In celebration of this year’s Chemistry Week, the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP) organized a symposium on Updates on the Chemistry Profession Act, held last February 19 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila. Hundreds of participants coming from the academe, government, and industry sectors attended the said event.
Dr. Adoracion Resurreccion, chair of the PRC Board of Chemistry (PRC-BOC), discussed the provisions of hazard pay during its second consultative meeting. This part of the symposium yielded the most queries, especially now that the grace period for the implementation of the Chemistry Profession Act of 2015 will be ending in mid-April; to answer these queries, she was joined by fellow PRC-BOC member Ma. Teresa Cayton and ICP-National officers Dr. Fabian Dayrit and Ms. Edna Mijares to further enlighten the participants on the said issue. It was then followed by the discussion regarding the ethics of the chemistry professional, given by Dr. Fabian Dayrit and Hon. Ma. Teresa Cayton.
After a hearty lunch, Mr. Joel Maleon of the Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) discussed the new policies and procedures on chemical management, specifically on hazardous compounds and high volume chemicals. He also informed the audience regarding a new online permitting and monitoring system of chemicals that their agency was able to develop. Meanwhile, Mr. Marlon Macadamia of the Philippine Accreditation Bureau gave an update regarding the revisions made in the ISO/IEC 17025 series of 2017, which is necessary for the standardization of chemical laboratories in the country.
An open forum regarding certain pressing issues related to the chemistry profession then followed. Dr. Glenn Alea answered questions regarding the continuing professional development (CPD) units, while Ms. Edna Mijares answered those related to the purchase of the chemist seal.
In summary, the symposium served its purpose in informing its audience on the said topics, and as a venue of constructive criticisms and suggestions regarding such.
To view the presentation slides from this event, please click on this link.