Senate bill to require microbiologists to pass licensure tests

Microbiologists need to pass licensure tests to practice their profession, according to a Senate bill  filed by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The bill’s author said  the practice of microbiology  required specialized skills and sets of knowledge as justification for requiring them to pass professional exams.

Microorganisms, said the bill, form the foundation of modern biotechnology and were factors in food spoilage and poisoning and diseases like HIV, pneumonia, typhoid and cholera.

Senate Bill No. 1630 would “institute a regulatory system” to ensure that microbiology is used to promote food safety, improve quality of goods and prevent “the rapid spread” of diseases caused by microbes in humans and animals.

While the practice of microbiology started more than 50 years ago, the content and emphasis of the curriculum and training modules in various institutions differ due to differences in philosophy, facilities and resources, he added.

The bill passed on first reading last month and was referred to the Senate committees on civil service, science and technology and finance.

The measure requires the creation of a Board of Microbiology, which would administer the licensure tests at least once a year.

It, however, exempts doctors of medicine and veterinary medicine and medical technologists  from the licensure test requirement for microbiologists. The practice of microbiology, the bill said, was already an essential component of these professionals’ jobs.