Villanueva: Cancellation of Teachers' Exams Shows PRC 'Stuck in the Past'

Senator Joel Villanueva today took to task the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for failing to administer more than 80 licensure exams because it was “stuck in the past.”

The PRC has become a dinosaur because of its failure for 20 years to follow the mandate of the PRC Modernization Act that required the profession licensing agency to go digital, according to Villanueva in remarks made during his co-sponsorship speech for the proposed Teacher Education Excellence Act.

"Last night, the PRC postponed the LET for the fourth time in NCR, Lucena, Romblon, and Butuan, only seven days before the scheduled examination this coming Sunday, September 26, 2021," said Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee.

"The postponements and cancellations have been going on for almost two years now," he said.

"Let me stress that we understand the health risks of conducting board examinations," Villanueva said.

He said he also knows that the PRC depends on the decision of the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Diseases (IATF) for the schedules of board examinations.

But Villanueva said there are decisions and actions made by the PRC which are baffling.

PRC would announce exam schedules in advance, or at least eight months ahead in the case of the September 2021 LET, only to cancel these a few days before the exam date, he said.

"Paasa. 'Yan po ang description sa PRC ngayon ng ating mga kababayan. Ang problema, hindi lang naman po kumukuyakoy na naghihintay sa bahay ang mga examinees. Nagbabayad po ang mga 'yan sa mga review centers, hindi pa kasali ang non-refundable P900 application fee nila sa PRC, at higit sa lahat hindi sila makapag-apply ng trabaho dahil wala silang mga lisensiya," Villanueva said.

"The PRC seems to lack humane consideration," Villanueva said.

Aside from this, Villanueva said PRC has a long list of requirements for those taking the board exams: 14-day quarantine certificate, a medical certificate, and negative RT-PCR test results paid for by examinees

"In the case of LET, many have already been undergoing quarantine when the PRC announced cancellation last night," he said. "It's too unfortunate for examinees who even took a leave of absence from work."

"The notorious cancellations of board exam schedules have been going on for two years now," he said. "Out of the 101 board exams scheduled this year, only 24 pushed through," Villanueva said.

"The PRC seems stuck in its old ways," he said. He said he has been asking the commission to lay out plans in conducting board exams even during the pandemic.

The cancellations of board exams, he said, would not have been necessary had the PRC been implementing the mandate of the PRC Modernization Act, which requires the commission to shift to digital administration of exams.

"Unfortunately, all we hear from PRC is their plan to migrate their examinations online," Villanueva said.

He said the PRC had written a letter last April 21 mentioning the plan. He said he was aware of limitations that prevent PRC from innovating in preparation for a pandemic normal.

"They have not given any proposal on how we can help them. There's also nothing in their proposed budget for computerization of board exams," Villanueva said.

"This is happening despite the PRC Modernization Act of 2000 which required PRC to fully computerize board examinations by the year 2003," he said.

PRC has cancelled the LET for two years already. "This means our teacher graduates are also left hanging for two years and can't look for jobs or get ranking in DepEd," Villanueva said.

"Senior high school teachers also can't renew contracts with DepEd and sorely need to take the LET," he said. "For the record we raised this issue to PRC as early as March 15, 2021," Villanueva said.

"The commission is just wait and see," he said. "While our colleges and universities continue to churn out graduates through flexible learning, PRC is stuck in its old ways hindering employment for our fresh graduates."

"Is the PRC not aware that the 'new normal' is already in our midst for two years now?" he said. "When will they realize that we can no longer return to the old ways?"

Villanueva, pinuna ang PRC sa muling pagkansela sa LET; 'Paano na makakahanap ng trabaho ang mga bagong teacher graduates?'

Pinuna ni Senator Joel Villanueva ang Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) sa muli nitong pagkansela sa nalalapit na Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET), pitong araw bago ang schedule nito sa Setyembre 26.

Tila "stuck in the past" ang komisyon dahil hindi pa rin nito nasunod ang mandato ng PRC Modernization Act of 2000 na nagtakda sa komisyon na gawing "fully computerized" ang pagsusulit, paglalarawan ni Villanueva, chairman ng Senate labor committee.

"Ito pong mga postponement at cancellation ay nangyayari na po sa nakalipas na halos dalawang taon na. Nauunawaan po natin ang kaakibat na health risks sa pagsasagawa ng board exams," ani Villanueva.

"Paasa. 'Yan po ang description sa PRC ngayon ng ating mga kababayan. Ang problema, hindi lang naman po kumukuyakoy na naghihintay sa bahay ang mga examinees. Nagbabayad po ang mga 'yan sa mga review centers, hindi pa kasali ang non-refundable P900 application fee nila sa PRC, at higit sa lahat hindi sila makapag-apply ng trabaho dahil wala silang mga lisensiya," dagdag pa ni Villanueva.

Paliwanag ni Villanueva, maraming LET takers na ang sumailalim sa 14-day quarantine, na bahagi ng requirements ng PRC. Isang abala ang biglaang pagkansela sa LET, lalo na sa mga takers na nag-leave pa sa kani-kanilang mga trabaho, anang mambabatas.

Mula sa 101 board exams na nakatakdang idaos, 24 lamang ang natuloy, ayon kay Villanueva, na matagal nang hiniling sa komisyon na ilatag ang malinaw na plano para isagawa ang mga board exams ngayong panahon ng pandemya.

"Wala pa rin pong binibigay na proposal ang PRC kung paano natin sila matutulungan. Wala rin po sa kanilang proposed budget ang computerization ng board exams," ani Villanueva. "Nangyayari po ito kahit na malinaw sa PRC Modernization Act na dapat minamandato ang full computerization ng board exams pagdating ng 2003."

Ngayong halos dalawang taon nang paulit-ulit na nakakansela ang LET, dalawang taon na rin nabibitin ang mga teacher graduates. "Hindi po makahanap ng trabaho ang ating mga teacher graduates, samantalang hindi rin po makakuha ang iba sa kanila ng ranking sa DepEd."

"Hindi po makapag-renew ng kontrata ang ibang senior high school teachers sa DepEd dahil kailangan nilang kumuha at pumasa sa LET. Idinulog na po natin itong usapin na ito sa PRC noong Marso 15, 2021," Villanueva said.

"Tila nasa 'wait and see' lamang ang PRC. Habang patuloy ang pagtatapos ng mga graduates sa kolehiyo sa pamamagitan ng flexible learning, tila stuck in its old ways ang komisyon at humahadlang ito sa pagkakataong magkatrabaho ang ating mga fresh graduates," ayon kay Villanueva.

"Hanggang kailan po ba mauunawaan ng PRC na hindi na maaaring ipagpatuloy ang kanilang nakagisnang paraan ng pagsasagawa ng board exams?" aniya.