4-M professionals to benefit from PRC’s online services

The enhanced online services of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) made it possible for more than four million professionals and the public to transact with the regulatory commission anytime and anywhere in the world just by logging on to the PRC website www.prc.gov.ph.

In his report to Secretary Silvestre Bello III, PRC Chairman Teofilo S. Pilando Jr. said the upgraded facility gave the professionals the liberty to remotely or partially complete their PRC transactions or to choose the date of appointment as to when they could process and finish their transactions at PRC. PRC is an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment.

“Clients could also choose other payment options to pay for their fees (such as through banks, mobile, payment, Bayad Center etc.), other than PRC cashiers,” Pilando said.

The enhanced online services reduced the processing time and procedural steps of PRC's key frontline transactions. Notably the application for licensure examination was reduced from 6 to 3 steps, and the initial registration from 4 to 2 steps. Additionally, the renewal of professional identification cards was reduced from 5 to 2 steps.

The PRC service centers were also established to provide an additional and convenient venue for the delivery of the PRC services and to comply with the President’s directive to facilitate access by the public to government key frontline services.

Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) was the first property developer to provide the free use by PRC of its mall spaces prepared according to PRC specifications as part of its corporate social responsibility.

PRC services which are available in the service centers generally include applications for licensure examinations, initial registration, renewal of professional identification cards (PIC), issuance of duplicate PICs, certification and authentication (Board rating, Passing, Good standing, Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Cards), and Verification of Board Rating.

Meanwhile, the commission, through its regional offices, and in coordination with the local government units, the Public Employment Services Offices, hospitals, and schools, continuously conduct mobile services to reach and provide services to the public in unserved areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

From January to November, a total of 69,021 professionals and examinees benefitted from the PRC mobile services and who were spared from long travel time, additional expenses on transportation, and board and lodging.

"To enhance the employability and competitiveness of our qualified overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and to spare them from expensive travel expenses and rigorous travel permits, the commission, in coordination with DOLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs, reaches out by conducting the special Professional Licensure Examinations (SPLE) in the Middle East particularly in Abu Dhabi, Jeddah Qatar, Al Khobar, Riyadh, and Kuwait," Pilando said.

The Commission is also expanding its reach not just in the Middle East but in other countries where the demand for examination is high like Hong Kong, Singapore, Oman, Israel, and Thailand. This year, a total of 4,889 examinees took the examinations in the Middle East and Hong Kong.

In order to keep in step and be and be at par with other professionals from different countries, PRC has implemented R.A 10912, otherwise known as the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016. The CPD is geared towards the continuous improvement of the quality of the countries’ reservoir of registered professionals by updating them on the latest scientific, technological, ethical and other applicable trends in the local and global practice of the professions. It also provides support to lifelong learning in the enhancement of competencies of Filipino professionals toward delivery of quality and ethical services both locally and globally.

Of the 43 professions regulated by PRC, 31 have already established their CPD councils composed of representatives from the professional regulatory boards, accredited professional organization, and the academe.

The CPD Councils of the various professions have currently accredited 645 CPD Providers and 6,885 CPD Programs. A total of 350,832 professionals have attended various CPD Programs conducted from January to November 2017. Thirteen (13) CPD Operating Guidelines of the various professions were already approved.