Objectives of the Continuing Professional Education / Continuing Professional Development

The following are the objectives of the CPE/CPD programs:

• To provide and ensure the continuous education of a registered professional with the latest trends in the profession brought about by modernization, scientific and technological advancement;
• To raise and maintain the professional’s capability for delivering professional services;
• To attain and maintain the highest standards and quality in the practice of his/her profession;
• To comply with the professional’s continuing ethical standard requirements;
• To make the professional globally competitive; and
• To promote the general welfare of the public.

Rationale

Compliance with the CPE/CPD programs is deemed a moral obligation of each professional and within the context of the concerned profession’s code of ethics and is considered a necessary, effective and credible means of ensuring competence, integrity and global competitiveness.

Legal Bases

(1) Section 14, Article XII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the sustained development of a reservoir of national talents consisting of Filipino scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals, managers, high level technical manpower and skilled workers, and craftsmen in all fields shall be promoted by the State. The State shall encourage appropriate technology and regulate its transfer for the national benefit.

(2) Section 7 (a), (n), and (y) of Republic Act No. 8981 otherwise known as the “PRC Modernization Act of 2000,” grant the Commission these specific powers: (a) To administer, implement and enforce the regulatory policies of the national government with respect to the regulation and licensing of the various professions and occupations under its jurisdiction including the enhancement and maintenance of professional and occupational standards and ethics and the enforcement of the rules and regulations relative thereto; (n) To adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectively implement policies with respect to the regulation and practice of the professions; and (y) To perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, the various professional regulatory laws, decrees, executive orders and other administrative issuances.

(3) Section 9(b) of R.A. No. 8981 provides that one of the Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) is to monitor the conditions affecting the practice of the profession or occupation under their respective jurisdictions and whenever necessary, adopt such measures as may be deemed proper for the enhancement of the profession or occupation and/or the maintenance of high professional, ethical and technical standards.

(4) Executive Order (E.O.) No. 220 issued by the President of the Republic of the Philippines on 23 June 2003 directed the Adoption of the Code of Good Governance for the Professions in the Philippines. The said Code was adopted by PRC and PRBs embodying the principles of professional conduct, specifically, integrity, and objectivity, professional competence and global competitiveness.

(5) The Republic of the Philippines, as one of the sovereign member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has to deal with and prepare itself for the implementation of the 4th Protocol, under the General Agreement for Services in Trade (GATS), a general agreement that will govern trade among member nations in twelve (12) Classifications of Services. In the 4th Protocol under the GATS, the Philippines is mandated to make sure it can offer competitively to other WTO members professional services in Health and Education; Marketing and Distribution, Telecommunications, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services, Information Technology; Engineering, Architectural and other Construction services, Tourism and allied services; Transportation and Logistics services, among others, and therefore made attendance by our registered professionals to accredited CPE/CPD mandatory, as a result of the WTO and GATS initiatives.

(6) The Republic of the Philippines as a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has to ensure that the Filipino professional is compliant with established requirements in the various Mutual Recognition Arrangements/Agreements (MRA) entered into under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), APEC Registries for Architects and Engineers, MRAs on Nursing, Engineering, Surveying and Architecture services prescribe line requirements prior to recognition of competencies/qualifications for the practice of these professions within the territories of other member states. One of the requirements and common to all of the aforementioned MRAs is the compliance with satisfactory continuing professional development.

(7) The specific provisions of the Professional Regulatory Laws of the concerned profession shall govern the implementation of the Continuing Professional Education/Continuing Professional Development programs.