Constitution and By-Laws — Philippine Academy of Microbiology, Inc. (PAM)

Article I — Official Name and Office

Section 1. The official name of the Academy shall be known as the Philippine Academy of Microbiology, Inc. or PAM.

Section 2. The official office of the Academy shall be located at 10037 Ruby St., Los Baños Subdivision, Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna.

Section 3. The Academy shall act as the certification arm of the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Inc. or PSM.

Article II — Objectives

Section 1. The following shall be the objectives of the Academy:

1. To develop and maintain a high standard of practice in the field of Microbiology in the Philippines;
2. To certify microbiologists according to the defined standards and qualification requirements which may include written and/or oral examination; and
3. To formulate rules, regulations, and guidelines relative to certification, accreditation, and membership to PAM.

Article III — Powers

Section 1. Acquire from any governmental authority, foreign or domestic and from any person, natural or judicial, as well as from any association or other entity, such franchises, licenses, rights, privileges, technical assistance as are conducive to and necessary for the attainment of the purposes of the Academy.

Section 2. Receive and acquire to the extent provided by law, from any person, firm or entity whether foreign or domestic, by donation, grant, exchange, devise, bequest, purchase, lease or contribution, other absolutely or in trust, consisting of such properties, real or personal, and/or otherwise invest its funds, moneys or properties.

Section 3. Perform all acts and things necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any of the purposes or objectives herein enumerated or which at any time appear conducive or expedient for the protection or benefit of the organization, including the exercise of the powers, authorities, and attributes conferred upon corporations organized under the laws of the Philippines in general and upon domestic non-stock corporation of the nature in particular.

Article IV — Membership

Section 1. Anyone who has been certified as Diplomate or Fellow by PAM can qualify for Regular Membership.

Section 2. Anyone who has at least a BS degree major in Microbiology or allied disciplines who has been certified by PAM as a Registered Microbiologist or Specialist Microbiologist can qualify for Associate Membership.

Section 3. A member is considered to be of good standing when he/she attends the activities of the Academy for three (3) consecutive years. Considerations may be given for meritorious cases.

Article V — Council of Regents

Section 1. The Council of Regents shall be composed of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and Press Relations Officer.

Section 2. The Council of Regents shall act as:

1. legal representative of the Academy; and
2. policy-making body of the Academy.

Section 3. Each member of the Council of Regents shall hold office for a term of three years without prejudice to reelection. Two new members shall be elected each year on a staggered basis so that each year two members shall replace the ones with the expired term.

Article VI — Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

Section 1. The Chair shall:

1. Preside at meetings of the Council of Regents and general assembly;
2. Implement all policies and programs promulgated by the Council of Regents;
3. Prepare plans of activities for the Academy in consultation with the Council of Regents and execute all approved plans;
4. Countersign checks for payment and withdrawal slips from the Academy’s deposits;
5. Accept donations, grants, gifts, etc. on behalf of the Academy;
6. Present a written and oral annual report during the general assembly meeting; and
7. Represent the Academy in any meeting or business transaction requiring the participation of the Academy.

Section 2. The Vice Chair shall:

1. Assist the Chair in all his/her functions; and
2. Discharge the duties and responsibilities of the Chair in the latter’s incapacity or absence.

Section 3. The Secretary shall:

1. Issue notices of meetings of the officers, Council of Regents and general assembly;
2. Prepare correspondence for the Academy upon delegation by the Chair;
3. Prepare the proceedings of the national convention and other activities as designated by the Chair;
4. Make arrangements for mailing reports, publications/newsletters and other materials to the Academy’s members;
5. Distribute publications to subscribers and advertisers; maintains circulation list of all publications of the Academy;
6. Record and keep minutes of meetings of the Council of Regents;
7. Keep all records, documents, and other properties of the Academy;
8. Maintain an updated list of members; and
9. Maintain the Academy’s scrapbook containing pictures and captions of the major activities of the Academy.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall:

1. Receive the Academy’s moneys, donations, grants, gifts, and bequests;
2. Deposit the Academy’s money in bank(s) duly authorized by the Council of Regents;
3. Disburse the funds of the Academy upon approval of either the Chair or Vice Chair. However, the Treasurer may disburse funds without prior approval of the above on routinary expenses not exceeding P1,000.00;
4. Coordinate fund-raising activities of the Academy;
5. Keep an account of all assets, credits, disbursements and finances of the Society; and
6. Prepare financial statements periodically as determined by the Council of Regents or as requested by the Auditor.

