The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) no longer requires the Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) for the renewal of the the PRC License for Professional Librarians and other professions, except for professions in Pharmacy, Interior Design, and Criminology.
This is according to the PRC Resolution No. 1957, series of 2025, approved last February 11, 2025.
Below is the full text of the resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 1957
Series of 2025
DISCONTINUANCE OF THE REQUIREMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING (COGS) FROM THE ACCREDITED INTEGRATED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION (AIPO) IN THE RENEWAL OF PROFESSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS (PIC)
WHEREAS, Section 7(a) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8981, otherwise known as the "PRC Modernization Act of 2000", provides that the Professional Regulation Commission (Commission) shall have the power, function, and responsibility to administer, implement, and enforce the 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;
WHEREAS, Section 7(b) of the said law states that the Commission shall perform any and all acts, enter into contracts, make such rules and regulations and issue such orders and other administrative issuances as may be necessary in the execution and implementation of its functions and the improvement of its services;
WHEREAS, Section 7(c) of the same law gives the Commission the authority to review, revise, and approve resolutions, embodying policies promulgated by the Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) in the exercise of their powers and functions or in implementing the laws regulating their respective professions and other official actions on non-ministerial matters within their respective jurisdictions;
WHEREAS, relevant provisions in various Professional Regulatory Laws (PRLs) empower the Commission and the PRBs to accredit professional organizations as the Accredited Integrated Professional Organizations (AlPOs) for each regulated profession;
WHEREAS, R.A. No. 11032, or the "Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018", aims to streamline and simplify government service systems, procedures, and requirements, including but not limited to the automation of internal and external processes and services;
WHEREAS, there are thirty-five (35) professions requiring professionals to be integrated in one national Accredited Professional Organization as mandated on their respective PRLs, namely. Accountancy, Aeronautical Engineering, Agriculture, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Criminology, Customs Brokers, Dentistry, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Environmental Planning, Fisheries, Food Technology, Forestry, Geodetic Engineering, Geology, Guidance and Counseling, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Librarianship, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Professional Teacher, Psychology, Real Estate Service, Respiratory Therapy, Social Work, and Speech-Language Pathology;
WHEREAS, sixteen (16) professions currently require the submission of Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from their respective AlPOs for the renewal of Professional Identification Cards (PICs), per issued Board Resolutions, namely. Accountancy, Aeronautical Engineering, Agriculture, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Architecture, Criminology, Electronics Engineering, Geodetic Engineering, Geology, Guidance and Counseling, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Librarianship, Optometry, Psychology, and Respiratory Therapy;
WHEREAS, only three (3) professions, namely: Criminology, Interior Design, and Pharmacy, explicitly mandate the submission of COGS for PIC renewal as provided in their respective PRLs, while the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Environmental Planning professions require the COGS only during the initial application for issuance of PIC and not for its renewal, as contemplated in Section 22(b) of R.A. No. 10915 (Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016) and Section 19(b) of R.A. No. 10587 (Environmental Planning Act of 2013), respectively, thus:
SEC. 22. Issuance of Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card. - xxx
(b) A professional identification card bearing the registration number and its validity and expiry dates duly signed by the Chairperson of the Commission shall likewise be issued to every registrant who has paid the prescribed fees, and has submitted a certificate of membership in good standing from the AIPO and proof of completion of the CPD requirements. (underscoring supplied)
SEC. 19. Issuance of Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card. - xxx
(b) A Professional Identification Card bearing the registration number and its validity and expiry dates duly signed by the Chairperson of the Commission shall likewise be issued to every registrant who has paid the prescribed fees, and has submitted a certificate of membership in good standing from the APO. (underscoring supplied)
WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, the Commission held a consultative meeting with Chairpersons and Members of PRBs for the professions of Accountancy, Agriculture, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Architecture, Criminology, Customs Brokers, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Geodetic Engineering, Geology, Guidance and Counseling, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Optometry, Psychology, Real Estate Service, Social Work, and other relevant stakeholders, to discuss the COGS requirement for PIC renewal;
WHEREAS, complaints raised by the Overseas Filipino Workers and the Optometric Association of the Philippines, Inc. regarding COGS requirement as an additional prerequisite for PIC renewal was taken into consideration by the Commission during said meeting and a proposal to discontinue the requirement of COGS for renewal purposes was unanimously recommended;
NOW, THEREFORE, in view of the foregoing and upon review of the relevant laws, the Commission RESOLVES to:
(1) DISCONTINUE the requirement of the Certificate of Good Standing from the Accredited Integrated Professional Organization for the renewal of Professional Identification Cards, except for the three (3) professions whose Professional Regulatory Laws explicitly mandate its submission for this purpose; and
(2) ALLOW Certificate of Good Standing to be required for purposes other than PIC renewal, as may be deemed necessary under existing rules and regulations.
All issuances and resolutions issued by the Commission and various PRBs inconsistent with this Resolution are hereby repealed, amended and/or modified accordingly.
Source: Stephen Alayon & PRC
0 Comments