Code of Ethics

• Principles of the Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists and Psychometricians

  • Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
  • Competent Caring for the Well-Being of Persons and Peoples
  • Integrity
  • Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to Society
• The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) adopted a Code of Ethics for Clinical Psychologists in the 1980s, and this Code has remained unchanged since then.
• In 2007, the Board of Directors of the PAP resolved to constitute a committee to revise the Code of Ethics, with the goal of updating the Code and making it more inclusive and applicable to all psychologists.
• In 2008, the PAP Board of Directors appointed immediate past president, Dr. Allan B. I. Bernardo as Chair of the Scientific and Professional Ethics Committee, in compliance with the PAP Charter.
• The PAP Board also appointed Dr. Ma. Lourdes A. Carandang, Dr. Natividad A. Dayan, Dr. Rosalito De Guzman, and Ms. Anna Guerrero as members of this committee.
• The committee set out to accomplish its task with the assistance of three graduate assistants: Mary Libertine Amor, Mary Grace M. Serranilla, and Sheri Anne C. Zerna.
• The complete committee conducted a day-long workshop on February 27, 2009 to finalize the proposed Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists.
• The first draft of this Code was presented to the PAP Board of Directors on April 18, 2009.
• The revised Code was finally ratified by the PAP Board of Directors on July 24, 2009.
• In the last quarter of 2020, a committee was tasked to revise the Code of Ethics, in view of recent technological developments as well as the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on the practice of psychology.
• Committee members for the 2022 revision of the Code of Ethics

  • Fr. Geraldo Costa
  • Dr. Ron Resurreccion
  • Dr. Yayetta Dela Peña
  • Dr. John Manuel Kliatchko
  • Ms. Alyssa Kae Alegre
  • Ms. Florabel Santacera-Suarez
  • Ms. Florence Culaba
• The final version of the revised Code of Ethics was approved by the Board of Trustees on their regular meeting on August 26, 2022.
• The Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists and Psychometricians is guided by the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists.
• The Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly of the International Union of Psychological Science in Berlin on July 22, 2008 and by the Board of Directors of the International Association of Applied Psychology in Berlin on July 26, 2008.
• The Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists and Psychometricians includes general ethical standards and procedures for how psychology practitioners resolve ethical issues, how they conduct themselves in professional and scholarly activities, and how the PAP addresses violations of the Code.
• The discipline's responsibility to use psychological knowledge for beneficial purposes and to protect such knowledge from being misused, used incompetently, or made useless
• The discipline's responsibility to conduct its affairs in ways that are ethical and consistent with the promotion of the well-being of society and all its members
• The discipline's responsibility to promote the highest ethical ideals in the scientific, professional, and educational activities of its members
• The discipline's responsibility to adequately train and supervise its members in their ethical responsibilities and required competencies
• The discipline's responsibility to develop its ethical awareness and sensitivity, and to be as self-correcting as possible
• General ethical standards and procedures

  • How we resolve ethical issues in our professional lives and communities
  • How we adhere to the highest standards of professional competence
  • How we respect for the rights and dignity of our supervisees (i.e., clients, peers, and students) and our other stakeholders in the profession and scientific discipline
  • How we maintain confidentiality in the important aspects of our professional and scholarly functions
  • How we ensure truthfulness and accuracy in all our public statement
  • How we observe professionalism in our records and fees
• Resolving ethical issues when misuse or misrepresentation of our work comes to our attention

  Take appropriate and reasonable steps to correct or minimize the effects
• Resolving conflicts between ethics and law, regulations or other governing legal authority

  1. Take appropriate actions to resolve the conflicts while being committed to our Code of Ethics

  2. If the conflicts cannot be resolved, adhere to the law, regulations or governing legal authority
• Resolving conflicts between ethics and organizational demands


  1. Make our Code of Ethics known to the organization

  2. Declare our commitment and adherence to this Code when resolving the conflicts
• Informally resolving ethical violations

  Bring it to the attention of the concerned professional if informal resolution is sufficient and if the intervention does not violate confidentiality rights
• Reporting ethical violations


  1. Take further action to report violation of the Code of Ethics to appropriate institutional authorities if there is likely to have substantial harm to a person or organization

  2. This does not apply when an intervention would violate confidentiality rights or when we are called to review the work of another psychology practitioner whose professional conduct is in question
• We cooperate with the ethics investigation, proceedings and requirements of any psychological association we belong to
• We refrain from filing ethical complaints with reckless disregard or willful ignorance of facts that would disprove allegations of ethical violations, without supporting factual evidence, and coercing people to file ethical complaints against another person
• We do not discriminate against complainants and respondents of ethical complaints by denying them employment, advancement, admissions to academic, tenure or promotion, except for taking appropriate actions based on outcomes of proceedings
• Only licensed and registered psychologists and psychometricians are legally allowed to practice their profession in the Philippines
• Boundaries of competence


  Providing services, teaching, and conducting research within the boundaries of our competence, based on our education, training, supervised practicum or internship, consultation, thorough study, or professional experience
• Making appropriate referrals


  Except when our existing competencies are not sufficient to ensure effective implementation or provision of our services in emergency situations
• Providing services, teaching, or conducting research involving populations, areas, techniques, or technologies that are new to us


  Undertake relevant education, training, supervised experience, consultation, or thorough study
• Providing services in emerging areas without generally recognized standards for preparatory training


  Take reasonable steps to ensure the competence of our work and to protect our clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients, and others from harm
• We shall be reasonably familiar with the relevant judicial or administrative rules when assuming forensic roles
• Providing services in emergency situations

  1. Make available our services to ensure individuals are not deprived of the emergency services they require

  2. Proceed cautiously in providing the necessary interventions

  3. Discontinue said services as soon as the emergency has ended and ensure that appropriate competent services are made available
• Engaging in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities is necessary for the renewal of one's professional license in the Philippines
• We shall base our work upon established scientific and professional knowledge of the discipline
• Delegating work to employees, supervisees, or research or teaching assistants

  1. Avoid delegating to persons with a multiple relationship that would likely lead to exploitation or loss of objectivity

  2. Authorize only responsibilities they can be expected to perform competently

  3. Inform the client that the task is delegated and they have a choice to discontinue or reschedule

  4. Ensure they are able to perform the services competently
• Addressing personal problems that may interfere with performing work-related duties adequately


  1. Refrain from initiating an activity when there is a substantial likelihood that personal problems will prevent competent performance

  2. Take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance, and determine whether to limit, suspend, or terminate these work-related duties