Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7171

HOUSE BILL No. _*~*

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO and Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,
BAYAN MUNA Party-List Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. EMMI A. DE JESUS and Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,
ANAKPAWIS Party-List Rep. ARIEL “KA AYIK” B. CASILAO,
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. SARAH JANE |. ELAGO

AN ACT
REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT 10912, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “CONTINUING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2016”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill proposes the repeal of the anti-professional Republic Act 10912 or the
“Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016.”

The general framework of RA 10912 follows the neoliberal economic blueprint
fully subscribed to by past and current administrations. The law was enacted in
response to ASEAN integration and its demand for greater labor migration, whereby
Filipinos are exported as cheap providers of professional services. The requirement
for professionals to conform to the market-based ASEAN Qualifications Reference
Framework, which “enables comparisons of qualifications across ASEAN Member
States” and the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement, promote further the labor
export policy, which already sends out of the country daily thousands of Filipinos,
professionals among them. This exacerbates the so-called “brain drain” problem
leading to a lack of trained professionals to serve the needs of Filipinos in our own
country. It also lays relies mainly on the private provision of continuing professional
development, treating professionals as milking cows for profit.


Since its enactment, RA 10912 has imposed multiple financial, logistical, and
psychological burdens on professionals. It requires them to accumulate credit units
(from 15 or 45 for most professionals to as high as 120 for certified public
accountants) every three years by attending seminars, training courses, and other
professional development activities. Only then can they renew their licenses and
continue practicing their professions. Along the way, they are forced to spend
thousands of pesos, take unpaid leaves from work, endure long queues, and go
through a host of other hardships.

But despite all these, RA 10912 is an unnecessary law. Prior to its enactment,
laws and regulations, including the various professional charters, codes of conduct,
and complementary administrative issuances governing all the 53 existing
professions, were sufficient to regulate the practice of these professions. The legal
and administrative apparatus is already in place to ensure that professional
standards are upheld, professional competencies are continuously developed, and
public welfare is protected.

Hence, repeal of the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 is

earnestly sought.

Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO Rep ice}. casTRO
ACT Teachers Party-List Teachegp Party-List

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Rep. CARLOS Rep. EMMI DE JESUS
BAYAN MUNA Party-List GABRIELA Women’s Party
Yom We
fep. ABLENE D. BROSAS Rep. ARIEL “KA AYIK” B. CASILAO
GABRIELA Women’s Party ANAKPAWIS Party-List

Rep. SARA} JANE ELAGO
KAl \N Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. meres

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO and Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,
BAYAN MUNA Party-List Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. EMMI A. DE JESUS and Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,
ANAKPAWIS Rep. ARIEL “KA AYIK” B. CASILAO,
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. SARAH JANE |. ELAGO

AN ACT
REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT 10912, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “CONTINUING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2016”

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Republic Act 10912 or the “Continuing Professional Development Act of
2016” is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. All laws, executive orders, resolutions, or rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,