Senator Sonny Angara on Tuesday urged the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to consider creating satellite venues for the board examinations scheduled for this year to help aspiring doctors, nurses, policemen, teachers and other professionals with financial and mobility issues during this pandemic.

Angara, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the PRC can consider establishing satellite testing venues especially in provinces where there are over 100 examinees.

“Local government units (LGUs) can support the program by providing the venues for the exams and the personnel needed for this purpose. The PRC can just provide the necessary training for these personnel,” Angara said in a statement.

“By doing this, the cost should not be too much on the part of the government,” he said.

Angara noted that over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling across borders has become an issue due to the quarantine restrictions imposed by LGUs.

Licensure examinations are held at the regional offices of the PRC in Manila, making it difficult for those in the provinces to travel away from their hometown.

Aside from transportation costs, examinees would also have to look for accommodations and undergo COVID-19 testing.

“All of these add up and may prove to be prohibitive to many families. We don't want to end up with graduates who can’t pursue their PRC exam due to the exorbitant cost needed during these times,” Angara lamented.

“We need more doctors, nurses, policemen and, with the possible reopening of face-to-face classes soon, teachers. So we should find ways to increase their numbers,” he said.

Licensure exams for teachers and doctros are scheduled for September, nurses in November and criminologists in December.

“If we can produce more of our frontliners during this pandemic, then we should find ways to make this happen. Setting up satellite exam venues is one small way we can help in this effort,” the lawmaker said.