ACT to PRC: Extend renewal of teachers’ license

MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) is seeking a dialogue with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to extend the deadline for accepting Continuing Professional Development (CPD), as many teachers would be unable to renew their professional IDs within the current timeframe.

Stressing that teachers are facing difficulties due to the Department of Education (DepEd)’s supposed failure to implement an automated system that encodes credit units for teachers who already participated in seminars and training, ACT said the PRC should extend the suspension and adjustment period for teachers.

ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua and ACT National Capital Region union president Ruby Bernardo filed a letter before the PRC for the dialogue, seeking discussions on deadline extensions, DepEd’s need to create an automated system for teachers’ CPD, free CPD for teachers and the abolition of the CPD Act of 2016.

ACT said because of the lack of an automated mechanism, teachers were “burdened and forced” to manually submit and validate their achievements under CPD requirements.

“Regrettably, DepEd has failed to implement such a mechanism, resulting in the suspension of its implementation for teachers. The absence of an automated system places an unjust burden on teachers, forcing them to manually submit and validate their achievements, leading to bureaucratic inefficiency and unnecessary stress,” ACT said.

Under the CPD Act of 2016, professionals must seek continuing education and obtain a specific number of units of CPD to renew their professional ID.

The deadline for acceptance of CPD requirements for those who will renew their professional ID had been extended only until Dec. 31, 2023.

“While recognizing the importance of continuous learning and professional development, ACT strongly believes that the current CPD requirements do not serve the best interests of the professionals it purports to benefit. Since its enactment in 2016, the law has compelled teachers to enroll in costly CPD programs to acquire the necessary units for renewal, a practice vehemently opposed by ACT due to its imposition of financial burdens on already underpaid teachers,” ACT said.

“ACT demands that the PRC extend the suspension and adjustment period, and for the DepEd to fulfill its responsibilities for teachers’ professional development. Ultimately, ACT calls for the abolition of the CPD Law of 2016, urging the creation of a genuine professional development program for teachers and professionals that is not anchored on labor export policy,” it added.