1.2 Republic Act No. 7920 (New Electrical Engineering Law) & License Classes

1.2 Republic Act No. 7920 (New Electrical Engineering Law) & License Classes

Legislative History, Enactment & Statutory Scope

Republic Act No. 7920, officially titled "An Act Providing for a More Responsive and Comprehensive Regulation for the Practice, Licensing, and Registration of Electrical Engineers and Master Electricians," was approved on February 24, 1995. Under its Section 45 (Effectivity Clause) the Act took effect thirty (30) days after its full publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. Its Section 43 (Repealing Clause) repealed Republic Act No. 184, the Old Electrical Engineering Law of 1947, together with local ordinances on the examination of electrical contractors, inspectors and electricians.

The legislative intent behind RA 7920 was to modernize the legal framework governing electrical practice in response to rapid technological expansion, industrialization, high-voltage utility grids, and complex power system architecture in the Philippines.

Under Section 2 (Practice of Electrical Engineering), the statutory scope of practice encompasses professional services delivered in connection with electrical plans, design, systems, power plants, substations, transmission lines, distribution networks, industrial facilities, and commercial buildings. These services specifically include:

• Consultation, investigation, valuation, and technical studies;
• Design, preparation of electrical plans, single-line diagrams, and specifications;
• Supervision of erection, installation, construction, testing, and commissioning;
• Operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of electrical power machinery and systems;
• Teaching of professional electrical engineering subjects in CHED-accredited universities;
• Executive administration of electrical engineering departments in industrial or utility enterprises.

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Organization, Composition & Powers of the Board of Electrical Engineering (BEE)

The Board of Electrical Engineering (BEE) is the collegial body created under Section 3 (Composition of the Board) of RA 7920 to execute and administer the law under the general supervision and administrative control of the PRC.

Board Composition & Nomination Process

• Membership: The Board consists of one (1) Chairman and two (2) Members.
• Appointment: Board members are appointed directly by the President of the Philippines.
• Nomination Pathway: The Accredited Integrated Professional Organization—the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE)—submits a list of nominees per vacancy to the PRC. The Commissioner selects the recommendees, and the President appoints the Board members from that list (RA 7920 Sec. 3, read with RA 8981 Sec. 7).
• Term of Office (Section 6): Board members serve a term of three (3) years from the date of appointment or until their successors have been appointed and qualified. Section 6 permits reappointment for a second term, so the practical ceiling is two terms.

Statutory Qualifications of Board Members (Section 5)

To qualify for appointment to the BEE, a candidate must meet all of the following statutory criteria:

1. Be a natural-born Filipino citizen and a resident of the Philippines for at least five (5) consecutive years;
2. Be at least thirty-five (35) years of age;
3. Be of proven integrity and high moral character;
4. Be a registered Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE) with at least ten (10) years of active practice prior to appointment;
5. No Academic Conflict: Must not be a faculty member, officer, or executive of any university, college, or institute offering a BSEE course, nor have any financial interest in such institutions for at least three (3) consecutive years prior to appointment.

Powers and Duties of the Board (Section 4)

The BEE exercises regulatory, administrative, quasi-legislative, and quasi-judicial powers, including:

• Promulgating rules and regulations implementing RA 7920;
• Administering licensure examinations for REE and RME candidates;
• Evaluating technical project reports and conducting oral examinations for PEE registration;
• Inspecting educational institutions, industrial plants, power stations, and construction sites to verify compliance with RA 7920;
• Investigating violations of the law and Code of Ethics, issuing subpoenas, and revoking or suspending professional certificates.

