d. Allow anybody to use his/her certificate of registration and professional identification card or temporary/special permit as a respiratory therapists to enable such unqualified individual to engage in the practice of respiratory therapy; and

e. Use as his/her own, the certificate of registration and professional identification card or temporary/ special permit of another.

SEC. 31.Employment of Respiratory Therapists in Pulmonary Units and Laboratories.-Hospitals, clinics, home care facilities, medical centers and similar establishments shall be required to employ and station at least three (3) registered respiratory therapists, under the direction of a registered and licensed physician, who shall be on duty for each shift to ensure that the service they offer comply with professional standards as embodies in the Code of Standards for Respiratory Therapists; Provided, that this section shall apply only after five (5) years from the affectivity of this Rule, which period may be shortened or extended as the Board may deem it necessary.

SEC. 32. Code of Ethics and Standards for Respiratory Therapists.-The Board shall adopt and promulgate the Code of Ethics and Standards for Respiratory Therapists prescribed and issued by the accredited national organization of respiratory therapists.

A Board Resolution subject to approval by the Commission shall be issued for the promulgation of the code.

SEC. 33. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Program.—All respiratory therapists shall abide by the requirements, rules and regulations regarding continuing professional education as promulgated by the Board in collaboration with the integrated professional organization of respiratory therapists, subject to the approval by the Commission.

SEC 34. Integration of Associations of Respiratory Therapists.-All associations of

respiratory therapists shall be integrated into one (1) and only national organization which shall be recognized by the Board, subject to the approval by the Commission, as the only accredited and integrated professional organization of registered respiratory therapists.

A respiratory therapist duly registered by the Board and the Commission shall automatically become a member of the said organization and shall receive the benefits and privileges appurtenant thereto upon payment of required fees and dues. Membership in the accredited and integrated professional organization of respiratory therapists shall not be a bar to membership in other associations of respiratory therapists.

SEC. 35. Foreign Reciprocity.-No foreigner shall be admitted to the examination or be given a certificate of registration or be entitled to any of the privileges under R.A. No. 10024 and this IRR, unless the country or state of which he/she is a subject or citizen specifically permits Filipino respiratory therapists to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subjects or citizens such foreign country or state.

RULE V

FINAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 36. Penalties for Violations.-Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of R.A. No. 10024 and/or this IRR shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) or by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months, at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 37. Applicability of Laws and Issuances.-The provisions of existing laws and related issuances shall be applied suppletorily to this IRR.

SEC. 38. Interpretation of R.A. No. 10024 and this IRR.-Nothing in the provisions of R.A. No. 10024 and of this IRR shall construed to affect or prevent the practice of any other legally recognized profession.

SEC. 39. Funding.-The Chairperson of the Commission shall include in the Commission's programs the implementation of R.A. No. 10024 and this IRR, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 40. Separability Clause.-If any section provision of this IRR or the application of such provision of this IRR or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this IRR or application of the invalidated provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected by such declaration.

SEC. 41. Repealing Clause.-Any issuance of the Board or Commission or of their respective chairpersons, including resolutions, memoranda, office orders or circulars, or any part thereof which is in conflict with the provisions this IRR is deemed superseded or modified accordingly.

SEC. 42. Effectivity Clause.-This IRR shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its full and complete publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) daily newspapers of national circulation.

Done in the City of Manila this 10th day of December, 2012.

(Sgd.) JULITA V. TOLEDO Chairman

(Sgd.) SENEN O. TEOPE Member

(Sgd.) JESUS M. ESPINAS Member

ATTESTED BY:

(Sgd.) CARLOS G. ALMELOR Secretary Professional Regulatory Boards

APPROVED:

(Sgd.) TERESITA R. MANZALA Chairperson

(Sgd.) ALFREDO Y. Po Commissioner

(Sgd.) JENNIFER JARDIN-MANALILI

Commissioner

Pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 83, series of 2012, "Institutionalization of the Philippine Qualifications Framework" signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III on the 1st day of October, 2012 which took effect upon its publication, conformably to Section 3 thereof, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), hereby issue the following rules and regulations to guide the implementation of the Order.

"The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) is hereby established with the following objectives: 1) To adopt national standards and levels for outcomes of education; 2) To support the development and maintenance of pathways and equivalencies which, provide access to qualifications and assist people to move easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and between these sectors and the labor market; and, 3) To align the PQF with international qualifications framework to support the national and international mobility of workers through increased recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine

qualifications."

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms

For purposes of this issuance, the following definitions shall be adopted:

3.1.

3.5. DepEd refers to the Department of Education.