1

College of Business & Economics

CHED Center of Development in Business & Management Education

Continuing Professional/
Technical Education
in the Philippines

SERIES 1999-05

Dr. Divina M. Edralin

De La Salle University, Philippines

The CBERD Working Paper Series constitutes studies that are preliminary and subject to further revisions.
They are being circulated in a limited number of copies only for purposes of soliciting comments and
suggestions for further refinements. The studies under the Series are unedited and unreviewed. The views and
opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center. Not for
quotation without permission from the author(s) and the Center.

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About the Author

Dr. Divina M. Edralin is a Full Professor at the Business Management
Department of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) of De La
Salle University-Manila. She is also the Director of the Center for
Business and Economics Research and Development (CBERD). She also
holds the Don Antonio L. Tambunting SR., Professorial Chair in Business
Administration. She earned her Doctor in Management from De La Salle
University-Manila, and her MA Industrial Relations from the Institute of
Industrial Relations of the University of the Philippines. Her areas of
expertise and research interest include human resource management,
entrepreneurship, collective bargaining, and labor issues.

Abstract
Dr. Divina M. Edralin
At this stage of its economic development, the Philippines is struggling to uplift the
conditions of the poor which still constitutes a big bulk of the population. With this in mind,
the government has chosen to trek the path of liberalization, realizing that only by tapping the
virtually unlimited growth potentials of the global markets can the country provide adequate
jobs to its rapidly growing labor force.
To become more productive and globally competitive, however, Philippine
companies need human resources that do not only have basic workplace competencies but
also higher-level professional and technical skills. This is where continuing education comes
in. Continuing education is the aggregate principles and practices encompassing education
of individuals after they have left the formal system. It is closely linked to the notion of
lifelong learning, which exposes that education and learning occurs as a continuing process
throughout a lifetime.
In the Philippines, continuing education encompasses both continuing professional
education, which is primarily the responsibility of the Professional Regulation Commission
(PRC) and of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical-Vocational
Education (TVET), which is the main responsibility of the Technical Education (TESDA).
Anticipating the stiff competition in the global professional labor market as a result of
the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the government has required all
Filipino professionals to undergo continuing education programs. Since the law took effect,
the PRC has accredited at least 1,611 CPE providers, including colleges and universities,
professional associations and private companies.
Several issues and concerns must be addressed before an attempt to formulate a
comprehensive continuing education program for the country. Among which are: the level of
education/skills of the labor force, motivation of employees to avail of continuing education,
limited participation in CPE programs, relevance of continuing education programs,
financing, and the roles of government, the private sector, labor unions, and higher education
institution.
Among the recommendations to improve the adaptability of professionals workers to
the flexible labor market adjustments, and to be able to restore and protect their employment
prospects, of the following: (1) formulation of unifying HRD framework, (2) review of
matrix of continuing education, (3) adoption of graduated/ progressive model of CPE
programs, (4) greater access to education, training, and retraining, (5) incentives for
professionals and technical workers, (6) tax incentive to firms, (7) needs identification and
assessment, (8) effective integration of education and employment, (9) active tripartite
cooperation, (10) alternative financing schemes, (11) aggressive marketing campaign, (12)
closer cooperation between academe and other providers of continuing education, (13)
restructuring of schools and HEIs, and (14) review of the law and guidelines concerning
CPE.

Continuing Professional / Technical Education

in the Philippines
Economic Policy Agenda for the Estrada Administration
Trade and Investment Policy Analysis and Advocacy Support (TAPS)
Project
Dr. Divina M. Edralin*
There is no such thing as sufficient initial education: learning is endless-Michael Howard, U.K. Secretary of State for Employment

1. Introduction
A learning society is one in which all citizens acquire a high quality general
education, appropriate vocational training and a job (or series of jobs) worthy of a human
being while continuing to participate in education and training throughout their lives. A
learning society would combine excellence with equity and would equip all its citizens with
the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure national economic prosperity and much
more besides.... Citizens of a learning society would, by means of their continuing education
and training, be able to engage in critical dialogue and action to improve the quality of life
for the whole community and to ensure social integration as well as economic success.
(ESRC, 1994).
Seen as a set of practices, at least three interpretations have been placed on the
concept of a learning society: (1) the learning society as an educated society, committed to
active citizenship, liberal democracy and equal opportunities; (2) the learning society as a
learning market, enabling institutions to provide services for individuals as a condition for
supporting the competitiveness of the economy; (3) the learning society as learning
networks, in which learners adopt a learning approach to life, drawing up on a wide range of
resources to enable them to develop their interests and identities
(Edwards, 1995).
At this stage of its economic development, the Philippines is struggling to uplift the
conditions of the poor, which still constitutes a big bulk of the population. Of paramount
concern is spurring economic activity to create more jobs for the increasing number of
Filipinos. With this in mind, the government has chosen to trek the path of liberalization by
taking an active part in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The intent is to open up the
economy by liberalizing trade and investment policies in order to attract new job-generating
enterprises and to foster competition among the different industries in the country. This is an
*

This study was made possible through a research grant from Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.-TAPS.
Research assistance provided by Mr. Raymund Habaradas is acknowledged and deeply appreciated.

acknowledgement that only by tapping the virtually unlimited growth potentials of the global
markets can the country provide adequate jobs to its rapidly growing labor force.
With the onset of globalization, however, the goal of achieving higher levels of
employment, in an effort to combat poverty, becomes even more difficult to reach because of
the glaring mismatch between the skills of graduates provided by higher education
institutions (HEIs) and those required by employers. With the liberalization of markets,
whole industries could shrink or expand, shifting the demand for skills and the availability of
job opportunities.
To become more productive and globally competitive, Philippine
companies need human resources that do not only have basic workplace competencies but
also higher-level professional and technical skills.
Moreover, the trend towards the liberalization of services, and the rapid development
and application of new technologies, are forcing local professionals to upgrade their skills to
keep themselves competitive compared to professionals the world over. There is a need, so
they say, to level the playing field. This is where continuing education comes in, through
which the country moves closer to fully becoming a learning society.
Continuing education is the aggregate principles and practices encompassing
education of individuals after they have left the formal system. Continuing education
includes continuing professional education and further non-formal and informal education
and training. For purposes of this paper, continuing education must be understood in
consonance with the UNESCOs definition of adult education, which:
denotes the entire body of organised educational processes, whatever the
content, level, and method, whether formal or otherwise, whether they
prolong or replace initial education in schools, colleges, and universities,
as well as in apprenticeship, whereby persons regarde d as adult by the
society to which they belong develop their abilities, enrich their
knowledge, improve their technical or professional qualifications, or turn
them in a new direction and bring about changes in their attitudes and
behavior in the two-fold perspective of full personal development and
participation in balanced and independent social, economic and cultural
development (UNESCO, as quoted in Kidd and Titmus, 1989).
Continuing education is closely linked to the notion of lifelong learning, which is the
body of theories and principles espousing that education and learning occurs as a continuing
process throughout a lifetime. Lifelong learning, therefore, encompasses the following:
initial education, which is the period of continuous formal study (and youth training)
completed before entry into main employment (Parry, 1993); further education, which refers
to education oriented toward more specific occupational or life skills, rather than academic
degrees (Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, 1973); and recurrent education, which
is the distribution of education over the lifespan of an individual in a recurring way.
Recurrent education implies the alternation of education with other activities, of which the

principal would be work, but which might also include leisure and retirement (Council of
Europe, 1973).
Today, continuing education has emerged as the preferred category to describe the
education of adults (Jarvis, 1983), and has been extended in recent years to encompass parts
of initial education as well as the core territory of post-initial education and training.
The literature on continuing education reveals that it aims to achieve any or a
combination of the following objectives:
1. Improve the adaptability of the labor force to technological change.
2. Invigorate educational institutions.
3. Facilitate more flexible labor market adjustments to changing requirements.
4. Enable a better interplay between educational and other social sectors, including a
better contribution to the potential necessary for economic growth.
5. Enhance continuing personal development, motivation and learning behavior of
adults.
6. Enhance individual freedom of choice and opportunities for self-development.
7. Provide better opportunities for individual development.
8. Restore and protect the employment prospects of particular individuals and
groups.
Given this background, and taking into consideration the information gathered from
interviews and various secondary sources, this paper aims to review the status of, and
identify issues concerning, continuing education in the Philippines, to review the experiences
of other countries that could be useful to the Philippines, and to present a set of
recommendations concerning continuing education in the country.

