Professional Ethics & Values (2024) - Forestry Graduates - PDF

Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND VALUES Prepared by GREFALDA, L.B, MSc....

Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND VALUES Prepared by GREFALDA, L.B, MSc. Assistant Professor Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance College of Forestry and Natural Resources University of the Philippines Los Baños Republic Act No. 10690 An act regulating the practice of forestry in the philippines and appropriating funds therefor, repealing for the purpose republic act numbered six thousand two hundred thirty-nine (R.A. no. 6239), known as “The Forestry Profession Law” This Act shall he known as “The Forestry Profession Act”. The State recognizes the importance of professional foresters in nation building and development. It shall develop and nurture competent, ethical, globally competitive and well- rounded professional foresters who shall observe the highest standards of excellence, and whose professionalism shall be fostered through the administration of transparent, credible and relevant licensure examinations, a system of registration and self-regulation, and through continuing education. The examination, registration and licensure of professional foresters; The supervision, control and regulation of the practice of forestry in the Philippines; The development and upgrading of the curriculum; The development of the professional competence of foresters through mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD); and The integration of the forestry profession. Definition of Terms Forestry refers to the art, science, practice, and business of sustainable management of forest and forestland resources for the production of goods and services and the enhancement of benefits and values of such resources to provide the needs of the present and future generations; and Professional forester refers to a registered and licensed natural person who holds a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card issued by the Professional Regulatory Board for Foresters and the PRC pursuant to this Act. This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 1  Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 Practice of Forestry (a) Different aspects of actual or supervisory activities or services such as the parametric classification of lands of the public domain and subclassification and capability determination of forestlands; inventory of forest or timber and other forest products; reconnaissance and survey of road locations and quarry sites; planning and implementing of harvesting operations and timber improvement; scaling and grading of, and manifesting taxes on logs and derivative wood products as well as other forest products preparation of designs, plans and specifications of forest products processing plants; treatment of wood and other forest products; inspection and investigation of harvesting and processing plants; preparation, certification or authentication, or both, of log and lumber dealers, sawmill operators and other mill test reports; planning and implementation of forest nursery, afforestation, reforestation, industrial and community-based tree plantation, tree farm and agroforestry farm projects; planning and implementation of forest parks, wilderness areas, coastal areas and other protected area systems development; planning and implementation of forest protection systems, forest and soil resources conservation measures; and conduct of environmental risk scoping and environmental impact assessment; (b) The preparation and conduct of feasibility studies pertaining to natural forest and plantation forest management, watershed management, range or grazing land management, wildlife and biodiversity systems management, wood technology and timber engineering, wood products manufacturing and marketing management, and technical or management consultancy; (c) The conduct of forest experiments, research and development, training and extension concerning forestry, and the teaching of forestry subjects in any accredited college or school of forestry; (d) Government institutional activities or services wherein the principal policy and strategy is forestry, and the practice of professional forestry is essential, such as in the undertaking, supervision, or administration of studies, programs, stations, centers, community/provincial/regional offices, and such other activities or services that, by law, should be inherently exercised by professional foresters; and (e) Forestry activities and services required by local government units, private corporations, foundations, nongovernment organizations, and foreign assisted projects. Examination, registration, certification, and licensure Except as otherwise specifically allowed under this Act, applicants for registration for the practice of forestry shall be required to pass a licensure examination as provided for in this Act in such places and dates as the PRC may designate in a Resolution mandating the Master Schedule for all This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 2  Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 licensure examinations, in accordance with Section 7(d) of Republic Act No. 8981 An applicant for the licensure examination for foresters shall satisfactorily prove possession of the following qualifications: (a) Philippine citizenship, or in the case of a foreigner, citizenship of a country or state that has a reciprocity agreement with the Philippines on the practice of forestry; (b) Good moral character; (c) Bachelor’s degree in forestry or forest products engineering, or agroforestry conferred by a school, college, or university recognized and duly accredited by the CHED, or a graduate of Bachelor’s degree in forest product engineering, or Bachelor of Science in Agroforestry with at least seventy (70) units of core subjects in forestry and related subjects; and (d) No conviction of an offense involving moral turpitude by a court of competent jurisdiction. Subjects for Licensure Examination Forest Ecosystem; Forest Policy and Governance; Forest Engineering and Utilization; and Forest Resource Management. To pass the foresters licensure examination, a candidate must obtain a general or weighted average rating of seventy-five percent (75%). Code of Ethics of Filipino Forester Approved by the RP President on December 4, 1972 1. Be loyal to the country. o Observe the provisions of the Constitution and the laws of the land. o Respect duly constituted authority. 