In a concerted effort to tackle the issue of fraudulent professionals, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in Eastern Visayas is enhancing its collaboration with various professional organizations. Regional Director Armond Englis emphasized the importance of these partnerships during a recent press briefing in Tacloban City.
Englis highlighted that the PRC is actively engaging with professional associations across the region to monitor and address the presence of bogus workers. Despite facing resource constraints, the PRC remains committed to enforcing regulatory laws that safeguard public health, welfare, and safety.
The regional office, staffed by only 37 personnel, has forged alliances with professional groups and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). A notable instance of this cooperation was the arrest of a suspected fake dentist in Abuyog, Leyte, in February 2022, facilitated by NBI operatives with assistance from professional organizations.
Over the past three years, the PRC field office in Eastern Visayas has conducted 128 examinations, accommodating 81,148 examinees. This period has seen the registration of 34,356 new professionals who successfully passed their licensure exams, thereby bolstering the region’s professional workforce.
Englis noted a significant increase in the number of examinees compared to previous years, attributing this to the resumption of examinations after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The licensure tests conducted in the region cover a wide range of professions, including teachers, criminologists, medical technologists, nurses, architects, civil engineers, real estate brokers, master plumbers, physicians, fisheries professionals, geodetic engineers, mechanical engineers, pharmacists, midwives, agriculturists, and radiologic technologists.