The Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office I (DA-RFO I), through its Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), has been issued a Certificate of Compliance following an inspection and monitoring conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Professional Regulatory Board of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (PRB-ABE) on July 14, 2026.
The inspection and monitoring team was led by Engr. Sherwin O. Valdez, Chairman of the PRB of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, together with Engr. Ireneo C. Agulto, PRB-ABE Member, and Ms. Gladys D. Reyes, representative of PRC Region I.
The evaluation aimed to observe, assess, and make recommendations on DA-RFO I’s compliance with regulatory requirements governing the practice of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. The monitoring forms part of the PRB-ABE’s mandate under Section 9 of Republic Act No. 8981, or the “PRC Modernization Act of 2000,” which includes monitoring conditions affecting professional practice and promoting the maintenance of high professional, ethical, and technical standards.
Following the assessment, the DA-RFO I, through RAED, qualified for the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance, affirming the Division’s adherence to the requirements and professional standards set by the PRC and PRB-ABE.
Beyond its role in the planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural infrastructure and engineering interventions, RAED has also become a valuable training ground for fresh graduates and newly licensed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers and Agricultural Engineers. Through hands-on exposure to agricultural infrastructure development and other engineering-related programs and projects, young professionals are able to build practical experience and strengthen their technical competencies.
This experience has helped prepare RAED-trained engineers for career advancement, with a number eventually securing permanent and higher positions in Local Government Units (LGUs) and the academe, reflecting the Division’s contribution not only to agricultural infrastructure development but also to building a pool of capable engineering professionals in the region.
Also present during the evaluation and the signing of the Certificate of Compliance was Engr. Dennis I. Tactac, former RAED Chief and now Regional Technical Director for Operations of DA-RFO I, who joined the PRC and PRB-ABE officials and RAED personnel during the activity. His presence underscored the continuity of the Office’s support for strengthening professional standards and institutional capacity in agricultural and biosystems engineering.
The issuance of the Certificate of Compliance further reinforces DA-RFO I’s commitment to upholding professional, ethical, and technical standards while ensuring that its agricultural engineering services and infrastructure interventions contribute effectively to the modernization and development of the agriculture sector in the Ilocos Region.