Administrative Order No. 15 Series of 2019 on Guidelines in Strengthening the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Services of DA Bureaus and Attached Agencies/Corporation

Republic of the Philippines Departmen~ of Agriculture OFFICE OF!THE SECRETARY Elliptical Ro$d, Diliman, Q uezon City, 11 ()0 Philippines 02 December 2019 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER No. /£ Series of 2019 TO ' ALL HEADS OF BUREAUS AND ATTACHED AGENCIES/ CORPORATIONS SUBJECT GUIDELINES IN STRENGTHENING THE AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTE~S ENGINEERING SERVICES OF DA BUREAUS AND ATTACHED AGENCIES/CORPORATION Section 24 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10601 otherwise known as the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law mandates all concerned DA bureaus and attached agencies to strengthen the provision o~ agricultural and biosystems engineering services, as it state: "Section 24-Strengthening the DA Agricultural and Fishery Engineering Groups. XXX All concerned bureaus and attached agencies of the DA implementing agri flshery mechanization and infrastructure projects shall review and modify their organizational structure and staffing pattern with the end-view of strengthening · the provision of agricultu,;-al engineering services as part of the overall network of the BAFE. Relative to this, Section 34 of RA No. 10915 (Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016) mandates all concerned national government agencies which include DA bureaus and attached agencies/corporations to create various level of agricultural and biosystems engineer positions: Section 34. Personnel Required. - (a) All concerned national government agencies, LGUs and SUCs implementing, regulating, funding and undertaking research, development, . training and extension, testing, evaluation and inspection as well as technical audit of irrigation, farm mechanization, post harv..est and agro-processing facilities, agricultural and biosystems infrastructures, farm-to-market roads, agro-meteorology, forest mechanization deve/JJf}ment programs, • and environmental protection and conservation programs and projects sfiall employ the required number of agricultural and biosystems engineers, and for this purpose, create various levels of agricultural and biosystems engineer positions; XXX (b) All agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities/projects supervised and maintained or accredited by the government such asgrain./agro-processing complex, slaughterhouse, communal and national irrigation system, agricultural machinery and equipment service centers, and testing and evaluation centers must have at least one (1) registered and licensed agricultural and biosystems engineer; Pagel 1 Pursuant to the above provision of laws, the following guidelines are hereby issued: 1. The review and modification of organizational structure and staffing pattern pursuant to Section 24 of RA' No. 10601 shall include DA agencies and corporations nsteu •in--Ru:te--233:1 ofthe'lmptenfenting·Ru.1es"arid-ReguTatTonsTIRRJ ·or RA No. 10601 such as PCAF, ATI, BAI, BPI, BAR, BFAR, BSWM, PCA, PCC, PhilMech, PhiliRice, PhilFIDA, NDA, NFA, NIA, NMIS, NTA and SRA. Depending on the magnitude of programs and projects implemented on agri-fisheries mechanization and infrastructure, the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) unit to be created shall either be a Department, Office, Division or Section. Please refer to Section 3 (a and b) of RA No. 10601 on the definition of agricultural and fishery machinery, a~d agricultural and fishery mechanization. Agricultural and fishery infrastructures include farm-to-market roads, irrigation, small water impounding projects, small farm reservoirs and soil and water conservation structures, slaughterhouses, post harvest/agro-processing facilities, agricultural and fishery buildings and structures, ~gricultural tramlines, bio-energy /renewable energy facilities, and agri-fishery waste utilization and management facilities/projects. 2. The creation of Engineer (Agricultural and Biosystems) positions, pursuant to Sect ion 34 of RA No. 10915 shall cover all DA Bureaus and Attached Agencies/Corporations implementing, regulating, funding or providing credit assistance and undertaking :research, development, tr?ining and extension, testing, evaluation and inspection, ; standards development and enforcement as well as technical audit of irrigation,: farm mechanization, post harvest and agro-processing facilities, agricultural and biosystems infrastructures, farm-to-market roads, agro meteorology, and environmental protection and conservation programs and projects. This also covers all agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities/projects supervised and maintained by concerned DA bureaus/attached agencies either locally or foreign funded such as grain/agro-processing complex, slaughterhouse, irrigation, ?gricultural machinery and equipment service centers, and testing and evaluation c;enters and other ABE RDE facilities; 3. Depending on the magnitude of functions of concerned DA bureaus and attached agencies/corporations on ABE and the proposed ABE unit, the Engineer (Agricultural and Biosystems) positions to be created shall be at various levels Engineer V, IV, III, II, I). Please also refer to Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No.1901365, "QualificationStandards of Engineer I to V (Agricultural and Biosystems) positions in the DA and its Attached Agencies/Corporations; amendment to CSC Resolution No. 100759"; 4. The functions, duties and responsibilities of ABE Unit and Engineer (Agricultural and .&rosystems} or AB Engineer positions to be created shall include any, a combination of, or all the following scope of practice of ABE pursuant to Section 5 of RA No. 10915: (a) Preparation of engineering designs, plans, specifications, project studies, feasibility studies an;ci; estimates of irrigation and drainage, soil and water conservation and mariagement systems and facilities, agrometeorological systems, agricultural and biosystems power, and machinery, agricultural and biosystems buildings and structures, renewable/bio-energy systems and Page I 2 farm electrification, agricultural and bio-processing and post harvest facilities and system, agricultural and biological waste utilization and management, · agricultural and bio-information system, agricultural and bio-systems· resoiifre···fons·~rvatfoi1 ~iid'. fo·artigehien·t, ·and "agricuitural ·· and bio-automation and instrumentation system; (b) Supervision or management on the construction, operation, and maintenance of irrigation ~nd drainage, soil and water conservation and management systems and facilities, agrometeorological systems, agricultural and biosystems p9wer and machinery, agricultural and biosystems buildings and structur~s, renewable/bio-energy systems and farm electrification, agricultural i;ind bio-processing and post harvest facilities and system, agricultural and biological waste utilization and management, agricultural and bio-inf9rmation system, agricultural and biosystems resource conservation and management, and agricultural and bio-automation and instrumentation system; I (c) Valuation, appraisal, investigation, inspection, monitoring, and technical audit on agrictultural 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 ofresearch and development, training and extension on agricultural and biosystems engineering; (f) Testing, evaluation, and inspection ofagricultural and biosystems machinery, and other .related agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities, equipment and projects; (g) Manufacture, distribution, installation, and sale of agricultural and biosystems ,machinery and other related agricultural and biosystems engineering facilities and equipment; (h) Preparation and evaluation of farm development plans, farm suitability maps and)and use maps/reports for agricultural, livestock and poultry, fishery, aquaculture and forest production and processing; (i) ].raining and supervision of agri-fishery machinery technicians and operators of agri-fishery machinery service centers/pools, and agricultural and biosystems engineering technicians and operators in agricultural and biosystems plants, establishments, facilities, and projects; (j) 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. Page I 3 Functions of the proposed ABE unit shall likewise include those functions provided by other relevant laws· or the charter creating such bureau or attached ·agem:yfcoi-poiatrnn. . . . . . . . . . .. . 5. The proposals for the Al;3E strengthening of all concerned DA bureaus, attached agencies/corporations shall be reviewed and evaluated by the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) and shall be endorsed by the Secretary of Agriculture 1to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). It shall include the following information: a) Mandates, fanctions and present organizationa~structure of the bureau or attached agency/corporation indicating the placement/location of the proposed ABE unit and/or the AB Engineer positions; b) Justifications; c) Functions of the proposed ABE Unit; d) Duties and Responsibilities of the proposed AB Engineer positions; e) Number of proposed ABE Engineer positions to be created; f) Number of existing AB Engineer positions; Number of registered and licensed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers indicating their current positions, designation and functions; g) Budgeta1y Requirements. The deadline of submission to BAFE is on December 30,2019. 6. Pending the DBM approval of the ABE units and AB Engineer positions, an Ad-hoe ABE Unit shall be created/organized by concerned DA bureaus and attached agencies/corporations to address their ABE services requirement. Their existing agricultural and biosystems engineers may be reassigned or detailed to the Ad hoe ABE unit or designated to perform ABE works subject to civil service rules and regulations . .Agricultural and biosystems engineers may also be hired as job order or contract of service pursuant Joint CSC-COA-DBM Circular No. 1, series of 2017 and related issuance$, and subject to availability of funds. Concerned DA bureaus and attached agencies shall collaborate with the Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and LGUs for the planning and implementation of the Government Internship Program for new agricultural and biosystems engineers and ABE graduates and Special Program for the Employment of ABE students to augment their ABE services. 7. A Technical Working Group (TWG) chaired by BAFE with members from concerned DA bureaus and attached agencies/corporations, and Chairman/Representative from PCAF-AFMeC is hereby organized to facilitate the implementation of this AO and assists BAFE in the evaluation of proposals. The BAFE arid PCAF-:AFMeC shall jointly conduct consultation meetings and workshops. This ordershall take effect immediately. c~·c.~ WILLIAM D. DAR, Ph.D. ' Secretary DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IIUllllllllllllillll!llllllllllllllll\llllilllil lllllillllllllilli In replylng pl• cite tt11s code : For Signature: S-11-19-0030 Recel\ttd : 11/0411019 03:28 PM