THE Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said it will temporarily relax its requirements for continuing professional development credits for professionals seeking to renew their licenses.
The PRC said it will observe a “transition period” as it builds the capacity to comply with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law.
In PRC Resolution No. 2019-1146 dated Feb. 13, the PRC amended parts of its Resolution 1032 series of 2017 or the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the CPD Act of 2016.
Despite CPD still being mandatory for the renewal of professional licenses, the Resolution calls for the PRC to observe a “transition period” in the implementation of the CPD Law which will allow both the Commission and professionals to adjust.
“The implementation of this provision shall provide a transition period to develop the necessary standards, processes, capacity, and infrastructure while minimizing the cost and inconvenience covered by the requirement,” according to the resolution.
Required CPD Units under the old IRR amounted to a minimum of 45 credits, which will fall to 15 once Resolution No. 2019-1146 comes into force on March 1.
“The various CPD Councils shall reduce the required CPD credit units to a minimum, which shall not be more than fifteen (15), as provided for under applicable laws,” PRC said in the resolution.
Only professions covered under certain Professional Regulatory Laws (PRLs) that require a specific number of CPD credits are subject to the transition-period rules. Professions regulated by international, regional, or bilateral agreements such as the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) are also not included.
During the transition period, the PRC exempted professionals working overseas and newly licensed professionals. The requirements kick in for the latter’s first renewal cycle since obtaining their licenses.
The transition period will last until “all antecedents had been met, upon the recommendation of the CPD Councils through their respective Boards and approved by the Commission.” The CPD Law will then be implemented and applied in its entirety.
Last year, the Senate first held a hearing regarding revising the mandatory nature of some provisions in the CPD Law’s IRR following complaints of professionals over the challenges in obtaining CPD Laws due to lack of facilities and personnel to carry out the law’s mandate.
During a consultation meeting with the Senate earlier this month, the PRC proposed the transitory period in order to give the Commission and other stakeholders time to build their capacity before fully implementing the law. — Gillian M. Cortez