2. Relevant Country Experiences

The experience of other countries regarding continuing education could provide
useful insights for the Philippines as it attempts to improve its own continuing education
programs. Hereunder is a review of the experiences of selected countries.
Worth mentioning is the fact that continuing education has a long history dating as far
back as the French Revolution, during which the concept of lifelong education was first
formulated within the framework of the Condorcet Education Plan. Since then, adult
education has developed into a complex system, and has contributed to the transformation of
the French economy and society. In the 1960s, for example, adult education played a major
role in facilitating the transition of the traditional labor force (agriculture and crafts) to new
industries.
In Japan, the role of school education was emphasized during the Meiji era (18681912) with the promulgation of the Education Order in 1872 in an attempt to catch up with
the advances made by the USA and Western countries. While both school education and
social education (first referred to as popular education) have been considered as
complementary educational activities, school education has been regarded as the main
stream, with social education fulfilling a secondary role. From the latter half of the Meiji era,
however, especially after the Russo-Japanese War (1905), the development of social
education, which was directed towards youth and adults who had insufficient school
education, was undertaken in real earnest. As a result, even before the start of World War II
(1941), social education, a precursor of adult education, was already practiced on a wide
scale throughout the nation.
Combating unemployment. Faced with the structural problem of unemployment,
including long-term unemployment, most industrialized countries are developing schemes to
train and retrain the growing number of unemployed people.
Such courses usually
encompass preparation for work, basic skills, and specialized programs for specific
occupational tasks (Atchoarena, 1993).
In Europe, the magnitude of and the increase in unemployment figures tend to focus
lifelong education on labor market issues. The aim is to assist in finding employment
through training for the unemployed and in the prevention of marginalization of the longterm unemployed. In France, for example, the 1990s saw the growth of continuing education
as government allocated more resources to training programs for the out-of-work in an effort
to curb the rising unemployment level (Atchoarena, 1993).
In the United Kingdom, the persistence of skills shortages alongside high levels of
youth and adult unemployment have encouraged central government to give emphasis on
skills development and employment-related education, and to shift resources in this direction
(Parry, 1993).
The unification of Germany, on the other hand, has resulted in radical changes in
individual life patterns (including loss of jobs), bringing forth the need for retraining and skill

adjustment. In the eastern states of Germany alone, roughly 400,000 men and women are
currently enrolled in programs of further education and retraining. Although the development
of strategies for lifelong learning has come under the influence of new political priorities, the
overall emphasis on labor-related premises and objectives has been even further strengthened
(Kunzel, 1993). In the former Soviet Union, higher and lifelong education need to deliver
economic and managerial knowledge and skills required in the transition to a market
economy. Because of the mismatch between higher and lifelong education and the labor
market, a higher education diploma is no longer a guarantee of employment or adequate
remuneration (Kitaev, 1993).
In Singapore, there are plans to hold an annual manpower meeting where government
officials, employers and unions could discuss with foreign experts how to improve training.
This comes amid warnings from some trade union leaders that unemployment could rise to as
much as 7 per cent of the work force in 1999. As Singapore was hit hard by the regional
slump, growth in gross domestic product fell sharply to 1.5 per cent in 1998 from 7.8 per cent
in 1997, with the manufacturing sector declining by 0.5 per cent. This resulted in 19,000
manufacturing workers losing their jobs.
In response to the rising unemployment and to the competition posed by the cheaper
work force of neighboring countries, the Singaporean government has taken steps to increase
the productivity and upgrade the capabilities of its work force. According to Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong, there is a need to restore and widen the competitive gap between ourselves
and our neighbors. Among these efforts is the establishment of the School of Lifelong
Learning, which is meant to help workers learn continuously to enhance their employment
prospects.
Financing of continuing education. In France, the government imposed a payroll
tax for all companies of 10 workers or more, because it was felt that the government budget
was not sufficient to sustain the level of investment required to finance the level of training
necessary for economic growth. Companies can avoid paying the tax if they provide training
for their workers. As a result of this policy, employers have become a significant source of
funding for training in France. In 1991 alone, 42 percent of total financial resources spent for
training came from companies.
There are 96 fund-collecting organizations authorized by the state to collect funds and
finance educational activity in France. They covered 82,000 companies employing some
4,490,000 individuals and they collected 2.95 billion francs in 1989. They also took control
of educational expenses totalling 3.6 billion francs in accord with agreed educational plans or
individual measures for education. Furthermore, employers are liable to pay 0.15 per cent of
their total wage bill to one of the 67 organizations authorized to organize individual paid
educational leave, which is the right of every individual by law. In 1989, this contribution
amounted to 1.17 billion francs. During that year, there were 21,725 individual applications
for study leave, with an average of 800 hours each. Finally companies are expected to pay a
continuing education contribution of 0.3 per cent of their wage bill to OMA (Organisme de

Mutualisations Agrees), which are responsible for planning alternative professional training
for young people. In 1989, approximately 6.9 billion francs were contributed to these funds.
In Sweden, Parliament decided to create renewal funds by cutting 10 percent off the
profit of bigger enterprises. The total sum was used for corporate learning strategies over a
period of five years starting from 1986. This policy had a strong impact on work-oriented
learning strategies. Even though employers were very skeptical about this method of using
their profits, it is obvious that the interest in employer-sponsored adult education increased
strongly during the late 1980s (Abrahamsson, 1993).
Role of government. In France, the state plays a principal role in continuing
education. It determines policy on an inter-ministerial level, manages the funds for further
education and social promotion, and engages in educational activity with specific priority
groups in the population. In addition, the Delegation of Further Education constitutes the
central organization on a national level, and is involved in planning and sub-contracting
education to the regions. It also plays a major role in the negotiations between trade unions
and employers organizations.
In 1989, the state organized further educational programs for 1.25 million people,
provided about 350 million training hours and spent 18.8 billion francs. In addition, it
donated 2.4 billion francs to the regions for continuing professional education and
apprenticeship training, allowed 4.1 billion francs in tax exemption to companies employing
young people and offering apprenticeships to the long-term unemployed, and spent 14.8
billion francs on paying trainees and the continuing professional education of its own staff.
In Germany, the federal government seeks to promote and develop the economic
welfare of the nation partly through vocational training and continuing vocational education.
The federal administration takes control, by way of legislation, financing and curricular
licensing of that part of Weiterbildung (adult continuing education) which is labor-market
oriented, including the approbation of professional qualifications.
In the USA, professionals are required by their licensing bodies to attend a minimum
number of educational events each year. Of the 30 million professionals in the United States,
as estimated by Cervero (1988, 1989), 75 per cent of those surveyed were already found to be
participating in continuing education at levels exceeding the minimum requirements
(Phillips, 1987).
In Japan, the policy for lifelong learning is being developed at three different levels of
the state, the prefecture, and the municipality, with the Ministry of Education, Science and
Culture (MOESC) taking the leadership. While respecting the autonomy and free
development of private educational entrepreneurs, the central government and the local
public bodies give indirect support.
In the United Kingdom, the role of the state in post-school education and training was
to be deliberately detached, with interventions into the training market limited to supporting

