Medical students called for the nationwide postponement of the September Physician Licensure Examination (PLE) after the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced the cancelation of the test in Metro Manila.
PRC canceled the PLE originally scheduled on Sept. 11, 12, 18, and 19 in Metro Manila. It still canceled the PLE in Tuguegarao due to Typhoon Kiko.
However, the PLE scheduled on the same dates in Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lucena, Tacloban, and Zamboanga will still proceed.
"We reiterate that the call of our PLE takers is for postponement of the exam until our country has recovered from the staggering increase in the number of COVID-19 cases," Diane Malaso, one of the thousands of PLE takers, said during the press conference held on Friday, Sept. 10.
Malaso also expressed the shared sentiments of the majority of examinees and reiterated the necessity to postpone the PLE.
"The Physician Licensure Examination should be the light at the end of the tunnel to our future doctors and not a manifestation of a broken, inconsiderate, and unjust system. We continue to demand a comprehensive pandemic response from the government and not just band-aid and temporary solutions -- we call to raise the bar of our healthcare system," Malaso stressed.
Philippine Medical Students Association (PMSA) National Vice-Chairperson Joyce Brillantes called on the PRC-Board of Medicine and Department of Health to "put an end to its illogical policies, militaristic response, and overhaul it to a scientific, comprehensive, and pro-people response" to solve the health crisis.
"We have repeatedly demanded for a COVID-19 pandemic response that heeds the following: mass testing, prompt contact tracing, improvement of isolation facilities, provision of just compensation, and benefits to healthcare workers, faster, and equitable vaccine rollout, and increased support to COVID-19 patients," Brillantes added.
"it is only by addressing the deep-rooted problems in health can the government genuinely face the COVID crisis, the very situation that births the unsafe conditions that we are facing now, that is why we cannot safely have the Physician Licensure Exam. Prioritize health in the COVID pandemic."