MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION

Lessons: DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE OF AB ENGINEERING AND

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10915

Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson the students will be able to:
1. Define what is Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
2. Explain the importance of AB Engineering
3. Familiarize the Republic Act No. 10915
4. Explain the rules and regulations related to AB Engineering
Time Frame: 10-12 hours

Introduction:
Hello, my dear BSABE students! How have you been for the past months? I
am your instructor of your subject Introduction to AB Engineering! In this module
you will understand the definition and importance of Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering as local and global frontiers. And also, you will have a knowledge on the
rules and regulations related to AB Engineering.
Activity:
In this activity, make a list as many as you can on all the possible work
opportunities in AB Engineering and include its importance of work in each field.
Compose this in a short bond paper (margin 1.27 cm all sides), times new roman, size
12.
Analysis:
Supplementary Questions:
1. What is the definition and importance of Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering?
2. What are the possible opportunities of being a graduate of ABE program?
3. How can ABE graduate contributes to the food security and sustainable
development in local and global frontiers?

Abstraction:
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
refers to the application of engineering science and designs to the
processes and systems involved in the sustainable production, post production
and processing of safe food, feed, fiber, timber and other agricultural and
biological materials and the efficient utilization, conservation, and
management of natural and renewable resources in order to enhance human
health in harmony with the environment. Agricultural and biosystems consists
of crops, forestry and other plants, poultry, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture
resources and other animals, wildlife and other living things.

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 Importance of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineerin/Engineers are uniquely

qualified to use their knowledge of mathematics, biological and physical
sciences, and engineering principles to solve problems relating to the
production, handling and processing of biological materials for food, feed,
fiber, fuel; the preservation of natural resources and environmental quality;
and the design and production of machine systems. A major in agricultural and
biosystems engineering can serve a broad range interests and can provide
excellent career opportunities for men and women from diverse backgrounds.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of
ABET. Agricultural and biosystems engineering students are well qualified for
and encourage to take the national Fundamentals of Engineering examination.
This is the first step in the process as a professional engineer. Agricultural and
biosystems engineering integrates engineering topics, engineering design, and
biological sciences in a single program with two concentrations: agricultural
engineering and biosystems engineering.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10915

AN ACT STRENGTHENING MODERNIZING AND ALIGNING THE PRACTICE
OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING IN THE COUNTRY INTO THE
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIED PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
ARTICLE 1
General Provisions
Section 1. Title – This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Agricultural and
Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016”.
Section 2. Statement Policy
Section 3. Coverage of this Act
a.) Examination, registration and licensure of agricultural and biosystems
engineers;
b.) Supervision, control and regulation of the practice of agricultural and
biosystems engineering;
c.) Development, upgrading and updating of the curriculum of the agricultural
and biosystems engineering profession in coordination with CHED and the
concerned SUCs.
d.) Development and improvement of the professional competence and practice of
agricultural and biosystems engineers through, among others, Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) and career progression and specialization;
and
e.) Integration of all agricultural and biosystems engineers under on nation
Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO) of agricultural and
biosystems engineers which shall be recognized by the Board of Agricultural

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 and Biosystems Engineering and the Professional Regulation Commision
(PRC)

Section 4 – Definition of Terms.

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
refers to the application of engineering science and designs to the
processes and systems involved in the sustainable production, post production
and processing of safe food, feed, fiber, timber and other agricultural and
biological materials and the efficient utilization, conservation, and
management of natural and renewable resources in order to enhance human
health in harmony with the environment. Agricultural and biosystems consists
of crops, forestry and other plants, poultry, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture
resources and other animals, wildlife and other living things.

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer

refers to a person who is registered and licensed to practice agricultural
and biosystems engineering in the country and who holds a valid certificate of
registration and professional identification card from the Board of Agricultural
and Biosystems Engineering and the PRC

Agricultural and Biosystems Power and Machinery

refers to farm power and machinery for the production, harvesting,
processing, storage, manufacture, preserving, transporting and distribution of
agricultural and biological products/materials and includes but not limited to,
tractors and their attachments, power tillers, seeders, transplanters, windmills,
harvesting machines, crop protection and maintenance equipments, irrigation
equipment and accessories, greenhouses and other thermal conditioning
equipment, livestock, poultry, fishery and forest equipment, slaughtering
equipment, meat/fishery and crop processing equipment, post harvest
machines such as milling machines, dryers, threshers, grain and other
strippers, agricultural transport machinery and storage.