10

disadvantaged groups (the disabled and long-term unemployed), pump-priming new

ventures, and urging employers to invest in vocational education and training (Parry, 1993).
Role of the private sector. Throughout Europe, as well as in Japan and the USA,
employers, whether or not supported by the state, are increasingly providing adult education
opportunities for their workforce.
There is a great variety of co-operation arrangements and modes of delivery
developed by industries. These delivery systems include: in-house company-training,
programs organized in companies training centers, courses organized by a training
institution to meet the companys training needs, mixed schemes including on-the-site
training, self-imposed individual study, and distance education programs.
In France, businesses are a major player in the education of adults, spending
approximately 2.97 per cent of their total wage bill on trainingboth in-house and external
(Caspar, 1993).
In the United Kingdom, employers have been given the prime responsibility for
investment in training and for meeting targets set by the Confederation of British Industry.
Much of this training has been sub-contracted to local providers of further and higher
education, although non-profit groups (such as group training associations, chambers of
commerce, and industry training organizations) also provide training, particularly short
courses or continuing provisions for adults.
More significantly, many of the largest companies in the UK have had longestablished and effective training programs. Worth mentioning is the Employment
Development and Assistance Programme launched by Ford Motor Company in 1989 across
its 22 major sites in Britain and available to over 40,000 employees. In this initiative,
employees were offered funding for non-job-related educational and training opportunities
and by 1990 over 20,000 applications had been received for more than 500 courses. The
program was planned in cooperation with the trade unions and with educational providers.
In Japan, there is a considerable range of lifelong educational activities conducted by
the private sector. Private providers of learning opportunities for adult learners in Japan
include company and vocational education institutions, social education centers, and private
educational institutions such as Culture Centers. Furthermore, other conventional program
providers in the private sector such as temples, churches, YMCAs, and YWCAs have begun
to embrace the concept of lifelong learning.
In Germany, other private sector establishments, outside of business enterprises, are
involved in providing continuing education. These include church organizations (nine per
cent of enrolments), institutes of distance learning, welfare organizations, trade union
offsprings, party-political foundations, societies for technical and commercial education, and,
having emerged from various social movements in the early eighties, alternative adult
education organizations (Atchoarena, 1993).

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In the USA, providing agencies (outside of higher education institutions) involving

adult learning include: community organizations, corporations and businesses, free
universities, labor unions, the Armed Forces, parents groups, professional organizations,
public (state) schools, self-help groups, voluntary organizations, community development
agencies, cooperative extension, cultural institutions, hospitals, mass media, non-profit
agencies, prisons, proprietary schools, and religious institutions. (Brookfield, 1993).
Role of higher education institutions. There seems to be a general trend towards an
increasing involvement of higher education institutions in providing lifelong education. This
common pattern takes place within a context of great change in higher education systems.
Such changes include: the continuing expansion of the number of students enrolled in higher
education, change in the structure of higher education, closer cooperation between industries
and universities, the search for stronger links between the higher education institutions and
the regions they serve, the introduction of market mechanisms into higher education
provisions, and pressures for greater accountability (Atchoarena, 1993).
In France, the need for higher education institutions to be involved in continuing
education was only officially recognized in 1984, when an Act was passed extending the
mission of tertiary education institutions to include adult education and inviting them to
establish ad hoc delivery and administrative structures. This legal framework, together with
growing pressures from the economic environment, has given an increasingly important role
to universities in continuing education. In 1989, higher education institutions trained 5 per
cent of the total number of adults who had benefited from continuing education. The same
year, 19,740 university degrees were granted by higher education institutions within the
framework of continuing education, corresponding to 8 per cent of all degrees awarded. In
1991, 412,000 adults benefited from continuing education services provided by tertiary
education institutions, mainly universities.
In the United Kingdom, higher education as a sector had played an important part in
highlighting the strategic role of continuing and higher education, not just in relation to
advanced learning but as a phase in a wider and articulated system of post-compulsory
education and training (Parry, 1993). Among the providers of continuing education, colleges
of further education account for the majority of people engaged in formal learning in the
post-school system. Typically, colleges of further education offer a broad mix of programs
and qualifications matched to the needs of the local communities they attempt to serve.
Across all colleges, only about one in five students follow full-time courses, the majority
participating on a part-time basis, through short courses, or through regular or occasional day
or evening attendance.
In Japan, the number of adults entering higher education institutions amounted to
3,448 in university departments (1989), 1,623 at junior colleges (1989), and 1,827 at graduate
schools (1990). Special training schools, known as Special Training Colleges, which offer
advanced courses, have played a definite role among the further education institutions in
conferring specified technical skills and knowledge to the 59,515 adult students (specifically,
employed people) who were enrolled as of 1988. Higher education institutions also offer

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extension courses, and figures for 1989 show that out of 499 universities, there were 395
universities (79 per cent) offering 3,147 courses to a total of 415,198 participants.
In Singapore, the government recently set up the School of Lifelong Learning, which
uses modern communication technologies to link businesses and individuals to affordable
training opportunities. This is part of a comprehensive learning system that encourages
workers to acquire skills throughout their careers so they can adapt better to rapid changes in
the workplace (Richardson, 1999).

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3. Continuing Education in the Philippines

In the Philippines, continuing education encompasses both continuing professional
education, which is primarily the responsibility of the Professional Regulation Commission
(PRC) and of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and technical-vocational
education and training (TVET), which is the main responsibility of the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Continuing professional education. The Professional Regulation Commission
(PRC) recognizes the following as part of continuing professional education (CPE):
seminars, conventions, academic studies, distance learning, authorship, inventions,
preparation of teaching materials, on-the-job training, study and observation tours,
professorial chair lectures, and other activities pre-approved by the CPE councils. Currently,
CPE programs are basically meant to update the professionals about the latest developments
in their respective fields, and serve as a requirement for the renewal of their license to
practice.
Anticipating the stiff competition in the global professional labor market as a result of
the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the Philippine government has
required all Filipino professionals to undergo continuing education programs.
The
standardized implementing guidelines and procedures for CPE programs as contained in PRC
Resolution No. 381, took effect on November 13, 1995 in compliance with Executive Order
No. 266 signed by President Ramos on July 25, 1995. Under the law, 40 different
professions being regulated by the PRC are required to undergo CPE programs to be
administered by various accredited CPE providers. These programs are meant to ensure that
licensed professionals maintain minimum skills, are exposed to advances in their field of
practice, and get additional training.
The law requires registered professionals with baccalaureate degrees to earn a total of
60 units in CPE credits for three years, while those with non-baccalaureate degrees need 30
CPE credit units before they can renew their respective licenses. Those who fail to comply
with the law would not be permitted to renew their professional licenses and would be
delisted from the roster of professionals authorized to practice in the Philippines. As of
May 26, 1999, there are 1,175,386 registered professionals across 35 categories of PRC. In
the top of the list are the nurses, midwives, and accountants (Refer to Appendix 1).
Since the law took effect, the PRC has accredited at least 1,611 CPE providers,
including colleges and universities, professional associations, and private companies. The
professions with the most number of accredited providers are nursing, which has 360;
medicine, 230; dentistry, 121; professional teachers, 116; medical technology, 77;
accountancy, 67; and midwifery, 63 (Refer to Appendix 2).
The extent of participation of professionals in the various CPE programs can be
gleaned from the records of the PRC, which show that a total of 43,153 certificates of
compliance, 29,278 certificates of exemption, and 48,929 certificates of undertaking had
been issued in 1998 (refer to Appendix 3). However, figures for some professions like

