Section 73Sec./Art. 73

The Registrar. - There is hereby established a National Plant Variety Protection Registrar and an Associate Registrar under the control and supervision of the Board. The Registrar and the Associate Registrar shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Board and shall have a term of six (6) years. However, the Registrar who shall be first appointed shall serve for a term of seven (7) years.

The Registrar shall be a citizen of the Philippines with good moral character, proven track record in the field of plant science, and/or extensive executive experience and capability.

Functions of the Registrar. The Registrar shall have the following functions:

a) Has original and exclusive jurisdiction to receive, process, examine all applications for Certificate of Plant Variety Protection in accordance with this Act, and in meritorious cases, issued the said certificates and sign them in the name of the Board;

b) Issue and maintain a systematic record of all Certificate of Plant Variety Protection and transactions related thereto;

c) Implement the rules and regulations issued by the Board;

d) Institutionalize, maintain and continuously update a database of existing plant varieties collected from foreign and local databases;

e) Maintain a library of scientific and other works and periodicals, both foreign and local, to aid his examiners in the discharge of their duties;

f) Maintain samples of the propagating materials of the protected variety; and

g) Perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Board.

TITLE XII

Miscellaneous and Final Provisions