Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

16" CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO, 5065

Introduced by REP, EVELINA G. ESCUDERO

EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to lower the age requirement for Professional Social Workers from
‘twenty-one to eighteen.
Republic Act 4373 regulates the practice of social work and the operation of social work

agencies and this legislation was enacted on June 19, 1965, at that time the age of majority was
twenty-one years of age.

With the pegging of the entry level for social workers at twenty-one years of age, young
graduates are unintentionally deprived of a profession and become productive members of
society.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is highly and earnestly recommended.

Lauded

REP. EVELINA G. ESCUDERO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

16" CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 506 5

Introduced by REP. EVELINA G. ESCUDERO.

AN ACT
ABOLISHING THE AGE REQUIREMENT FOR APPLICANTS TAKING THE BOARD
EXAMINATION FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, PROVIDING FOR THE CONTINUING
SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AND UPGRADING THE SUNDRY PROVISIONS
RELATIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK

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

SECTION 1. Section 12 of Republic Act Number Forty-three hundred seventy-three, as
amended, is hereby further amend to read as follows:

Section 12. Qualifications of Applicants. —In order to be admitted to take the
social work examination, an applicant must, at the time of filing [his or her] OF
THE application[, establish to the satisfaction of the Board that]:

(@)[He or she is] BE a FILIPINO citizen;
[(b) He or she is at least twenty-one years of age:]

{(©)] (B) [He or she is] BE in good health and [is] of good moral
character;

[(@)] (©) [He or she has received] BE a diploma as holder of a Degree OR
MASTER’S DEGREE OR ITS EQUIVALENT in social work from an
institution, college or university duly accredited constituted: PROVIDED, THAT
THE PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ‘TWENTY-TWO
HUNDRED AND SIXTY, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE CIVIL SERVICE
ACT OF 1959, AS AMENDED, INSOFAR AS CULTURAL MINORITIES ARE
CONCERNED, SHOULD BE APPLIED; AND

{I (D) [He / she has] HAS completed a minimum period of one
thousand case hours of practical training in an established social work agency
under the direct supervision of a fully trained and qualified social worker:
PROVIDED, THAT IN THE INSTITUTION, COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY’S
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, THE ACADEMIC COURSES PRECEDED.

2


THE REQUIRED FIELD PRACTICE OF ONE THOUSAND HOURS:
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE REQUIRED FIELD PRACTICE
COMPLIED WITH THE SOCIAL WORK CURRICULUM APPROVED BY
THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE BOARD FOR
SOCIAL WORKERS WHICH SPECIFIED FIELD PRACTICE IN WORKING
WITH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH SMALL GROUPS AND WITH
COMMUNITIES.

THOSE WHO FAIL TO PASS THREE (3) LICENSURE
EXAMINATIONS MUST RE ROLL IN AT LE. "IFTEEN (15) UNITS
OF BASIC PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK SUBIJI 'S AND PASS THEM,
AS SHOWN IN AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS, BEFORE THEY
CAN BE ALLOWED TO RE-APPLY TO TAKE ANOTHER LIC!
EXAMINATION. FAILURE TO PASS FOR THE FOURTH TIME SHALL
AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFY AN APPLICANT FROM TAKING
ANOTHER SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE EXAMINATION.

SEC. 2. The same Act is further amended by inserting new Section between Sections 24
and 25 to read as follows:

SEC. 24-A. CONTINUING SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION. — ALL
EGISTERED SOCIAL WORKERS MUST PROVIDED PROOF OF
ACCOMPLISHING TWENTY (20) UNITS OF CONTINUING
PROFESSIONAL (CPE) GIVEN BY A CPE PROVIDED ACCREDITED BY
THE SOCIAL WORK BOAD OF EXAMINERS AS A REQUIREMENT FOR
RENEWAL OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKS’S LICENSE.

SEC. 24-B. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS. ~ THE
PROFESSIONAL REGULATION COMMISSION (PRC) AND THE.
PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, INC. (PASWI) SHALL
JOINTLY ISSUE THE IMPLEMENTING RULI AND REGULATION:
FORTHIS SPECIFIC PROVISION WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS Al
EFFEECTIVITY OF THIS LAW.

SEC, 3. Section 26 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

SEC, 26. Penal Provisions. — The following shall be punished by a fine of
not less than [five hundred] ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND pesos (P100,000.00)
nor more than [two thousand] TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND pesos
(P200,000.00), or imprisonment for not less than [one month] SIX (6) MONTHS
nor more than two (2) years, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(a)Any person who shall practice social work in the Philippines without
getting registered or exempted from registration in accordance with the provisions
of this Act;

(b)Any person presenting or attempting to use as [his] ONE*S own the
certificate of registration of another;


(c)Any person who shall give any false or fraudulent evidence of any kind
to the Board or any member thereof in obtaining a certificate of registration as
social worker;

(d) Any person who shall impersonate any registrant of like or difference
name;

(c) Any person who shall attempt to use a revoke or suspended certificate
of registration;

() Any person who shall in connection with [his or her] ONE’S name,
otherwise assume, use or advertise any title or description tending to convey the
impression that [he or she] ONE is a social worker without holding a valid
registration;

(g) Any person who shall violate any provision of this Act;

(h) Any person or corporate body who shall violate the rules and
regulations of the Board or orders promulgated by it, duly approved by the
President of the Philippines, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this
Act; or

(i) Any person, corporation or entity operating as a social worker agency,
without the corresponding certificate of registration issued by the
DEPARTMENT OF Social Welfare AND DEVELOPMENT [Administration].

SEC. 4. Separabi Clause. If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the other
provision not affected thereby shall continue in operation,

SEC, 5. Repealing Clause. All laws or parts of any law inconsistent with the provision of
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC.6, Effectivity Clause. This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,