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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 33.78

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ and
NIKO RAUL S.J. DAZA

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

‘The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) grants Certificates of Registration (CORs) and
Professional Identification Cards (PICs) to aspiring professionals who have successfully hurdled all legal
and procedural requirements therefor—whether by passing the relevant professional licensure examination
‘or qualifying for registration without examination in accordance with law, as the case may be. These
documents affirm that their respective holders are recognized and licensed professionals in the Philippines.

‘The COR remains valid indefinitely unless revoked or suspended under the law. The PIC. on the
other hand. must be renewed every three (3) years. Interestingly, while there are forty-six (46) professional
regulatory laws, only twenty (20) explicitly mandate the three-year validity of the PIC.

AA study was undertaken to assess the implications of standardizing —and extending—the PIC’s
validity across all professions. The findings show several compelling benefits:
‘+ Lighter workload and smoother processing: Extending the renewal period from three to five
‘years would reduce annual renewals from 866,000 to 520,000, significantly easing the transaction
Toad.
‘+ Less strain on the system: With fewer professionals renewing cach year, appointment schedules
will be less congested, providing a more efficient and less stressful process for everyone involved.
‘+ Time to improve services: The longer renewal window gives PRC the breathing room to upgrade
and refine its appointment system, addressing existing gaps and improving the overall experience.
+ Longer validity for professionals: Holders will enjoy the convenience of renewing their PICs only
‘every five years—saving them time, effort, and resources.
‘+ No revenue loss for government: Renewal fees will be adjusted proportionally to the extended
validity, ensuring steady government income while stil delivering greater value to professionals.

Given these clear advantages and the absence of any significant downside, the call for reform is
both timely and necessary.

For these reasons, we strongly urge the immediate passage of this measure—for the benefit of our
professionals, our regulatory system, and the nation as a whole,

INAND IN MUAL} NIKO ile DAZA

Leyte, 1* District Northern Samar, 1* District


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 3373

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ and
NIKO RAUL S.J. DAZA

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A FIVE-YEAR VALIDITY PERIOD OF THE PROFESSIONAL.
IDENTIFICATION CARDS OF ALL PROFESSIONALS UNDER THE PROFESSIONAL
REGULATION COMMISSION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. New Validity Period of the Professional Identification Card. - All Professional

Idemtification Cards (PICs) issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) shall be valid for
five (5) years, subject to compliance with all the legal and procedural requirements for its issuance.

SEC. 2. Coverage and Applicability. - Notwithstanding the provisions of the professional
regulatory laws to the contrary, this Act providing for a five (5) year validity period of the PICs shall
cover and apply to all professions under the PRC.

SEC. 3. Systems Enhancement. - \n order to operationalize the provisions of this Act, the
Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) and other concerned offices/divisions of
the PRC shall complete the necessary systems enhancement (Licensure Examination Registration
Information System or the LERIS) and other administrative processes, including the finalization of the
revised assessment of annual registration fees within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 4, Separability Clause. ~ \f. for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining, parts or provisions not affected are in full force and effect.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, and rules and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are amended, repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved