Go rejects scrapping of nursing board exams

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has also disagreed with the proposal to scrap board and other licensure exams, raising concern that such move could be detrimental to the quality of education and professional standards in the Philippines.

“Hindi po ako sang-ayon diyan dahil mayroon tayong sinusunod na, kumbaga, alam mo quality o anuman po...kailangan po pumasa sila sa standard (I am not in favor of the that because we are following certain qualities...they have to pass standards),” said Go in an interview in Cebu City on Friday, July 9.

“Kailangan po mag-exam sila at malalaman kung pwede na nilang gampanan ‘yong kanilang propesyon na natapos (They have to take the exam so they can know if they are really capable of practicing their profession)” he added.

Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III questioned the need for the mandatory exams for nurses, lawyers, and other professions, lamenting that students have already undergone numerous examinations in their schools.

He later said that he was not pushing for the scrapping but only for authorities to study the possibility of doing so.

“Eh mahirap po na porke’t naka-graduate ka hindi ka na papasok ng board o bar exam (It would be difficult, that just because you graduated you will no loner take the board or bar exam),” said Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health.

“And I’m sure majority of our students and also professionals na nakapag-bar at nakapag-board exam ay hindi po sang-ayon dito (who already took the bar and board exam will not agree on this)," he added.

Go previously appealed to the government to include personnel of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), such as proctors and watchers for upcoming professional board exams in the vaccine priority groups so they can conduct examinations safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said nursing graduates should also be given priority in the vaccinations so they could take the exams and address the need of the country for more medical frontliners.