Agricultural and Biosystems Buildings and Structures

refer to buildings and structures for the production, harvesting,
processing, storage, manufacture, preserving, transporting and distribution of
agricultural and biological and products/materials and includes, but is not
limited to, silos and its components, agricultural and biosystems machinery
and equipment sheds, farm houses, green/screen houses, poultry houses,
piggery houses, slaughter houses, farm-to-market roads, farm bridges,
agricultural and biological products storage/warehouse, buildings and
structures for poultry, livestock, fishery, and forestry production and
processing, kiln drying and lumber treatment structure, farm equipment, farm
supplies, and other structures such as self-feeders, and soil and water
conservation structures.

Agricultural and Bio-Processing

refers to local activity or series of activities to maintain or raise the
quality or change the form or characteristics of agricultural, fishery, forestry
and biological products/materials and includes, but is not limited to, cleaning,
sorting, grading, treating, drying, dehydrating, grinding, mixing, milling,

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 canning, dressing, slaughtering, freezing, pasteurizing, conditioning,
packaging, repacking, transporting of agricultural, fishery, forestry and other
biological products/materials.

Agricultural and Biological Waste Utilization and Management

refers to the development of systems, processes, and equipment for
agricultural waste disposal and utilization and environment friendly
technologies such as, but is not limited to, compost plants, biogas plants,
biomass utilization technologies, systems and processes.

Agricultural and Bio-Information Systems

refers to utilization systems, database, and other information
management tools for agricultural use, biological systems modeling to
understand the mutual response between life and the environment; and
application of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for
inventory, analysis, and management of agricultural and biological resources,
and remote sensing technology for observation and examination of the
landscape and its local forms and agricultural activities.

Agricultural and Biosystems Automation and Instrumentation

refers to the use an application of agricultural and biosystems sensors
such as, but not limited to, computer models for control and automation in the
agricultural and fishery production industry and the biological systems and
likewise, robotics for the farm operation when use of machines are difficult or
impossible, agricultural and biosystems machine design and automated
controls, precision farming systems, agricultural safety and controlled-
environment agriculture; and the development and application of metrology
equipment such as moisture meters, weighing scale and other metrology
equipment.

Section 5. Scope of Practice of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

The practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering within the
meaning and intent of this Act shall embrace, but not be limited to, the
following;
a.) Preparation of engineering designs, plans specifications, project studies,
feasibility studies and estimates of irrigation and drainage, soil and water
conservation and management systems and facilities, agrometeorological
systems, agricultural and biosystems power and machinery, agricultural
and biosystems buildings and structures, renewable/bio-energy systems
and farm electrification, agricultural and bio-processing and post harvest
facilities and system, agricultural and bio-information system, agricultural
and biosystems resource conservation and management, and agricultural
and bio-automation and instrumentation system;

b.) Supervision or management on the construction, operation, and

maintenance of irrigation and drainage, soil and water conservation and
management systems and facilities, agrometeorological systems,
agricultural and biosystems power and machinery, agricultural and
biosystems buildings and structures, renewable/bio-energy systems and
farm electrification, agricultural and bio-processing and post harvest

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 facilities system, agricultural and biological waste utilization and
management, agricultural and biosystems resource conservation and
management, and agricultural and bio-automation and instrumentation
system;

c.) Valuation, appraisal, investigation, inspection, monitoring and technical

audit on agricultural and biosystems machineries and equipment,
structures and facilities, and agricultural and biosystems engineering
projects;

d.) Program/Project development and management, planning, evaluation, and

consultancy services on agricultural and biosystems engineering
undertakings;

e.) Conduct of research and development, training and extension on

agricultural and biosystems engineering;

f.) Testing, evaluation, and inspection of agricultural and biosytems

machinery, and other related agricultural and biosystems engineering
facilities, equipments and projects;

g.) Manufacture, distribution, installation, and sale of agricultural and

biosystems machinery and other related agricultural and biosystems
engineering facilities and equipment;

h.) Teaching and/or conduct of lecture of agricultural and biosystems

engineering subjects in institutions of learning in the Philippines;

i.) Preparation and evaluation of farm development plans, farm sustainability

maps and land use maps/reports for agricultural, livestock and poultry,
fishery, aquaculture and forest production and processing;

j.) Training and supervision of agri-fishery machinery technicians and

operators of agri-fishery machinery service center/pools, and agricultural and
biosystems engineering technicians and operators in agricultural and
biosystems plants, establishments, facilities, and projects;

k.) Employment with the government and private firms and establishments:
Provided, That such item or position requires the knowledge and expertise of
an Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer, or its duties and responsibilities
covers the scope of practice in agricultural and biosystems engineering; and

l.) Participation in the preparation of environmental studies for agricultural,

fisheries, agro-industrial and biosystems projects and its monitoring under the
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system.

ARTICLE 3
Section 15. Qualification of an Applicant for Examinations
a.) A citizen of the Philippines or foreign citizen whose country or state has a
policy on reciprocity in the practice of the profession;

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 b.) A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering or its equivalent, or Bachelor of Science in Agricultural
Engineering prior to or after ten (10) years after the approval of this Act, in
a school, academy, institute, college or university or an institution duly
recognized by the CHED; and
c.) Of good moral character.

Section 16. Fraudulent Application

The Board may suspend or revoke any certificate of registration obtained
through misrepresentation made in the application for examination.

Section 17. Scope of Examination

a.) Agricultural and Biosystems Power, Energy and Machinery Engineering
which include agricultural power and bio-energy, machine design and
analysis, machinery management and mechanization of agricultural and
bioproduction systems;
b.) Land and Water Resources Engineering which include agrometeorology,
irrigation and drainage engineering, soil and water conservation, and
aquaculture engineering;
c.) Agricultural and Biosystems Structures and Environment Engineering
which include agricultural structures engineering, forest engineering,
design and management of agricultural and biosystems structures, and bio-
environmental design;
d.) Agricultural and Bioprocess Engineering which include refrigeration and
cold storage, agri-industrial and biosystems application of electrical energy
and electronics, agricultural products process engineering, and food and
bio-based products process engineering;
e.) Project Management, Feasibility Study Preparation/Evaluation, Research,
Development and Extension on Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering;
f.) Fundamentals of Agricultural, Fishery, Ecological, and Environmental
Sciences;
g.) Mathematics and Basic Engineering Principles;
h.) Laws, Professional Standards and Ethics; and
i.) Other subjects within the areas of competensies required for the practice of
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering profession pursuant to Section 5
of this Act.

Section 18. Rating in the Board Examinations

To be qualified as having passed the Board examination for agricultural and
biosystems engineers, a candidate must obtain a weighted general average of seventy
percent (70%), with no grades lower than fifty-five percent (55%) in any given
subject. However, an examinee who obtains a weighted general average rating of
seventy percent (70%) or higher, but obtains a rating below fifty-five percent (55%) in
any given subject, must retake the examination in the subject or subjects where he/she
obtained a grade below fifty-five percent and must obtain a grade or grades in the said
subject or subjects of not lower than fifty-five percent (55%).

Section 20. Reexamination

An application who fails to pass the examination for the third time shall be
allowed to take another examination only after the lapse of one (1) year and only after

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having undertaken a refresher program in a duly accredited institution. The Board
shall issue guidelines on the refresher program requirement.

Section 24. Revocation or Suspension of the Certificate of Registration and

Cancellation of Temporary/Special Permit (TSP)
The board shall have the power, upon notice and hearing, to revoke or suspend
the COR of a registered and licensed agricultural and biosystems engineer or to cancel
TSP granted to a foreign agricultural and biosystems engineer, for the same grounds
enumersted in Section 23 of this Act …xxx…

Section 42. Penalties

In addition to the administrative sanctions imposed under this Act, any person
who violates any of the provisions of this Act, or any of the following acts shall, upon
conviction, be penalized by a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos
(P100,000.00) but not more than five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than five (5) years, or both
fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

Application:
Interview:
Interview at least 3 Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering/Engineers or
Agricultural Engineering/Engineers graduates. Think and develop questions that are
related to their work experiences and best practices. There should be clear evidence
that you interview AB Engineers/Engineering graduates. List their names, work
designation/position and the name of their company or agency they’re working.
Make a conclusion out of the interview you made. Do this in a group.

References:
R.A. No. 10915. Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of
2016.

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