Villanueva: Pinoy professionals won't make it to local, int'l job markets without board exams

The country's professional licensure system should remain, despite the struggles of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to hold these certification tests the past year due to the pandemic because such assessments boost the credibility of Filipino professionals here and around the world, Senator Joel Villanueva said.

"Despite our disappointment with how the PRC has been failing our graduates with the way they've postponed and pushed back scheduled board exams since last year, it is very clear to us that the professional certification exams such as the various boards exam must remain," said Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee. "Hindi po makakapagpractice ang ating mga professionals dahil hindi sila board certified."

"It is the final 'quality control' check before we allow graduates to practice a profession which depends on the lives of the people--like physicians--or safety of buildings, like engineers. If tech-voc graduates, like mechanics who fix cars, require TESDA certification, how much more for doctors who will repair hearts?"

Villanueva said he filed Senate Resolution No. 661 to help PRC identify alternative ways of conducting board exams amid the pandemic and the new normal, and not to abolish the commission. The lawmaker pointed out that under the PRC Modernization law of 2000, the commission was mandated to shift to full computerization of all licensure examinations by 2003.

"Computerization will also help disaster-proof our professional licensure system, as typhoons and floods often wreak havoc on testing schedules and sites," he said.

Villanueva said the failed implementation of computerized board exams is now haunting the Graduating Class of 2020, after the pandemic forced the government to implement restrictions on movement, thus affecting the conduct of licensure exams.

"We think there is a lot of room for improvement for the PRC, and to address the problems, we need to evaluate suggestions. If our professional regulatory laws need amending, we're ready to buckle down to work," Villanueva said.

The labor committee chair commented on the statement of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III who earlier called to scrap licensure exams for professionals such as nurses. Bello later clarified that he only called to study the proposal.

"We understand the sentiment of Secretary Bello that urgent reforms are needed to make licensure exams more accessible to takers. But we cannot totally remove the certifying process because it will be unfair to our people, and is a betrayal of their trust, as they expect their government to test the knowledge of these professionals if they are indeed qualified to practice," Villanueva said.

"The repercussions of this proposal, if adopted, will also harm the OFW brand, as many of them were able to land jobs abroad because of a good reputation of having been properly certified," he continued.

But licensure examination is but one wheel in the big cog of Philippine Qualifications Framework, explained Villanueva who is the principal author of the PQF law or Republic Act No. 10968. The framework sets multiple criteria that measures quality assurance principles and standards of the Filipino professional, technician and craftsman.

"This is the assessment system that gives a full picture of the competencies of our professionals, a portable certification of talents accepted in many countries," Villanueva said.

Villanueva: Pinoy professionals, mahihirapan makakuha ng trabaho sa lokal at internasyonal na job markets kung bubuwagin ang board exams

Nanindigan si Senator Joel Villanueva sa pagpapanatili ng professional licensure system ng bansa kahit na nahihirapan ang Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) na isagawa ang mga board exams noong nakalipas na bunsod sa pandemya dahil ang mga pagsusulit na ito ang nagpapalakas ng kredibilidad ng mga Filipino professionals dito at sa buong mundo.

"Kahit marami na po ang dismayado sa kabiguan ng PRC sa pagpapatupad ng nakatakdang board exams noong nakaraang taon pa, kailangan pong manatili ng ating professional certification exams," ani Villanueva, chair ng Senate labor committee. "Hindi po makakapagpractice ang ating mga professionals dahil hindi sila board certified."

"Ito po ang huling layer ng 'quality control' bago natin payagan ang ating mga graduates na magsanay bago sumabak sa trabaho, na kadalasan ay nakadepende ang mga buhay ng tao - tulad ng mga doktor - o ang tibay ng mga gusali sa kaso ng inhinyero. Kung ang tech-voc graduates, tulad ng mekaniko, ay kailangan ng TESDA certification, mas lalo na po siguro kung doktor na nag-oopera ng puso."

Naghain si Villanueva ng Senate Resolution No. 661 upang tulungan ang PRC na magbalangkas ng alternatibong paraan para idaos ang mga board exam sa panahon ng pandemya, at hindi upang buwagin ang komisyon. Dagdag pa ng mambabatas, sa ilalim ng PRC Modernization law of 2000, dapat computerized na ang mga pagsusulit na ito mula pa noong 2003.

"Makakatulong din po ang computerization para gawing disaster-proof ang ating licensure system, dahil kadalasan ang mga bagyo at baha ang karaniwang sanhi ng pagpapaliban ng mga ito," aniya.

At dahil sa pagkabigo ng PRC na magsagawa ng computerized board exams, marami sa mga graduates ng Class of 2020 ang nakatengga ngayon sa panahon ng pandemya at hindi makapag-eksamin.

"Sa tingin po natin, may nakikita pa tayong mga room for improvement sa PRC. At para masolusyunan ang mga problema, kailangan nating talakayin ang iba't ibang mga mungkahi. Kung kailangang amyendahan ang batas, handa po tayong aksyonan ang mga ito," sabi ni Villanueva.

Ang pahayag ng senador ay reaksyon sa sinabi ni Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III na nauna nang nanawagan na tanggalin na ang mga licensure exams para sa mga professionals tulad ng mga nars. Nilinaw ni Bello na panukala lamang ang kanyang nabanggit.

"Nauunawaan po natin si Secretary Bello na kailangan ng agarang reporma para gawing mas madali ang pagkuha ng mga licensure exams para sa mga graduates. Ngunit hindi po natin kailangan buwagin ito dahil tungkulin po ng ating gobyerno na kilatisin ng husto ang mga propesyonal bago sila payagan pag-practice," ani Villanueva.

"Baka makasama din ito sa ating mga OFWs, dahil marami sa kanila ay nakakuha ng trabaho sa ibang bansa dahil may reputasyon sila na magaling dahil may wastong sertipikasyon," pangamba ng mambabatas.

Ang mga licensure examination ay isang bahagi ng makinaryang nakapaloob sa Philippine Qualifications Framework, paliwanag ni Villanueva, na pangunahing may-akda ng PQF law o Republic Act No. 10968. Itinatakda ng framework ang iba't ibang mga criteria na sumusukat sa quality assurance principles at mga standards ng mga Filipino professionals, technicians, at craftsman.

"Ito po ang assessment system na nagbibigay ng kabuuang estado ng competencies ng ating mga professionals, na siyang kikilalanin rin ng iba't ibang mga bansa kapag sila ay nagpasyang mag-practice abroad," ani Villanueva.