Lapid wants free professional exams for poor college grads

Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid has filed a bill exempting indigent college graduates from paying fees for government-administered professional examinations.

According to Lapid, another hindrance for graduates from poor families is the fees they need to pay in order to take licensure examinations.

With this, the senator underscored the need for the government to unburden these underprivileged graduates by enabling them to take professional exams without having to spend a dime.

"Maaring ito ay maliit na halaga lamang para sa iba, ngunit sa mga estudyanteng galing sa mahihirap na pamilya na nakatapos ng pag-aaral sa pamamagitan ng scholarships o di kaya naman ay nagtapos sa ating mga State Universities and Colleges kung saan libre na ang edukasyon, ito ay napakalaking bagay na," Lapid said.

Under Senate Bill No. 276, otherwise known as the Free Professional Examinations Act, qualified indigents or persons who have no visible income or support, or whose incomes are insufficient for the basic needs of his/her family, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), are exempt from paying professional examination fees.

These licensure examinations include those conducted by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), eligibility examinations conducted by the Civil Service Commission, as well as the bar examinations conducted by the Supreme Court.