WHEN this law came into being, professionals throughout the Philippines met it with various reactions, most of them negative because of the cost that it entails before one can renew his/her PRC ID Card. Yes, take note that it is the card and not the license that we are renewing.
It can be recalled that Republic Act No. 10912, otherwise known as the “Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016”, is an act which requires CPD as the mandatory requirement for the renewal of Professional Identification Card. The CPD Act lapsed into Law on July 21, 2016 and it took effect on August 16, 2016.
According to the PRC FAQ, the implementation of R.A. No. 10912 started on March 15, 2017, upon the effectivity of Resolution No. 1032 or the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of R.A. No. 10912.
As a relief to those whose PRC cards are expiring soon or had already expired on or before March 15, 2017, the general transitory period of the required CPD units are as follows: July – December 2017 - minimum of 30 percent of required CPD units, 2018 – 60 percent and 2019 onwards – 100 percent.
For professional teachers especially those who are teaching in the public school under the Department of Education, the National Educators Academy of the Philippines headed by Director John Sienna was given the task to oversee that teachers will be able to renew their PRC cards without them spending and joining trainings provided by private service providers collecting exorbitant registration fees and are not available in the hinterlands or remote areas.
DepEd is currently drafting and finalizing its policy aligned with the IRR of the law to specifically address the needs of its more than 500,000 teaching and teaching related personnel.
There are already divisions and regions in the country who are already accredited by PRC as providers of CPD units. However, PRC had already issued a moratorium in accrediting DepEd regions and divisions to be accredited but again go back to NEAP to serve as the one which will polish request for accreditation of even a school LAC session and Regional and Division In Service Training (INSET) for them to have CPD Units to be given to the teacher-participants.
It was also made clear by Resolution 1032 or the IRR of the CPD-PRC Law that training is not the only source of CPD units as it can also be acquired through self-directed training, scholarship, study tour, authorship of books, magazine/newspaper articles, masteral and/or doctorate degrees taken within 5 years prior to renewal and others, all with corresponding CPD units wherein teachers must acquire 40 units of professional development and 5.0 percent for ethics.
In another development, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto is seeking the repeal of Republic Act 10912, which he claims hinders the improvement of the country’s professionals.
Recto cited an online survey reportedly conducted by the PRC wherein 90 percent of the respondents want the CPD law abolished and its implementation stopped. The senator said it is high time to “unburden” the 3.2 million registered Filipino professionals of RA 10912’s requirements, especially amid the government’s efforts to speed up processes and services.
He added that pulling the plug on the CPD experiment should give all of us time to ponder other means of improving professional competence without the coercive force of the CPD model,” he added.
In closing, Recto said he hopes that Congress could find a better system for professional development “without the disruptions, inconveniences, and the high expenses the present one causes.”
This Corner hopes that whatever happens to the law, the most important to happen is for our professionals to enhance their worth but with little or no extra cost to burden them.