Section 10Sec./Art. 10

Powers, Functions, Duties and Responsibilities of the Board. The Board shall exercise executive and administrative rule-making and quasi-judicial powers to carry out the provisions of this Act. It shall be vested with the following specific powers, functions, duties, and responsibilities:

(a) To regulate the practice of forestry in accordance with the provisions of this Act;

(b) To adopt and promulgate the Code of Ethics, the Code of Good Governance, and the Code of Technical Standards for the Practice of Forestry;

(c) To adopt an official seal of the Board;

(d) To prescribe and promulgate guidelines on the mandatory CPD for foresters in consultation with the APO;

(e) To prescribe and promulgate the syllabi/table of specifications for the subjects in the licensure examination in consultation with the academe and the CHED;

(f) To issue or cancel temporary or special permits granted to foreign foresters;

(g) To adopt a program for walk-in licensure examination, if necessary;

(h) To evaluate and approve applications for licensure examination;

(i) To prepare questions for the subjects in the licensure examination, give and correct the examination, and release their results;

(j) To register qualified persons for the practice of forestry, and issue thereto certificates of registration and professional identification cards;

(k) To administer oaths;

(l) To monitor the conditions affecting the practice of forestry through ocular inspections of establishments where foresters are practicing, and adopt such measures as may be deemed proper for the enhancement and maintenance of high professional, moral, ethical, and technical standards;

(m) To enter into a memorandum of agreement with the CHED and the PRC to ensure that all higher educational instructions and offerings of degree, course, or program comply with the policies, standards, and requirements of the course prescribed by the CHED in the areas of curriculum, faculty, library, and facilities;

(n) To ensure quality forestry education by examining the facilities of universities or colleges offering Bachelor of Science in Forestry seeking permission to open forestry courses, and ensuring that these comply with the requirements set by the CHED. The authority to open or close colleges or universities offering BS Forestry shall be vested on the CHED upon the written recommendation of the Board;

(o) To hear and investigate cases on violations of this Act, its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), the Code of Ethics, the Code of Good Governance, the Code of Technical Standards for the practice of forestry, and other policies and, for this purpose, to issue summons, subpoena ad testificandum and subpoena duces tecum to alleged violators and witnesses to compel their attendance in hearings or investigations;

(p) To delegate the hearing or investigation of cases against the alleged violators: Provided, That the hearing or investigation of cases wherein the issue or question strictly involves concerns over the technical practice of forestry shall be presided over by at least one (1) member of the Board assisted by a Legal or Hearing Officer of the PRC;

(q) To endorse cases involving criminal violations of this Act and other laws, its IRR, and other policies, to the Prosecution Office for investigation;

(r) To decide administrative cases against examinees or registered foresters: Provided, That upon the finding of guilt, the examination papers of the examinees shall be cancelled and they shall be barred from taking another licensure examination: Provided, further, That in the case of registered foresters, their certificate of registration shall be suspended and revoked: Provided, furthermore, That the effectivity of the penalty shall only commence from the date of surrender of the certificates together with the professional identification cards: Provided, finally, That the decision of the Board shall, unless appealed to the PRC, become final and executory after fifteen (15) days from receipt of notice of judgment or decision;

(s) To reissue or reinstate revoked or suspended certificates of registration and unexpired professional identification cards to the holders thereof: Provided, That the revoked certificates of registration shall only be reissued after the lapse of the period provided in this Act: Provided, further, That the Board shall issue a resolution thereon subject to the approval of the PRC, after the fitness to practice anew the forestry profession is satisfactory established: Provided, finally, That the suspended certificate of registration shall only be reissued upon the expiration of the period imposed in the decision of the Board;

(t) To conduct, through the legal or hearing officers, summary proceedings on minor violations of this Act, its IRR, any of the codes aforementioned, the general instructions to examinees, and to render summary judgment thereon which shall, unless appealed to the PRC, become final and executory after fifteen (15) days from receipt of notice of judgment or decision;

(u) To prepare an annual report of accomplishments, programs, projects, and activities of the Board during the year of submission to the PRC after the close of each calendar year, and to make appropriate recommendations to the Commission on issues or problems affecting the forestry profession;

(v) To discharge other implied, incidental, necessary powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act and its policies or measures and the achievement of its objectives; and

(w) To issue and promulgate rules and regulations implementing the provisions of this Act.

The rules and regulations, codes, and other policies embodied in a resolution issued and promulgated by the Board shall be subject to review and approval by the PRC. However, the Boards decision, resolution, or order rendered in an administrative case which is not interlocutory shall be subject to review only on appeal to the PRC or the regular courts.