14

architecture, civil engineering, geodetic engineering, interior design, landscape architecture,

medical technology, and social work are unavailable.
The number of accredited programs as shown in Appendix 4 have also progressively
increased over the past three years with the medical, nursing, midwifery, and accountancy
professions accounting for the most number of approved programs.
Tullao (1998) cited the different positive characteristics of the CPE program
implemented by the PRC, particularly the variety of CPE methods, the varying weights of
CPE points professionals undergoing training could earn to renew their license to practice,
and the requirement for documents to prove attendance in training programs. Tullao,
however, suggested a review of the current Matrix of CPE Programs, Activities and Sources
(refer to Appendix 5) in response to the need to enhance the international competitiveness of
local professionals. He further noted that international benchmarking requires giving more
weight to research papers, publications in professional journals, and graduate studies, which
are not the preferred forms of continuing education in the country.
Dr. Andres Oreta, a member of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and
a former reviewer of CPE programs for civil engineers, would rate the general quality of CPE
programs for civil engineering, particularly those provided by the PICE Chapters, as
average based on the feedback of the participants. This rating is reflected in the reports
submitted by accredited CPE providers after they have conducted a CPE program.
He acknowledged that PICE needs to augment its pool of speakers to expand the
scope, and to improve the quality, of the content of various CPE programs for civil engineers.
He bewailed the fact that some CPE providers give very short notice (sometimes just a week
before a seminar) to invited resource persons, preventing the speakers from preparing well
for a particular topic or from coming up with a fresh topic that would be of interest to the
participants.
Dr. Oreta observed that, in many one-day or two-day seminars, topics are very
diverse with several speakers often tackling remotely related topics. This could lead to
limited learning among participants, who could have benefited from a more focused seminar
featuring a module of related topics. He likewise expressed concern over the diverse
composition of participants in CPE programs, forcing speakers to adjust their topics to an
average level to accommodate older participants who find it difficult to understand
advanced topics.
He pointed out that some seminars have too many participants, sometimes exceeding
200 at a time, obviously an attempt to maximize profits and to recoup the expenses of the
CPE providers. To compound this situation, some participants just have their attendance
recorded in seminars and conferences without actually attending the sessions.
Dr. Oreta, however, revealed some steps being taken by PICE to improve its CPE
programs. The PICE, for example, is examining the possibility of having specialty groups

15

(structural engineers, construction engineers, hydraulics engineers, geo-technical engineers)

within the association and its various chapters. By designing CPE programs towards
specialty groups, the problem of having remotely unrelated topics in one seminar or
conference would be addressed because CPE modules would necessarily contain topics
connected to the specialization of the participants.
Mrs. Anesia Dionisio, President of the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), would
rate the quality of CPE programs for nursing as excellent based on the feedback of takers,
but does not yet clearly see the impact of the CPE programs on the quality of service
provided by nurses to their patients. She expressed confidence in the capability of accredited
CPE providers for the nursing profession, which include PNAs different chapters and
reputable hospitals. She pointed out, however, that the CPE programs offered to nurses have
not yet been standardized, meaning that the content of a seminar on the care of diabetic
patients, for example, would differ depending on who is teaching it. She laments the
commercialization of the CPE programs and the lack of consistency in giving credit units of
some CPE providers.
Like PICE, the PNA is moving towards the direction of specializing within the
nursing profession with the adoption of a voluntary credentialing process leading to a
specialization in psychiatry nursing, maternal and child nursing, community health nursing,
or medical surgeon nursing. Mrs. Dionisio envisions a system through which nurses could
take up CPE programs leading towards a specific specialization, after which an accumulated
number of credit units could earn for the nurse a masters degree in his/her specialization,
one that could be granted by an accredited university. This system, she believes, will make
the CPE programs meaningful to nurses and really lead them towards an improvement in
their skills in health care delivery.
Continuing vocational training. Another component of continuing education in the
country would be technical-vocational education and training (TVET), which is the primary
concern of TESDA. Established in 1994, TESDA aims to mobilize the full participation of
industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the countrys
skilled manpower development programs. The creation of TESDA was meant to reduce
overlapping in skills-development activities initiated by various public and private sector
agencies, and to provide national directions in the varied programs of the different
educational and training institutions that comprise the countrys TVET system.
Under the law, TESDA is mandated to: integrate, coordinate and monitor skills
development programs, restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower,
approve skills standards and tests, develop an accreditation system for institutions involved
in middle-level manpower development, fund programs and projects for technical education
and skills development, and assist trainers training programs.
TESDA is also expected to devolve training functions to local governments, reform
the apprenticeship program, involve industry/employers in skills training, formulate a skills
development plan, develop and administer training incentives, organize skills competitions,
and manage skills development funds.

16

In particular, TESDA has the TESDA Occupation Qualification and Certification

System (TOQCS), which is designed to enhance the existing qualification and certification
system particularly with regards to expanded clientele and qualification requirements under
TESDA. It integrates the formal, non-formal and informal modes under one system, which
calls for modularized and competency-based learning such that each level has a set of
qualification requirements. The qualification requirements will correspond to competencies
stipulated in the existing occupational skills standards for each specific trade (See Figure V.S
TOQCS, page 21, in TESDA: Installing a Quality Assured TESD System, June 1998,
Appendix 6). This could be a model that the different professions can adopt in their CPE
programs.
TESDA also has the Training Contract Scheme (TCS), an industry capability build-up
program (ICBP), wherein subsidies for training in essential training competency areas are
given to firms. In 1995, some 48 regional/sectoral ICBPs were implemented, with 6,849
participants trained in various levels of competencies. In 1996, some 42 regional and
sectoral training capability programs were approved, with 2,758 participants trained.
While some programs of TESDA were quite successful in improving the
development of technical skills in the country, it has been criticized for its inability to
provide skilled workers to industry, and for its failure to attract enrolees in its various
programs. Former Labor Secretary Leonardo Quisumbing (1996), for instance, observed that
TESDA failed to turn out enough skilled workers to meet basic demands of booming
industries here and abroad. Consistent with this claim is the decline of enrolment in TVET
schools. TESDA figures revealed that total enrolment dipped from 297,146 in SY 19951996 to only 253,748 in SY 1996-1997. Quisumbing (1996) recommended an intensified
human resource development program in order to entice job seekers to undergo TESDA
training.
There are other initiatives that would fall under the purview of continuing education
in the Philippines, among which are the following:
Support for government employees. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is
currently pursuing various programs to address the need of government employees for
continuing education. Its Local Scholarship Program assists government employees pursue
masteral and doctoral studies to enhance the capability of government personnel. Other
government agencies have also established their own educational support programs to assist
employees seeking to complete their bachelors degree and those pursuing their masteral or
doctoral studies (Conferido, 1998)
Equivalency program. Also worth mentioning is the Expanded Tertiary Education
Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) which opens the doors of formal
academic institutions to accreditation of learning obtained outside their own systems.
Implemented by CHED and TESDA by virtue of Executive Order 330, ETEEAP is an
alternative mode of obtaining post-secondary and higher education credits. Through a

