PRC lowers CPD requirement, exempts OFWs in draft IRR

Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is proposing to lower the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for professionals, and to exempt overseas Filipino workers (OFW) during the duration of their work abroad.

PRC will present these significant amendments to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 10912 or the CPD Act of 2016, in a consultative meeting by Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation at 10AM today, February 4.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, committee chair and author of the CPD Law, asked PRC and heads of Professional Regulatory Boards in a hearing last November 28, 2018 to amend the IRR of the law amidst numerous complaints received by the Senate on the implementation of the law.

Instead of abolishing the law, Senators Ralph Recto, Miguel Zubiri and Trillanes enjoined PRC to make the CPD voluntary.

But in the final draft made available online, PRC sticks to the mandatory nature of CPD, but provides a “transition period” for professional to comply the unit requirements. Part of the draft IRR states:

During this transition period the following shall be observed:
a) Professionals working overseas shall not be covered by the CPD requirement during the period of their employment abroad.
b) Newly licensed professionals shall not be covered by CPD requirement for the first renewal cycle after obtaining their license.
c) The various CPD Councils shall reduce the required CPD credit units to a minimum which shall not be more than 15 units, as provided for under applicable laws.

[Related: Professionals may still renew without CPD until 2020.]

PRC also made the CPD programs accreditation faster by making it “deemed approved after 10 working days from receipt thereof if no feedback from the CPD Council is received.”

Here’s the full text of the final draft of IRR to be presented to the Senate:

What do you think of these amendments? Will the Senate be amenable to this, or will really push for making CPD voluntary? We’ll find out later on the Senate hearing.

Keep it here at DigitalIlonggo.com for CPD updates, and please Like our Facebook page for more information.