CEBU, Philippines - Over five thousand applicants from different localities and provinces flocked to the Professional Regulation Commission office yesterday for the last day of application for the nursing board exam scheduled for June 6 and 7.
PRC officer-in-charge Dan Malayang said they did not expect a big number of applicants to turn up yesterday as they thought they had decongested the applications.
Prior to the last day, PRC conducted processing of applications in Holy Name University, St. Paul University and in the University of Bohol.
Lack of manpower slowed down the processing of applications as the PRC also assigned some of their personnel to handle the ongoing Criminology and Marine Deck Engine Officers examinations. Aside from the lack of manpower, brownouts were also considered a delaying factor.
Majority of the applicants had been waiting since Thursday midnight just to finish their application. Some of them applied late because of the delay in the issuance of their Transcript of Records, one student pointed out.
During the last hours of the application a stampede broke out and two women were hurt. The front gate of the PRC was also destroyed.
Malayang had already submitted letter to the Commission on Nursing for an extension of the application, but it was not granted.
He said the Commission encouraged fresh nursing graduates to immediately take the board exam after their graduation.
SPO4 Edison Torres of Guadalupe police station said they assigned policemen to the PRC area to maintain peace and order, he also said many pickpockets take advantage of the crush of people. — Mark Z. Gantuangco, CNU Masscom intern/BRP (THE FREEMAN)