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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
i@fh;r llf 11(£ ~ft'utnf~ 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
JUL 22 P2 :10 
SB No. 1005 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny"F. TriIIanes 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XII, Section 14, provides: 
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. 
In line with this Constitutional mandate, Republic Act No. 8981 created the Professional 
Regulation Commission to administer, implement, and enforce 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. 
Moreover, the Professional Regulatory Boards which are under the administrative supervision 
of the PRC are tasked to monitor the conditions affecting the practice 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. 
In view of the above premises, Continuing Professional Education is vital and necessary 
to enhance and maintain high professional and occupational, ethical and technical 
standards in the practice of the profession. 
Thus, there is an urgent need to institute measure that will strengthen the Continuing 
Professional Education Program of the government. 
Hence, this proposed legislation. 
ANT 
, F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
1 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
1005 
S.No. __ 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny"F. TrillanesIV 
STRENGTHENING 
THE 
PROGRAM 
AN ACT 
CONTINUING 
PROFESSIONAL 
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JUL 22 P 2 :1 0 
EDUCATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "Continuing Professional 
2 
Education Actof20IJ." 
3 
4 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared a policy of the State to 
5 
promote and upgrade the practice of professions in the country and towards this end 
6 
shall institute measures that will continuously improve the competence of Filipino 
7 
professionals in accordance with international standards of practice, thereby ensuring 
8 
their 
contribution 
to the upliftment of the general welfare, economic growth, and 
9 
development ofthe nation. 
10 
11 
SECTION 3. Dtfinitlon of Terms. The following terms shall be defmed under this 
12 
Act: 
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14 
a. "APO" refers to the Accredited Professional Organization 
15 
16 
b. 
"Continuing Professional Education" or "CPE" refers to the inculcation, assimilation and 
17 
acquisition of knowledge, skills, proficiency and ethical and moral values, after the initial 
18 
registration of a professional, that raise and enhance the professional's technical skills and 
19 
competence; 
1 


1 
c. 
"CPE Provider" refers to a natural person or a juridical entity which include among others, 
2 
accredited or non-accredited professional organization, firm, partnership, corporation or 
3 
institution which offers, organizes or arranges CPE programs, activities or sources for 
4 
implementation or administration; 
5 
6 
d. 
"CPE Programs, Activities or Sources" refers to the regime of CPE which enhance the 
7 
competence of the professional by upgrading or updating knowledge and skills for the 
8 
profession as brought about by modernization and scientific and technical advancements in 
9 
the profession. The scope shall be beyond the basic preparation for admission to the practice 
10 
of the regulated profession. Its content shall be related to the practice of the profession. 
11 
12 
e. 
"Conventions" refers to the gathering of registered and licensed professionals which shall 
13 
include, among others, conferences, symposia or assemblies for round table discussions; 
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f. 
"Post Graduate Degree Program" refers to mastera1 or doctoral degree which the professional 
16 
is currently enrolled; 
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g. 
"PRC" refers to the Professional Regulation Commission; 
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h. "PREs" refers to the Professional Regulatory Boards; 
21 
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i. 
"Self.Directed Learning Package" refers to learning which uses course manuals or accredited 
23 
learning modules. Accredited learning modules include self-instructional materials or 
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programs which may be in the form of printed manual, audio and video cassette tapes, firlms, 
25 
computer-assisted learning, study kits, learning aids and modules or the use of information 
26 
highway and has defined objectives and adequate content relative to professional practice. 
27 
SECTION 4. Strengthening the CPE Program. 
The existing Continuing 
28 
Professional Education Program of the Professional Regulation Commission is hereby 
29 
institutionalized and strengthened, and along with this, there shall be formulated and 
2 


1 
implemented a ePE Program in each of the regulated professions with the following 
2 
objectives: 
3 
4 
a) To provide and ensure the continuous education of a registered and licensed 
5 
professional with the latest trend in the profession brought about the modernization 
6 
and scientific and technological advancement; 
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b) To raise and maintain the professionals' capability ill delivering quality professional 
9 
services; 
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c) To attain and maintain 
the highest standards and quality ill the practice 
of 
12 
professions; 
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d) To comply with the professionals' continuing ethical requirements; 
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e) To make the professionals globally competitive; and 
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f) To promote the general welfare of the public. 
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SECTION 5. Nature of CPE Programs. 
The CPE programs consist of properly 
20 
planned and structured activities, the implementation of which requires the participation 
21 
of a determined group of professionals to meet the requirements of maintaining and 
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improving the occupational, technical and ethical standards of professions. These shall 
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include but not limited to the following: 
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1) Trainings and Seminars to enhance the practice of profession; 
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2) Conduct of conventions of accredited professional organizations; 
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29 
3) Academic Post Graduate Degree Program; 
3 