17

compendium of creative competency-based assessment processes, students could gain

tertiary education certificates, including a college degree. The equivalency system is based
on the assignment of equivalent academic credits to competencies obtained outside the
formal school system as demonstrated by knowledge, skills, attitudes and values (Valisno,
1997). The program then gives formal recognition to prior learning and competencies gained
by individuals from other channels beyond the classroom. Such formal recognition, in the
form of a certificate or diploma, will enable them to pursue higher learning, further career
development, and improve their professional qualifications (Conferido, 1998). This program
closely establishes the relationship of the higher education system with the labor market in an
effort to advance the ability of the Filipino labor force to compete globally.
Under this program, government encourages the participation of learners who find it
difficult to enrol in residency programs of colleges and universities.
Individuals with
different interests, cultural backgrounds, and value systems participate in ongoing learning
programs in their respective companies/milieu, and are later on certified for those relevant
aspects of the education in which they participated. Workers in factories, for example, can
earn credits for their contributions to innovation and technology development. Women who
need to stay at home and care for family members will have a chance to be accredited for
knowledge obtained in home management and technology, early childhood or adult care and
development, self-development, and other pursuits.
Distance education. Distance education programs use a mode of instructional
delivery that brings down the walls of classrooms to create borderless learning environments.
This opens opportunities for individuals who want to avail of continuing education, but could
not afford to leave their place of work.
Educational technologies offered by computers, video tapes, satellites and various
audio-visual equipment form an important aspect of the borderless learning environment,
offering innovative, creative and alternative approaches to learning by complementing,
supplementing, and strengthening the use of print-based learning materials (CHED, 1997:34).
In the area of borderless (open) learning, the countrys most significant
accomplishment was the establishment of the UP Open University in February 1995. It was
established for the purpose of democratizing access to knowledge through distance education
programs aided by strides in information technology. The delivery system at the UPOU does
have the essence of a distance learning environment, providing a student support system,
which promotes self-study.
Significant progress has been made since its establishment, including: (1) an increase
in the number of programs offered from one to ten in the last school year; (2) an increase in
enrolment from 181 to 1,395 in the first trimester of SY 1996-1997; (3) an increase in the
number of learning centers from 5 to 20. (Quiason and Quiason 1997 in Pablo 1997)

18

4. Issues Concerning Continuing Education

Several issues and concerns must be addressed before an attempt to formulate a
comprehensive continuing education program for the country. The following issues will be
discussed not only in the context of the Philippine educational system, economy and society,
but also based on the experiences of other countries, particularly those which have succeeded
in certain areas of continuing education.
Level of education / skills of the labor force. The levels of educational attainment
of the Philippine labor force signals the critical need for continuing education among
Filipinos, especially in the light of the demands of globalization. In 1997, only 11% of the
total employed were tertiary level graduates, while another 11% were tertiary level
undergraduates. High school graduates accounted for 20%, while 13% were able to finish
only one or two years of high school. The remaining 40% reached only the primary level,
and 3% had no schooling at all (Conferido, 1998).
Motivation of employees to avail of continuing education. National surveys
indicate that the majority of adults are not involved in education, primarily because they lack
support, interest or motivation (Sargant, 1991). Those that are, and are responding to the
opportunities and challenges which lifelong learning presents, still readily come up with lists
of financial, situational, institutional and attitudinal barriers to their effective and continuing
participation. Individuals would only avail of formal continuing education programs if they
perceive the benefits to outweigh the costs in terms of money, time, and effort.
A particular concern would be the learning divide at work. In the workplace, there
are individuals who are already well-qualified and who continue to be learners throughout
their lives, and there are those who either leave education largely unqualified or who neither
engage in learning as adults nor intend to do so in the future. This is what is known as the
learning divide. According to Conferido (1998), those who have fewer skills and are at the
lower ends of hierarchies of authority, autonomy, and pay at work also enjoy fewer formal
opportunities for learning through work. The same groups of people who miss out on
education in and after school are also likely to miss out on training opportunities at work.
The key factors affecting participation of adults are early school leaving, poverty, lack of
qualifications or skills, low status, lack of self-esteem and powerlessness.
Limited participation in CPE programs. By comparing the number of certificates
of compliance, exemptions, and undertaking issued in 1998 to the total number of
professionals registered in the PRC, the initial conclusion would be that relatively few have
actually undergone CPE programs since PRC Resolution No. 381 took effect. In the nursing
profession, for example, there are 69,390 delisted nurses (those who have failed to renew
their licenses) from the list of registered nurses of the PRC, an indicator that a significant
number of nurses failed to comply with the requirements of the law. Possible reasons for the
limited participation include the lack of adequate information provided by PRC and of the
different professional associations, and the cost involved in undergoing CPE programs. This
question of affordability, coupled with the low compliance rate, has, in fact, spawned

19

concerns among certain lawmakers who now question the wisdom of requiring CPE
programs for the renewal of professional licenses, given the fact that many people cannot
afford to pay for CPE programs.
Relevance of continuing education programs. Many professionals, particularly
those belonging to the professions regulated by the PRC, avail of continuing education
through seminars, conferences, and conventions because of government requirements
towards the renewal of their license to practice their profession, but relatively few have
chosen the path of graduate studies.
The issue raised is whether the continuing education programs availed of by local
professionals have really raised their level of competence and competitiveness. While the
variety of continuing education programs approved by the PRC is such that the individual has
a lot of choices, oftentimes, the tendency is to accumulate CPE points rather than to enrich
knowledge and to upgrade skills. This has led to a reexamination of the relevance and/or
quality of certain types of CPE topics covered and the method used in relation to other
programs.
Financing. Funding continuing education is a very important issue, and is probably
one of the most critical. Government taxation has proven to be inadequate, even in developed
countries, to cover the increasing diversified learning needs within modern societies. This is
especially pronounced in developing countries like the Philippines, where government has
limited financial resources, and could therefore allocate limited funds for continuing
education programs.
To supplement government resources meant for training, employer contributions have
been looked at as additional sources of funding. Whether requiring employer contributions
through payroll taxes is viable in the Philippines is a question that needs to be answered
given the economic condition of the country. Many companies are likely to be more
concerned with immediate business pressures, and are less likely to commit resources for
human resource development, particularly during economic crises.
Role of government. The government has already defined the roles of several
agencies (i.e. PRC, CHED, TESDA, DOLE) tasked with implementing or coordinating
continuing education programs in the country. It has also set up a mechanism to ensure that
professionals under the regulation of the PRC avail of CPE programs. Despite all these, the
government has yet to formulate, and agree on, a unifying framework on human resource
development, which could serve as basis for future sectoral plans, executive policies,
legislation, and other programs and projects (Conferido, 1998).
Among the issues that need to be addressed are the following: Should government
allocate more funds for continuing education? Which sectors should be given priority in
terms of government funding for continuing education? Should government pass new laws to
promote continuing education, or should it concentrate its efforts on implementing existing

20

laws and on improving the effectiveness of concerned agencies? The presence of a unifying
framework would help answer these questions.
Role of the private sector. The role of the private sector in providing continuing
education will become increasingly important because of several reasons. First, employers
would be looked upon as a source of funds for human resources development activities
because limited government funds would likely result in correspondingly limited budgetary
allocations for continuing education programs. Second, employers are the direct and visible
beneficiaries of well-trained and highly-skilled human resources.
The question, however, is whether Philippine companies are willing and able to set
aside a portion of their profits for the continuing education of their employees, or whether
they have the capability to embark on a sustained training program. The case of Japan, for
example, shows that while major companies are able to conduct education independently,
many of the medium and small companies do not have the ability to conduct education for
their employees by themselves and find it necessary to enlist the support of the public sector
(Research Department of Lifelong Learning, 1993).
Role of labor unions. Ma. Teresa Soriano, Officer-in-Charge-Executive Director of
the Institute of Labor Studies of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), revealed
that DOLE is encouraging labor unions to include continuing education as a major
component of their collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Soriano said that very few
CBAs actually have provisions concerning the education and training of workers because
labor unions normally concentrate their efforts towards improvements on wages and fringe
benefits.
DOLE is also advocating employment security through continuous training and
retraining of workers. As opposed to job security, which means keeping ones job,
employment security means remaining employable and easily getting another job even after
losing a job due to retrenchments or downsizing of companies. Most unions find it difficult to
accept the concept, choosing to focus on job security. The more progressive unions,
however, have already accepted employment security, and are, in fact, providing training to
their members towards this end.
A major issue, of course, is whether labor unions are prepared and willing to adopt a
paradigm shift with regards to their role given both the positive and negative effects of
liberalization and globalization on the labor sector. Are they prepared to cooperate closely
with management to ensure that their members remain employable through continuous
training and retraining efforts?
Role of higher education institutions. While higher education institutions (HEIs) in
other countries have taken a more active role in the provision of continuing education, HEIs
in the Philippines have so far a limited role. Tapping the extensive network of public and
private colleges and universities throughout the country could serve to make continuing
education more accessible to a greater number of people.

