Cebu Pacific Back To Full Year Profit After Pandemic Losses

Cebu Pacific soars to new heights with Php 90.6 billion in revenue for 2023, marking a 60% increase from the previous year!

FDA DG Assists Small Businesses With BBMSME Program, Joins First Lady in Tuguegarao

Food and Drug Administration Director General Dr. Samuel Zacate partners with Tuguegarao Mayor to empower local entrepreneurs through Bigyan-Halaga, Bangon Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises program.

Tala’s Iona Inigo-Mayo Shares Its Empowerment On The Organization And Its Customers

Gender-inclusive workplaces drive success! Tala empowers women, fostering leadership & financial independence, transforming lives and communities globally.

HONOR PH Introduces HONOR X7b, Another High-Quality Phone Without Breaking Your Wallet

HONOR Philippines locally debuts the durable, budget-friendly HONOR X7b, boasting impressive features like extended battery life and superb display.

Senator Villanueva Bats For Free Licensure Exam Fees For Indigents

0

Senator Villanueva Bats For Free Licensure Exam Fees For Indigents

How do you feel about this story?

Like
Love
Haha
Wow
Sad
Angry

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva filed a bill which seeks to waive any Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) examination fees to encourage those who cannot afford to pay to take professional licensure exams.

Senate Bill No. 1323 or the “Free Professional Examinations Act”, which Villanueva filed on September 2022, will lessen the financial burden on graduates who need to undergo professional licensure exams.

The Majority Leader said that Dexter Valenton’s achievement as the first Aeta to pass the Criminology Board Exam should be celebrated.

“Dexter is not only an inspiration to the Aeta community but to every Filipino to never stop dreaming and achieving their goals,” he said.

Under the proposed measure, a qualified indigent refers to “a person who has no visible means of income or support, or whose income is insufficient for the subsistence or basic needs of his/her family, as may be determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).”

According to the PRC, 633,551 examinees took the board exams in 2022 of which 311,381 are first time examinees.

Under the bill, first time applicants may be entitled to a 100% exemption of the examination fee and 50% of the examination fee if the examinee needs to retake the exam.

The prescribed fees for PRC examination ranges from ₱400 to ₱1,300 depending on the degree and type of examination. Meanwhile, the Career Service Examination for Professional and Sub-Professional Levels of the CSC requires an examination fee of ₱500. On top of examination fees, applicants also incur additional expenses on review fees and other related expenses prior to taking the licensure examination.

“It saddens me to think that some of our graduates will not be able to apply what they studied for just because they cannot afford to pay for the examination fee to get their professional license or civil service eligibility,” he said.

The Majority Leader also stressed that while the country’s unemployment rate is going on a downward trend, the high rate of underemployment is still a cause for concern.

As of November 2022, Unemployment rate is at 4.2% which is equivalent to 2.18 million Filipinos while underemployment is at 14.4% or 7.16 million Filipinos.

“We are determined to look for solutions in fighting unemployment woes in the country which is why we are pushing for measures such as this to help ensure that every Filipino will not only have a job but a quality job which fits their qualifications,” the Majority leader said.

Villanueva is the principal author and sponsor of the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act which waives government fees for documents needed by first time jobseekers as a requirement for employment.

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph