By Liza Soriano
The POST photo courtesy
MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva re-filed a bill on Thursday (02 February 2023) in the Upper Chamber that would allow indigents to take Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) examinations for free.
Senate Bill No. 1323 or the “Free Professional Examinations Act” was filed by the lawmaker way back in September 2022, or during his first term as Senator.
If the bill becomes a law, it will lessen the financial burden on graduates who need to undergo professional licensure exams.
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 the PRC examination range 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.
“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.
“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.
(Amado Inigo/MTVN)