Section 5. The Auditor shall:

1. Examine and audit all financial statements submitted by the Treasurer;
2. Countercheck all cash receipts;
3. Note turn-over of property, documents of donations, bequests, etc; and
4. Ensure that all expenses are reasonable and within the budgetary allocation.

Section 6. The Press Relations Officer shall:

1. Issue press releases regarding activities of the Academy;
2. Take charge of the publication of the Academy’s newsletters, bulletins and other information materials;
3. Maintain or strengthen communication or linkages among PAM members;
4. Serves as a communication channel between PAM and (a) general membership and (b) friends of PAM; and
5. Establish contact with PAM and other organizations/agencies/personalities for the promotion of the objectives/interests of the Academy.

Article VII — Certification Board

Section 1. The Certification Board shall be composed of the Chair, Secretary, and three Members.

Section 2. The Certification Board shall evaluate the nominees for membership (i.e. Diplomate and Fellow) to the Academy and applicants for certification (e.g. Specialist Microbiologists), suspension and withdrawal of certification. These shall be submitted to the Council of Regents for review to determine if the prescribed processes for these are followed.

Section 3. Each member of the Certification Board shall hold office for a term of three years without prejudice to reelection. Two new members shall be elected each year on a staggered basis so that each year two members shall replace the ones with the expired term.

Article VIII — Election

Section 1. Only Regular Members who have been with the Academy for at least one year shall be nominated for an elective position.

Section 2. Election of members of the Council of Regents and the Certification Board shall be held every year during the business meeting of the annual convention, following Section 3, Article V and Section 3, Article VII.

Section 3. Active Regular Members shall be entitled to vote.

Section 4. The nominated member who is not present during the business meeting shall automatically be out of the nomination.

Section 5. Members of the Council of Regents and Certification Board shall be elected by plurality vote during the annual business meeting.

Section 6. Voting shall be conducted by means of secret ballot and participated in by registered Regular Members only.

Section 7. A case of a tie shall be resolved by the general assembly following Section 3, Article VIII.

Section 8. The electoral process shall be managed by the Committee on Election whose members shall be appointed by the Council of Regents.

Article IX — Committees

Section 1. The Academy shall have three standing committees:

1. Continuing Professional Development Committee;
2. Publication Committee; and
3. Finance Committee.

Section 2. Ad hoc committees may be created as the need arises.

Section 3. The Continuing Professional Development Committee shall:

1. Ensure the continuous advancement of certified microbiologists with the latest trends in the fields of Microbiology and other related fields;
2. Raise and maintain certified microbiologists’ capability for delivering professional services;
3. Take charge of all matters pertaining to the continuing professional education (CPE) accreditation of the Academy’s activities, such as conventions, programs, seminars, etc. with the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC); and
4. Maintain attendance records of the Academy’s activities related to CPE accreditation and give out CPE certificates of units earned by the respective participants, as needed.

Section 4. The Publication Committee shall:

1. Take charge of the publications of the Academy;
2. Solicit items or articles from members for possible printing in PAM publications.

Section 5. The Finance Committee shall:

1. Solicit funds for the Academy through donations, contributions, bequests, grants, etc.;
2. Handle all financial transactions of the Academy; and
3. Plan and organize activities for generating funds for the Academy.

Article X — Meetings

Section 1. The annual convention of the Academy shall be held every third Wednesday of July of each year. The Council of Regents shall designate the time and venue.

Section 2. The annual convention shall be a general meeting of the Academy for the presentation of scientific papers, exhibits, etc. and for the transaction of business.

Section 3. Quarterly and special meetings of the Council shall be called by the Chair of the Academy. During such meetings, the Chair shall render his/her report to the Council regarding the activities of the Academy.

Section 4. Meetings of the Council of Regents shall be called through written or verbal notice.

Section 5. A quorum for any meeting shall consist of at least a majority of the members and a majority of such quorum may decide on any question during the meeting, except for those matters which the Corporation Code requires the affirmative vote of a greater proportion. The quorum for the Annual Convention shall consist of at least a majority of all members.

Article XI — Funds and Dues

The remainder of Article XI and subsequent articles are being prepared for online publication. Request the complete Constitution and By-Laws from the PAM Secretariat at connect@pam.org.ph.