21

A major issue concerning HEIs is their capability to provide continuing education to

the general public, particularly to adults desiring to avail of it. One concern is the lack of
experts who can design the CPE curriculum and prepare modules exclusively meant for CPE.
This is a likely result of the weak link of HEIs with industry, which could serve as a source
of experts for continuing education. Consequently, the lack of experts means that there is a
limited pool of resource persons to conduct training programs.
The situation is rooted to the fact that most colleges and universities in the Philippines
have structures intended mainly to provide initial education, particularly to the 16-20-year
old age group. Very few institutions, in fact, have realigned their objectives or have
structured themselves to provide continuing education. The large demand for traditional
college education in the country is such that HEIs have largely ignored the market consisting
of adults willing to avail of continuing education programs.

22

5. Recommendations
On the assumption that continuing education is an alternative education strategy for
professionals and technical workers to improve their adaptability to the flexible labor market
adjustments and to be able to restore and protect their employment prospects as individuals
or as a group in the global market, the following suggestions are hereby proposed:
1. Formulation of a Unifying HRD Framework. The government is currently
working on a unifying framework on human resource development. This will
enable government to determine priority areas in the implementation of
continuing education programs, and to develop plans accordingly. It is also
expected to provide a better perspective in dealing with issues on globalization
and technological developments as they affect the level of competitiveness of the
countrys labor force.
It must also address issues concerning employment
security, as well as access and equity issues including the upliftment of the
conditions of the poor and other disadvantaged groups through education and
training.
2. Review of matrix of continuing education. Consider variations in the Matrix of
CPE Programs, Activities and Sources according to the needs and characteristics
of the profession, and according to international benchmarking. Give different
levels of accreditation to CPE providers, and then allow institutions with higher
levels of accreditation to reward correspondingly higher CPE credits. For
example, the credit units to be earned in completing the graduate program of the
UP College of Nursing should be more than what could be earned in completing
an ordinary graduate program with a lower accreditation level. The body granting
accreditation should establish standards based on internationally competitive
levels.
3. Adoption of graduated / progressive model of CPE programs. CPE programs
should be designed to include several certification levels (e.g. basic, intermediate,
advanced, and expert levels) which could be achieved by satisfying certain
qualification standards determined by the different professional associations,
using international benchmarks. This will make CPE programs more relevant,
promote constant improvement in the skills of professionals, and minimize the
occurrence of attendance in seminars and conferences for the sake of
accumulating credit units.
4. Improve the Monitoring of CPEs. If the CPE will continue to be the primary
responsibility of PRC and CHED, it is imperative that an improved monitoring
system be implemented to ensure that the primary objectives of the CPE is
achieved, that there is consistency in granting equivalent credit units across
professions, and that commercialization of trainings does not occur. This could be
done in close coordination with the recognized professional associations.

23

5. Greater access to education, training, and retraining. As part of government

policy toward technological change, education, training, and retraining must be
available to all during any period of significant technological change (Myers,
1980). Given the scarcity of resources, priority should be given to individuals
without skills or with lower-level skills to enable them to escape low-pay, poor
working conditions, and lack of growth prospects. This can be done through
TESDAs network of TVET schools, and through the formal educational system,
whether private or public.
6. Incentives for professionals and technical workers. Encourage professionals
and technical workers to return to formal education and training programs to
update or hone their skills. This can be done by firms through incentives such as
scholarships, promotion, reduction in the hours of work, time-off to study (study
leaves) and opportunities to share their learning to others.
7. Tax incentives to firms. The government can provide tax deduction as incentive
to firms that will actually provide continuing education through training and
retraining of their professionals and technical employees.
8. Needs identification and assessment. It is important to identify the needs of
professionals and technical workers based on technological developments, labor
market trends, and other economic factors. These will be used as inputs for the
types of programs and institutions, which will implement the programs. This
needs assessment can be done through regular surveys, interviews, and data of
firms on the performance level of their professional and technical employees.
Data can also come from professional agencies or organizations on national or
local levels.
9. Effective integration of education and employment. Emphasis should be given
by the education provider on the quality of learning, which is basically measured
in terms of applying the theories and skills learned in the actual workplace or
responding to the needs of the industry. This also necessitates that proper needs
assessment of the firms in the industry and the individuals level of competency
must be done by the education provider before any curricular or training design
will be developed for implementation. This also requires the conduct of training
evaluation based on the feedback of the participants and the firms which sent the
trainees to determine if there are positive contributions afforded to the companies
such as higher productivity.
10. Active tripartite cooperation. Employers and unions, with the support of
government, must work together in the spirit of mutual interest to achieve their
respective goals. Labor and management should agree to integrate provisions on
continuing education in their collective bargaining agreements to promote greater
employment security and labor productivity.

24

11. Financing schemes. The following options can be considered in financing

continuing education programs:
11.1. Government subsidy allocation of financial grants directly to educational
institutions and accredited training organizations; the provision of
education assistance either through scholarships or loans directly to those
disadvantaged groups (the disabled, unemployed, and youth) who had
minimal income but are very interested to avail of continuing education
programs; and financing government priority training programs for which
no industry is responsible, which can be done through TESDA and DOLE.
11.2. Employers support allocation of budget for training and retooling;
allowing employees to go on study leave without losing career
opportunities when they come back; giving scholarships or educational
loans; allowing employees on a flexitime schedule when they are on
training; and requiring employers to contribute a certain percentage of
their profits into a fund to finance continuing education of their employees
and those who are interested to acquire vocational education and training
particularly the unemployed.
11.3. Private sector funding donations through corporate foundations which
can be accredited as CPE providers.
12. Aggressive marketing campaign. Government agencies, such as TESDA and
DOLE, must actively promote their training programs (and their costs) meant for
professionals and technical workers. These agencies must coordinate closely with
firms, especially small and medium enterprises, which have less resource for
continuing education. Their information system must take into consideration the
different situations of the various industries where these professionals and
technical workers are employed all over the country.
13. Closer Cooperation between academe and other providers of continuing
education. Higher education institutions (HEIs) must streamline and improve
their methods and forms of cooperation with different agencies and organizations
involved in continuing education.
This should include a clear definition of
functions, rights and responsibilities, extent of support and incentives, and the
development of a mechanism responsible for continuing education inside the
institution of higher learning, in accordance with the whole system of higher
education. A possible cooperative arrangement would be for accredited HEIs to
grant a masters degree to professionals who have accumulated a certain number
of credit units from CPE programs leading to a certain specialization.
14. Restructuring of schools and HEIs. Major reforms in higher education
institutions will have to be done to promote continuing education among adults.
This will involve the realignment of institutional objectives, as well as changes in
the organizational structure, curricula, academic services, faculty hiring policies,
faculty development programs, and the budget. Curricula should embrace and
reflect social, economic, technological, and cultural issues. Alternative methods

