ALKHOBAR, 2 September — No more licensure examinations will be conducted abroad for overseas Filipinos by the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the agency’s head has said.
PRC chairwoman Antonieta Fortuna-Ibe made the announcement in response to an appeal by four Filipino professional groups in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia for the commission to continue administering the special examinations.
Responding to a query from this writer, Ibe reiterated what she had told the United Philippine Professional Associations in Saudi Arabia (UPPASA) in a letter earlier this year that the PRC is not authorized by any law to conduct examinations abroad.
The UPPASA is composed of the Eastern Region chapters of the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME), Integrated Institute of Electrical Engineers (IIEE), Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), and Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).
Told that some of these professional groups have been conducting reviews for prospective examinees during the past months, Ibe said their effort won’t go to waste since they can always take the test in the Philippines.
However, those who have not registered for the licensure examinations for registered electrical engineers and master electricians scheduled on Sept. 21 – 24 will have to wait for the next test.
Today is the last day for filing applications in the exams to be held simultaneously in the cities of Manila, Cebu, Davao and Legazpi.
Ibe said OFWs who intend to take the licensure examinations for the various professions mentioned are advised to coordinate with the professional groups in their work place so that they can program their vacation consistent with the date of the examination. The PRC started giving licensure examinations abroad in 1997 upon orders of then President Fidel Ramos.
The program started in Hong Kong, where many of the Filipino maids are graduates of education courses.
It was later expanded to Saudi Arabia. Last October, almost 200 took part in the exams for electrical, mechanical and civil engineers.
Ibe said she, however, had to stop the outreach program after receiving advice from the PRC’s Legal Division that the scope of the commission’s authority in fix the places and dates of the examinations is limited to the Philippines.
“The Regulatory Laws cannot be compromised on the basis of clamors from overseas examinees who are only temporarily staying abroad in view of their employment,” Ibe said, repeating what she wrote to the UPPASA.
She said the question had been thrown to the Department of Justice. In the meantime, the commission has opted to play it safe by suspending the outreach program.
