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With a vote of 258-3-0 (yes-no-abstain), the House of Representatives easily passed on third and final reading the measure enhancing the continuing professional development (CPD) of Filipino professionals as an integral component of career progression and specialization programs.

The nominal voting on House Bill (HB) No.7744, which seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No.10912, or the "Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016", took place during plenary session Monday afternoon, May 15.

Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar announced the nominal voting result.

The bill specifically seeks the revise Sections 3, 5, 10, 12, 13, and 14 of the existing law. Section 15 of RA No.10912 is renumbered to Section 16, and is also given new language. The measure also creates new Sections 10-A, 14-4, and 15.

The measure defines career progression as the process of developing or moving towards a more advanced state in a person's qualifications, job, title, position, or profession. It outlines the route that one may follow in order to reach identified career development goals.

On the other hand, career progression and specialization program and credit accumulation and transfer system (CPSP-CATS)--a key component of the bill--refers to the body that provides technical support to the CPD Council and the board of each profession in the formulation and implementation of the CPSP-CATS, such as program and learning outcomes for every identified qualification title of the profession and recommends to the council the formulation and implementation of the necessary programs and policies to be implemented by the CPSP-CATS.

"A knife gets rusty and blunted when kept in the drawer and unused for an extended period of time. Through this measure, we prevent our professionals from becoming rusty and blunted by continously honing them via CPD," Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

The bill gives much emphasis on CPD, which is defined as the acquisition of advanced knowledge, skills, and ethical values in a post-licensure specialization or in an inter- or multidisciplinary field of study.

The CPD Council refers to a body created to promote and ensure the continuous improvement of professionals, in accordance with national, regional and international standards of practice.

The revised Section 10 sets the CPD as mandatory requirement in the updating and upgrading of knowledge, skills, values and competencies--subject to Section 13 of this Act and the implementing guidelines to be prescribed by the CPSP-CATS for every profession.

"The CPD is hereby made as a mandatory requirement in the updating and upgrading of knowledge, skills, values, and competencies. All professionals shall be required to update and upgrade their knowledge and skills by undergoing the relevant CPD Program within the alloted period," it read.

"The completion of the respective professional CPD training courses shall serve to qualify a registered and licensed professional to the ipusenof qualification or trade titles, and to claim compliance with qualification standards set by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the professional regulatory bodies of foreign countries with whom the Philippines has reciprocal agreements with, and the respective boards of profession," it added.

The measure states that all professionals shall be required to obtain 45 CPD credit units every four years which shall be deemed at the compliance period.

Professionals covered by mutual recognition arrangements (MRAS) which may wish that their profession and qualifications be internationally recognized, shall comply with the required CPD units as prescribed in the MRAS, which in no case shall be less than 45 credit units.

Furthermore, HB No.7744 provides that professionals who are required to apply for accreditation prior to the practice of their profession as provided in the relevant professional regulatory laws (PRL) shall comply with the required CPD courses.

The 45 credit unit CPD requirement also applies to professionals who wish to be issued a certificate of good standing (COGS) by their AIPO as indicated in their PRL.

During a pandemic, state of calamity, or national emergency, the PRC may temporarily suspend the compliance period for CPD requirements indefinitely or extend the end of the said compliance period to the equivalent duration of the pandemic, state of calamity, or national emergency.

The bill states that the following shall be exempted from the CPD requirements: A) newly-licensed or registered professionals on the first renewal of their PIC within the first four years after obtaining their license; B) OFWs (overseas Filipino workers); and C) senior citizens who are not engaged in the practice of their profession, as defined under their respective regulatory laws.