25

of delivery, such as distance learning, must be made considered to provide more

education and skills training opportunities for more people.
15. Review of the law and guidelines concerning CPE. Certain sectors are
lobbying for the removal of the CPE requirement from the law even as others
caution against such a move. While the intent of E.O. No. 266 is laudable, the
experience of the PRC concerning continuing education during the past three
years ought to be evaluated to determine whether the intent of the law has been
realized.
16. Areas for further research. To gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon
of continuing education in the country, more in-depth studies could be undertaken
in the following areas: (a) the level of education/skills of the local labor force vis-vis the emerging demands for levels of education/skills by the globalizing labor
markets; (b) the individual and institutional motivations to pursue continuing
education; (c) the differing orientations of providers and receivers of continuing
education. Further inquiry could also be undertaken on the following: (d) the
specific profession and its unique requirements in terms of individual
competencies and proficiency levels in each of the competency areas and how
these change and are affected by the obtaining developments brought about by
globalization; (e) the professional himself or herself and his/he professional
practice, and how these practices affect his/her interests and motivations as a
practicing professional; and (f) the institution where the professional is allowed to
practice his/her profession and the institutions particular level of competitiveness
(Rivera, 1999).

26

6. Conclusion
Relevance and excellence are the two most over-used words in the jargon of this
globalization era. However, the primary goal of continuing professional/ technical education
in the Philippines is to develop meaningful and satisfying learning experiences that produce
the desired level of professional proficiency which emphasizes high levels of competence,
adeptness, and confident control, based on expertise, skill, and knowledge. A proficient
professional or technical worker must, therefore, have the capability and potential power to
perform well in a specific situation and to meet the demands or requirements of a situation or
work demand in the local or global markets.
This goal can only be achieved if major reforms in the school and university systems
will be done, if all resources both in the public and private sectors will be properly allocated
and utilized, if needs assessment of target beneficiaries of these programs will be properly
done, and, more importantly, if the government, in close coordination with the private sector,
through their association and industry representatives, will have the political will to
implement the proposed multi-pronged suggestions to ensure the viability and effectiveness
of continuing education programs in the country.
Education and training are very potent tools in the development of the countrys
human resources.
Aside from ensuring the employability of Filipino professional and
technical workers, continuing education addresses the mismatch between the knowledge and
skills of the labor force and the expectations of industry. More importantly, continuing
education ultimately leads to the upliftment of the countrys overall quality of life, providing
impetus for a sustained effort towards becoming a learning society.

27

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30

Appendix 1
Number of Registrants Per Year Across Professions
Profession
1.
2.
3.
4.

Accountancy
Aeronautical Engineer
Agricultural Engineer
Architect
Interior Designer
Landscape Architect
5. Chemical Engineer
6. Chemist
Chemical Technician
7. Civil Engineering
8. Criminologist
9. Customer Broker
10. Dentist
Dental Hygienist
11. Professional Electrical
Engineer
Associate Electrical Engineer
Assistant Electrical Engineer
Master Electrician
Registered Electrical
Engr.(REE)
Registered Master Elec.(RME)
12. Electronics Communication
Engr.
13. Environmental Planner
14. Forester
15. Geodetic Engineer
Junior Geodetic Engineer
Geodetic Engineer Aide
16. Geologist
Geologic Aide
17. Librarian
18. Master Plumber
19. Professional Mechanical Engr.
Air Condition & Refrigeration
Spec.
Mechanical Plant Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Certified Plant Mechanic
20. Medical Technologist
Medical Laboratory
Technologist
21. Metallurgical Engineer
Metallurgical Plan Foreman
22. Midwife

Number of Registrants Per Year (1994 to

1998)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998

Total Number of
Registrants as of May 26,
1999

2,026
11
184
442
102
9
459
77
3
3,066
633
106
1,077
0
64

1,256
57
72
557
54
9
639
211
7
3,066
712
137
1,104
0
134

1,573
23
90
604
30
6
441
166
0
3,334
827
124
1,224
0
14

1,726
17
210
668
24
6
412
179
0
2,959
1,057
167
1,571
0
9

2,104
23
219
808
49
8
437
172
0
2,549
909
104
1,391
0
29

98,388
481
4,481
15,124
673
119
22,019
8,069
589
84,117
6,638
3,084
40,030
0
3,115

0
1,405
648
0

0
2,008
945
624

0
449
178
4,212

0
103
53
9,646

0
26
0
5,155

3,653
31,698
17,591
21,458

166

564

798

1,345

1,609

2,426

1,728

1,785

2,042

21,605
19,328

3
443
218
626
0
10
0
415
40
40
0

253
449
169
501
0
16
0
374
35
41
0

119
333
186
371
0
20
0
435
55
91
0

21
379
168
362
0
26
0
268
60
101
0

16
450
204
168
0
28
0
377
104
187
0

414
6,772
5,009
5,754
0
1,383
66
2,223
2,467
3,508
0

0
612
100
2,135
103

0
2,612
146
2,169
73

0
1,866
59
1,344
68

0
1,543
66
1,463
30

0
1,724
103
1,686
68

0
54,907
9,340
38,018
3,183

12
7
8,022

22
7
8,833

27
0
6,292

22
0
4,017

24
0
3,503

428
0
126,569

31

Profession
23. Mining Engineer
Certified Mine Foreman
Certified Mill Foreman
Certified Quarry Foreman
24. Naval Architect
25. Nurse
26. Nutritionist-Dietitian
Dietitian
27. Optometrist
28. Pharmacist
Chinese Druggist
29. Physician
30. Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist Technician
Occupational Therapist
Technician
31. Radiologic Therapist
X-Ray Technologist
32. Sanitary Engineer
33. Social Worker
34. Sugar Technologist
35. Veterinarian
TOTAL

Number of Registrants Per Year (1994 to

1998)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
43
3
11
11
32
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
17
5
5
8
7
29,445 27,272 15,697 11,697
9,441
431
326
467
396
393
0
0
0
0
0
413
316
305
274
111
1,621
1,498
1,296
1,477
1,702
0
0
0
0
0
2,558
2,177
2,207
1,876
1,812
522
666
777
969
1,433

35

35

36

124

167

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

556
2,736
67
444

466
1,698
63
436

597
897
43
567

470
479
37
554

461
385
51
571

Total Number of
Registrants as of May 26,
1999

2,608
0
0
0
402
328,374
10,198
0
8,999
41,582
0
83,102
7,662
743
0
119

280

124

187

182

203

3,160
7,690
2,056
11,153
183
5,178

63,875

64,971

50,045

48,470

42,781

1,175,386

Source: Professional Regulatory Commission

Prepared by: Linda D. Macorol, OIC, Registration Division

32

Appendix 2. Number of accredited CPE providers

Regulated profession
Accountancy
Aeronautical engineering
Agricultural engineering
Architecture
Chemical engineering
Chemistry
Civil engineering
Custom broker
Criminology
Dentistry
Electronics and communication engineering
Electrical engineering
Environmental planning
Foresters
Geodetic engineering
Geology
Interior design
Landscape architecture
Librarian
Marine deck officer
Marine engine officer
Master plumbing
Mechanical engineering
Medicine
Metallurgical engineering
Midwifery
Mining engineering
Naval architecture and marine engineering
Nursing
Nutrition and dietetics
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical therapy / Occupational therapy
Professional teachers
Medical technology
Radiologic and x-ray technology
Sanitary engineering
Social work
Veterinary medicine
TOTAL