1 
4) Self-Directed Learning Package such as the preparation and authorship of 
2 
technical papers, teaching manuals and books; and 
3 
4 
5) Technical Tours and Workshops; 
5 
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6) Professional Exchange Program 
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SECTION 6. Program implementation. The over-all implementation of the CPE 
9 
Program shall be undertaken by the Professional Regulation Commission and the 
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Professional Regulatory Boards which shall ; 
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1) conduct the formulation and review of Continuing Professional Education Program 
13 
in each of the regulated professions; 
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2) formulate, adopt and promulgate guidelines and procedures for the implementation 
16 
of the CPE Program; 
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3) organIZe CPE Councils for each of the regulated professions and promulgate 
19 
guidelines for their operation; 
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4) coordinate with concerned government agencies and private organizations in the 
22 
implementation of CPE Program and other measures provided under this Act. 
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24 
SECTION 7. CPE Councll- There is hereby created a CPE Council in every 
25 
regulated profession which shall be under the supervision of the Professional Regulatory 
26 
Board and shall be composed of a Chairman and two (2) Members. 
4 


1 
The Chairman of each of the CPE Council shall be the Chairman of the Professional 
2 
Regulatory Board, the first member 
is the President or Officer of the Accredited 
3 
Professional Organization and the second member is the President or Officer of the 
4 
national organization of deans or department chairman of schools, colleges or 
5 
universities offering the course of the regulated profession, and in case of the absence o~ 
6 
this organization, the second member shall be appointed· by PRC chosen from the 
7 
recommendees of the PRB of the professionals from the academic sector. 
8 
The term of office of the Chairman and Members of the CPE Council shall be co-
9 
terminus with their 
respective term of office in the PRB, APO and the national 
10 
organization of deans and department chairman of schools, colleges or universities. 
II 
12 
The CPE Council 
shall also determine its budget, including travel expenses, 
13 
allowances and per diems when attending official CPE council meetings or attending 
14 
to matters assigned to them 
15 
16 
SECTION 7. Functions of the CPE Council. The CPE Council for each profession 
17 
shall have the following functions: 
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a) Evaluate and approve applications for accreditation of CPE providers; 
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b) Evaluate and approve application for accreditation ofCPE programs, activities 
22 
or sources as to their relevance to the profession and determine the number of 
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CPE credit units (CUs) to be earned on the basis of the contents of the 
24 
program, activity or source submitted by the CPE providers; 
25 
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c) Evaluate and approve applications from exemption from CPE requirements; 
27 
5 


1 
2 
3 
d) Monitor the implementation of the CPE providers on 
their programs; 
activities or sources; 
4 
e) Assess periodically and upgrade criteria for accreditation of CPE providers 
5 
and CPE programs, activities or sources; and 
6 
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f) Perform such other functions that may be incidental to the implementation of 
8 
CPE programs or policies 
9 
10 
SECTION 9. Secretariat- A CPE Council Secretariat is hereby created under the 
11 
Professional Regulation Commission which shall be headed by an Executive Director to 
12 
be appointed by the Chairman of PRC. The CPE Council secretariat shall provide 
13 
technical, administrative and operational support to the CPE Councils and Professional 
14 
Regulatory Boards in the implementation of CPE programs. 
15 
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SECTION 10. CPE as Mandatory Requirements in the Renewal of Professional 
17 
License and Accreditation System for the Practice of Profossions. 
The continuing 
18 
professional education for every professional registered under the PRC is hereby made as 
19 
mandatory requirements in the renewal of professiona11icense and in the accreditation 
20 
system on the practice of profession. 
21 
22 
The PRC and PRBs shall formulate and promulgate guidelines 
to implement the 
23 
provision of this Act. 
24 
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SECTION 11. Applications and Incentives. CPE credit units earned by a 
26 
professional shall be applied for its equivalency in the training requirement for the 
27 
promotion of positions in the government agencies and private firms and the teaching 
28 
positions in academic institutions. 
6 


1 
SECTION 12. Role of the Accredited Professional Organization- The Accredited 
2 
Professional Organization shall assist the PRC and PRB in the implementation of the 
3 
Continuing Professional Education Program and for this purpose, organize a CPE. 
4 
Committee. 
5 
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SECTION 13. Role of Concerned Government Agencies and the Private Sector- All 
7 
concerned government agencies and private fums and organizations employing 
8 
professionals shall include the CPE as part of their human resource development plan 
9 
and program and allocate the necessary funding requirement for the attendance of their 
10 
professionals in CPE programs. 
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SECTION 14. Funding. 1) The amount necessary to carry out this Act shall be 
13 
incorporated under the appropriation of the Professional Regulation Commission in the 
14 
General Appropriations Act; 2) The annual funding requirement for the implementation 
15 
of this Act shall be sourced from the annual income of the PRC. 
16 
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SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The PRC together with the 
18 
Professional Regulatory Boards within six months upon the enactment of this Act and in 
19 
consultation with the Accredited Professional Organizations shall promulgate the 
20 
necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act. 
21 
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SECTION 16. Separability Clause. The provisions of this Act are hereby declared· 
23 
separable, and if any clause, sentence, provision or section hereof, should be declared 
24 
invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this Act which can be given 
25 
force and effect without the provisions which have been declared invalid. 
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SECTION 17.Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders and other 
27 
administrative issuances and parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of 
28 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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1 
SECTION IS.Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
2 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
8