2. Consider public welfare and human values as the guiding principles in decision making, the exercise of ability and the application of skills. o As a moral responsibility to society, ensure that long term social interests prevails over temporary individual benefits. 3. Communicate with the public and develop national awareness of the social, political, and economic aspects of forests. o Serve as a dynamic agent of change in bringing about forest conservation consciousness. This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 3  Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 4. Develop and maintain a high professional prestige. o Uphold the dignity and high standards of the forestry profession and take pride in its practice. o Put honesty, integrity, and moral values above material and pecuniary interest. o Observe proper decorum at all times. 5. Win the respect and confidence of the members of the other professions, o respect their opinions and be willing to work with them with open and independent mind; o maintain objectivity and intellectual honesty and courage in putting forth the concepts of forest and environmental conservation and scientific forestry. 6. Respect the interest and o integrity of co-foresters and observe prudence in making comments on, or criticisms of the ideas or work of colleagues in the profession. 7. Be fair and just in dealing with co-workers and subordinates. o Always work for their welfare and accept merit as the sole criterion for advancement and recognition 8. Provide exemplary service to employees, clients and the public; o be honest in all dealings and handle properly information classified as confidential, unless such is expressly declassified. 9. Contribute to forestry o knowledge and share knowledge with other professionals; o act professionally and be informed and up-to-date on new developments in forestry. 10. Strive to develop and derive o the maximum potential benefits from the forest, always take account ecological values and the needs of forestry. Code of Good Governance for the Profession in the Philippines The Code of Good Governance for the Profession in the Philippines covers the common principles underlying the codes of various professions could be used by all professionals who face critical ethical questions in their work. 1. Service to Others This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 4  Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 a) Professionals are committed to a life of service to others. b) They protect life, property, and public welfare. c) To serve others, they shall be prepared for heroic sacrifice and genuine selflessness in carrying out their professional duties even at the expense of personal gain. 2. Integrity and Objectivity a) To maintain and broaden public confidence, professionals shall perform their responsibilities with the highest sense of integrity and imbued with nationalism and spiritual values. b) In the performance of any professional service, they shall at all times, main objectivity, be free of conflicts of interest, and refrain from engaging in any activity that would prejudice their abilities to carry out their duties ethically. c) They shall avoid making any representation that would likely cause a reasonable person to misunderstand or to be deceived. 3. Professional Competence a) In providing professional services, a certain level of competence is necessary, i.e., knowledge, technical skills, attitudes, and experience. b) Professionals shall, therefore, undertake only those professional services that they can reasonably deliver with professional competence. c) Corollary to this, it is their express obligation to keep up with new knowledge and techniques in their field, continually improve their skills and upgrade their level of competence and take part in a lifelong continuing education program. 4. Equality of All Professions a) All professionals shall treat their colleagues with respect and shall strive to be fair in their dealings with one another. b) No one group of professionals is superior or above others. All professionals perform an equally important, yet distinct, service to society. c) In the eyes of the PRC, all professions are equal and, therefore, every one shall treat other professionals with respect and fairness. 5. Solidarity and Teamwork a) Though a deep spirit of solidarity, each member should put the broader interest of the profession above one’s personal ambition and preference. b) Through teamwork within a cohesive professional organization, each member shall effectively observe ethical practices and pursue continuing professional development as well as deepen one’s social and civic responsibility. This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 5  Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates 2024 6. Social and Civic Responsibility a) Professionals shall always carry out their professional duties with due consideration of the broader interest of the public. They shall, therefore, serve their clients/employers and the publics with professional concern and in a manner consistent with their responsibilities to society. As responsible Filipino citizens, they shall actively contribute to the attainment of the country’s national objectives. 7. Equality of All Professions No one group of professionals is superior or above others. All professionals perform an equally important, yet distinct, service to society. This course material is for the exclusive use in the 2024 Refresher Course for Forestry Graduates. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmittal in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods of this publication is prohibited. © 2024, TREES, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños. Page 6