ethics ........................……….. 10%

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Section 18: Report of Rating

■ The Board shall, within 120 days after the date of

completion of the examination, report the result thereof to
the Commissioner of Civil Service, who shall submit such
result to the President of the Philippines for approval

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Section 19: Rating in the Examination
■ general average of at least 75% in the written test
■ no rating below 50% in any of the major subjects
– NOTE: That the candidate has not failed in at least 60% of the
subjects computed according to their relative weights.
■ No further examinations, unless and until he shall have completed 12
months refresher course in an accredited laboratory
– NOTE: graduate of paramedical profession other than Bachelor
of Science in Medical Technology/Bachelor of Science in Hygiene
admitted to an examination under the provisions of this Act shall
not be given further examinations after his failure to qualify for
the third time
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Section 20: Oath Taking

■ All successful examinees shall be required to take a

professional oath before the Board or before any person
authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the
practice of medical technology in the Philippines.

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Section 21: Issuance of Certificate of
Registration

■ RMT
1.Passed the licensure exam
2.Pay the corresponding fee
3.Display the COR in his workplace at all times

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Section 21: Issuance of Certificate of
Registration

■ RMLT
1.He or she passed the civil service examination
for medical technician given on March 21, 1964;
or

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Section 21: Issuance of Certificate of
Registration
■ RMLT
2. Has finished a two-year college course and has at least one (1) year
of experience as medical laboratory technician
– Provided, that for every year of deficiency in college attainment
two (2) years of experience may be substituted
– Provided, further, that an applicant who has at least ten (10)
years of experience as medical laboratory technician as of the
date of approval of this Decree regardless of his academic
attainment may qualify for registration without examination

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Section 21: Issuance of Certificate of
Registration
■ RMLT
3. Has failed to pass the board examination for medical
technology but had obtained a general rating of at
least 70%
– Provided, finally, that a registered medical
laboratory technician when employed in the
government shall have the equivalent civil service
eligibility not lower than second grade
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Section 22: Fees
■ shall be paid to the disbursing officer of the Civil
Service Commission
a) 50 pesos: examination and registration
b) 25 pesos: each certificate of registration
issued without prior examination
c) 10 pesos: for issuance of a new certificate to
replace certificate lost, destroyed or mutilated

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Section 23: Refusal to Issue Certificate
■ Moral turpitude
■ Immoral act
■ Incurable disease
■ Negligence
■ Dishonorable conduct
■ Unsound mind

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Section 24. Administrative Investigation –
Revocation or Suspension of
Certificates
■ conducted by at least two members of the Board with
one legal officer sitting during the investigation
■ No penalty of revocation shall be imposed unless there
is a unanimous vote of all the three members of the
Board. The Board may, by majority vote, impose the
penalty of reprimand or suspension, the latter however
not to exceed two years

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Section 24. Administrative Investigation –
Revocation or Suspension of
Certificates
■ When the penalty of suspension or revocation is
imposed by the Board the medical technologist shall
be required to surrender his certificate of
registration within thirty days after the
decision becomes final, under the pain of perpetual
disqualification from the practice of medical
technology in the Philippines for inexcusable failure to
do so.

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Section 25: Appeal

■ The revocation or suspension of a certificate made by

the Board shall be subject to appeal to the Civil
Service Commissioner whose decision shall
become final thirty days after its promulgation, unless
the respondent within the same period has appealed to
the office of the President of the Philippines

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Section 26: Reinstatement, Reissue or
Replacement of Certificates
■ The Board may, upon application and for reason deemed proper
and sufficient, reissue any revoked registration certificate. The
suspension of a certificate of registration shall be automatically
lifted upon the expiration of the period of suspension and said
certificate shall be re-issued to the medical technologist concerned
upon request without prejudice to further actions by the Board for
violation of the provisions of this Act or conditions imposed by the
Board upon the medical technologist during the period of
suspension.

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Section 27: Foreign Reciprocity
■ No foreigner shall be admitted to examination, or
be given a certificate of registration or be entitled
to any of the rights and privileges
– NOTE: unless the country or state which he is
a subject or a citizen permits Filipino Medical
Technologists to practice within its territorial
limits on the same basis as the subjects or
citizens of said country or state

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Section 28: Roster of Medical
Technologists
■ shall be prepared annually by the Secretary of
the Board
■ contains the name, address and citizenship, date
of registration or issuance of certificate, and
other data which in the opinion of the Board are
pertinent

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Section 28: Roster of Medical
Technologists
■ open to public inspection and copies thereof shall be
mailed to each person included therein, placed on file
in the Office of the President
■ furnished all Department Heads and all agencies,
offices and instrumentalities of the Department of
Health and to such other offices, private or
governmental, and to the public upon request.
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Section 29: Penal Provisions
a) without being registered or exempted from registration
b) without the supervision of a qualified pathologist or
physician authorized by the Department of Health
c) make a fraudulent laboratory report
d) refuse or fail to display his certificate of registration in
the place where he works

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Section 29: Penal Provisions
e) presenting or attempting to use as his own the certificate of
registration of another
f) give any false or fraudulent evidence of any kind to the Board
member in obtaining a certificate of registration as a Medical
Technologist
g) impersonate any registrant of like or the same name
h) attempt to use a revoked or suspended certificate of registration
i) assume use or advertise any title or description tending to convey the
impression that he is a Medical Technologist without holding a valid
certificate of registration

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Section 30: Separability Clause

Section 31: Repealing Clause

Section 32: Effectivity

■ Approved: June 21, 1969

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