Professional exam rules relaxed

Dubai: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who wish to become licensed engineers, nurses, accountants and other licensed professionals may now take their board licensure examinations in their host country with ease, Labour and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz announced in Manila on Sunday.

The implementing guidelines on the conduct of Special Professional Licensure Board Examinations (SPLBE) for OFWs have been revised to make the process easier and faster as per a recently approved resolution by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the agency which implements regulations on the licensing of various professions.

OFWs have had the chance to take their licensure examinations in their host countries since 1997 through the PRC, an attached agency of the (Departmet of Labour and Employment (Dole). But since there was no directive, delays and cancellations of exams often occurred in the past.

Baldoz explained that under the new guidelines, the Dole, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the PRC would officially work together to administer the licensure examinations overseas.

“With this move, we are institutionalising the close coordination of the Philippine embassies and consulate generals, labour offices and the PRC for the registration and facilitation of the licensure examinations for OFWs,” Baldoz told Gulf News in a phone interview.

“We have specified each of the agencies’ roles in the process. Also, conducting SLPBEs outside the Philippines had already been factored into the annual budget of the PRC,” Baldoz added.

Under the new guidelines, all applications for the licensure exams will go through the Philippine Overseas Labour Offices (Polo) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

“The Polo will conduct a pre-registration of OFW-applicants in coordination with the overseas professional organisations or Filipino Communities to determine the number of examinees expected to take the SPLBE,” PRC chairman Teresita Manzala said.