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Detailed Statutory Qualifications for Professional Cadres

RA 7920 establishes explicit eligibility thresholds for each of the three professional cadres:

Comparison of Qualification Standards

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Field of Practice Boundaries & Signing Authority

RA 7920 strictly delineates the operational boundaries and legal authority granted to each practitioner class:

$\text{RME independent work: } V \le 600\text{ V} \ \textbf{and} \ S \le 500\text{ kVA} \quad \text{(RA 7920 Secs. 31 and 33)}$

$\text{Plan sealing authority: exclusive to the PEE} \quad \text{(RA 7920 Secs. 31 and 34)}$

1. Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE)

• Authority: Unlimited scope across all electrical systems regardless of voltage ($V$), current ($I$), or power ($kVA/MW$) rating.
• Sole Signing Authority: Section 31 (Field of Practice) gives the PEE "the sole authority to seal electrical plans", and Section 34 makes it unlawful to undertake any installation unless the plans, designs, valuations and specifications have been prepared by or under the responsible charge of, and signed and sealed by, a professional electrical engineer. This covers layout drawings, technical specifications, single-line diagrams and the permit documents required by building officials and electric utilities.

2. Registered Electrical Engineer (REE)

• Authority: Under Section 31, an REE may take charge of or supervise the operation and maintenance of electrical equipment in power plants, industrial plants, watercraft and electric locomotives; the manufacture and repair of electrical supply and utilization equipment; the teaching of electrical subjects; and the sale and distribution of equipment requiring engineering calculations. Section 33 names the PEE and the REE interchangeably for installations of any capacity and any standard voltage, so RA 7920 imposes no kilovolt ceiling on REE practice.
• Sign-off Limitations: REEs are not authorized by law to sign and seal official electrical plans or drawings for building permit approval. Plan signing remains the exclusive statutory privilege of PEEs.

3. Registered Master Electrician (RME)

• Authority: Authorized to execute wiring installations, maintenance, troubleshooting, and direct operation of electrical machinery and systems.
• System Limits: An RME may work independently up to 600 volts and 500 kVA. Section 31 provides that where the installation or machinery is rated in excess of 500 kVA or in excess of 600 V, the work must be carried out under the supervision of a professional electrical engineer or a registered electrical engineer.

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Enforcement, Illegal Practice & Statutory Penal Provisions

Two provisions work together here. Section 32 (Prohibitions in the Practice of Electrical Engineering) enumerates the prohibited acts, and Section 40 (Penalty Clause) sets the sanction. (Section 36 is a different provision entirely — it requires certificates of registration to be posted conspicuously in the plant or establishment, and is itself an examinable detail.)

$\text{Fine Statutory Bounds: } 10,000 \le \text{Fine (PHP)} \le 50,000, \quad \text{Imprisonment: } 6\text{ months} \le t \le 5\text{ years}$

Prohibited Acts (Illegal Practice)

• Practicing or attempting to practice electrical engineering or master electrician work without a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card;
• Signing or sealing electrical plans, drawings, or specifications by any practitioner other than a licensed PEE;
• Using or attempting to use the license certificate or seal of another practitioner;
• Giving false or forged evidence to the Board to obtain professional registration;
• Employing or contracting unlicensed individuals to perform regulated electrical services.

Statutory Penalties (Section 40)

Penalty Clause (RA 7920 Section 40): Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (₱10,000.00) nor more than Fifty Thousand Pesos (₱50,000.00), or imprisonment for a period of not less than six (6) months nor more than five (5) years, or both, at the discretion of the court.

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) & Integrated Professional Organization (IIEE)

Continuing Professional Development (RA 10912)

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10912 (the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016), all licensed REEs and PEEs must accumulate mandatory CPD Credit Units during each 3-year compliance period to renew their PRC Professional Identification Card (PIC). CPD credits are earned through technical seminars, national conventions, post-graduate studies, research publications, and professional training certified by the PRC CPD Council.

Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO)

All registered electrical practitioners are integrated into one national organization: the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE). Recognized as the sole Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO) for electrical practitioners, IIEE represents the profession in international bodies, nominates BEE board members, and administers CPD programs nationwide. (Take care with the word order of the name — Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers, not the reverse.)