SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in the Ilocos Region aims to continuously expand its services for aspiring professionals, striving to make a significant mark after more than six years of operation.
The expansion is evident in the growing number of applicants for various licensure examinations, with 26,728 recorded in 2023 and an additional 18,385 so far this year.
These numbers far exceed the 4,857 applicants recorded in 2021, the lowest figure since the regional office began implementing programs in the region.
Support for the initial registration of newly passed professionals has also grown, reaching a six-year high of 15,084 registrations last year.
As of October 2024, 13,794 registrations have already been processed, putting the office on track to meet or even surpass last year’s figures, with two months still remaining.
The number of certifications and authentications requested by professionals in the Ilocos Region also reached a six-year high in 2023, with 141,330 transactions recorded.
As of October 2024, 113,078 have already been processed, indicating the potential to exceed last year’s total.
During the recent episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas program of the Presidential Communications Officer through the Philippine Information Agency, PRC-Region 1 Director, Atty. Arl Ruth Sacay-Sabelo emphasized that this growth reflects the commission’s dedication to fostering globally competent professionals.
“Our vision demonstrates that the PRC is the instrument of the Filipino people in building a reliable, trustworthy, and progressive system for accessing professional competence through globally recognized standards,” Sacay-Sabelo said.
Sacay-Sabelo adds that the agency uses its mobile outreach program to work hand-in-hand with local government units (LGUs) and other government and private stakeholders to bring its services closer to hard-to-reach areas, significantly contributing to its service expansion.
In addition, the agency coordinates with accredited integrated professional organizations and accredited professional organizations to make their mobile program accessible to more communities, strengthened by the signing of a memorandum of understanding to formalize the partnership.
Lovelyn Quero-Villanueva, a professional teacher at a public secondary school in Naguilian, La Union, noted that the expansion could significantly increase the pool of professionals available for job opportunities in both the public and private sectors across the region.
“Knowing that we produce thousands of professionals yearly gives me confidence that our communities here can thrive and be competitive enough to contribute to societal development,” Quero-Villanueva said.
PRC 1’s ability to support aspiring professionals has been further strengthened by the increase in the number of testing centers and licensure examinations conducted over the past six-plus years.
From conducting only four licensure examinations in 2019 — PRC 1’s first full year of operations since its opening on September 14, 2018 — the number grew to 60 last year.
Additionally, the number of testing centers has expanded from one in Rosales, Pangasinan in 2019 to five, with new centers established in Bayambang, Pangasinan; Candon City, Ilocos Sur; and the cities of Laoag and Batac in Ilocos Norte. (AMB/CCMT, PIA La Union)