No. of accredited providers

67
1
13
21
16
30
17
17
10
121
9 (and 50 other multidisciplinary
providers)
22 (and 4 other multidisciplinary
providers)
5
5
8
4
5
Not available
30
53
53
3
28
230
7
63
19
6
360
26
8
34
52
116
77
25
2
33
15
1611

Source: Aggregated based on the raw data provided by the Continuing Professional Education Office,
Professional Regulation Commission (as of April 1999)

33

Appe ndix 3. Summary of certificates of compliance, exemption, and undertaking issued

(January-December 1998)*
Regulated profession
Accountancy
Aeronautical engineering
Agricultural engineering
Architecture
Chemical engineering
Chemistry
Civil engineering
Custom broker
Criminology
Dentistry
Electronics and communication
engg
Electrical engineering
Prof. EE
Reg. EE
Reg. Master electrician
Master electrician
Associate EE
Assistant EE
Environmental planning
Foresters
Geodetic engineering
Geology
Interior design
Landscape architecture
Librarian
Marine deck officer
Marine engine officer
Master plumbing
Mechanical engineering
Prof. ME
ME
Reg. ME
Cert. plant mechanic
ACRE
Mech. Plant engineer
Medicine
Metallurgical engineering
Midwifery
Mining engineering
Naval architecture and marine
engineering
Nursing

Compliance
1,226
36
76
NA
346
127
NA
169
122
1,217
570

Exemption
371
5
6
NA
104
9
NA
12
7
489
255

Undertaking
5,163
37
162
NA
722
123
NA
332
480
3,640
984

Total
6,760
78
244
NA
1,172
259
NA
513
609
5,346
1,809

235
550
6
258
16
311
60
424
NA
66
NA
NA
216
2,483
1,880
73

161
16
8
810
72
736
13
16
NA
12
NA
NA
8
5,248
6,437
27

283
409
0
575
116
954
84
300
NA
26
NA
NA
69
1,005
1,339
111

679
975
14
1643
204
2001
157
740
NA
104
NA
NA
293
8,736
9,656
211

80
1,018
15
21
0
0
6,045
10
6,728
44
15

52
941
2
53
2
4
1,039
6
1,478
14
10

11
2,517
26
126
2
0
2,965
13
5,041
89
29

143
4,476
43
200
4
4
10,049
29
13,247
147
54

14,313

9,467

17,376

41,156

34

Nutrition and dietetics

Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical therapy / Occupational
therapy
Professional teachers
Medical technology
Radiologic / x-ray tech.
Radiologic technologist
X-ray technologist
Sanitary engineering
Social work
Veterinary medicine
TOTAL

343
366
2,664
125

53
101
596
140

234
300
1,916
199

630
767
5,176
464

0
NA

0
NA

0
NA

0
NA

147
439
67
NA
246
43,153

77
208
34
NA
179
29,278

190
598
149
NA
234
48,929

414
1,245
250
NA
659
121,360

Source: Aggregated based on the raw data provided by the Continuing Professional Education Office,
Professional Regulation Commission
* Certificates of compliance are issued to those who have earned the required credit units. Registered
professionals who have reached the age of 65 years are given permanent exemption, while registered
professionals while working or practicing their professions, or furthering their studies abroad are given
temporary exemption. Certificates of undertaking are given to those who are in the process of earning their
credit units.

35

Appendix 4. Number of approved accredited programs (1996-1998)

Regulated profession
Accountancy
Aeronautical engineering
Agricultural engineering
Architecture
Chemical engineering
Chemistry
Civil engineering
Custom broker
Criminology
Dentistry
ECE
Electrical engineering
Environmental planning
Foresters
Geodetic engineering
Geology
Interior design
Landscape architecture
Librarian
Marine deck officer
Marine engine officer
Master plumbing
Mechanical engineering
Medicine
Metallurgical engineering
Midwifery
Mining engineering
Naval architecture and marine
engineering
Nursing
Nutrition and dietetics
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical / Occup. therapy
Professional teachers
Medical technology
Radiologic and x-ray tech.
Sanitary engineering
Social work
Veterinary medicine

1996
4
3
8
34
57
4
2
14
23
4
43
840
18
176
7
1

1997
2
88
60
63
9
4
13
31
16
136
3,828
10
165
16
2

1998
1
99
25
9
256
120
102
15
12
30
5
38
168
247
5
191
1,201
42
249
NA
2

Total
531
7
55
115
150
29
349
25
12
352
214
222
28
18
57
5
41
28
92
168
247
25
370
5,869
70
590
23
5

818
2
33

785
67
26
123
47
6
26
2
56
29

1,026
72
28
102
77
39
7
123
43

2,629
141
87
225
142
9
339
84
30
215
74

18
3
19
21
36
2

1. Source: Aggregated based on the raw data provided by the Continuing Professional Education Office,
Professional Regulation Commission

36

Appendix 5
PROGRAMS
1. SEMINARS/
CONVENTIONS
1.1 Participant

CREDITS UNITS

1 CU Per Hour

1.2

Resource Speaker

5 CU Per Hour

1.3

Panelist/Reactor

3 CU Per Hour

1.4 Facilitator/
Moderator
2. ACADEMIC
PREPARATION
(Residential & Distance
Mode)
2.1 Masters Degree

2.2 Doctoral Degree

2.3 Residency/ Externship

2.4 Fellowship

3. SELF-DIRECTED
LEARNING PACKAGE
3.1 Module

2 CU Per Hour

SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTS
CERTIFICATE
OF
ATTENDANCE with number
of hours, seminar program &
certified list of participants
PHOTOCOPY OF PLAQUE
OR CERTIFICATION &
COPY
OF
PAPER,
PROGRAM INVITATION
CERTIFICATION
FROM
SPONSORING ORG. &
COPY OF PROGRAM
CERTIFICATION
FROM
SPONSORING ORG. &
COPY OF PROGRAM

1 CU Per Academic Unit 30

CU Additional Upon
Completion of Degree

UNIVERSITY
CERTIFICATION DIPLOMA
&
TRANSCRIPT
OF
RECORDS
2 CU Per Academic Unit 450 UNIVERSITY
CU Additional Upon
CERTIFICATION DIPLOMA
Completion of Degree
&
TRANSCRIPT
OF
RECORDS
10 CU Per Year
HOSPITAL
CERTIFICATION
CERTIFICATE
OF
COMPLETION
15 CU Per Year
CERTIFICATION
FROM
THE
GRANTING
INSTITUTION,
CERTIFICATE
OF
FELLOWSHIP

10 CU Per Complete Set of

Module

COPY
OF
DULYACCOMPLISHED MODULE
AND EVALUATION

37

3.2 Technical Paper/

Professional Journal
Article
4. AUTHORSHIP
4.1 Research/ Innovative
Programs/ Creative
Projects
4.2 Book/Monograph
Single Author
2 Authors
3 or More
4.3 Editor
4.4 Article
Single Author
2 Authors
3 or More
4.5 Professional Journal
Editor
4.6 Peer Reviewer

5. INVENTIONS

1 CU/Professional/ Technical
Article

COPY
OF
DULY
ACCOMPLISHED ARTICLE
AND EVALUATION

10 Credit Units

DULY
CERTIFIED/
PUBLISHED ARTICLE AND
EVALUATION
PUBLISHED BOOK WITH
PROOF OF COPYRIGHT

[25-50Pp.] [51-100Pp.] [101

or more Pp.]
20 CU
30 CU 40 CU
10 CU
20 CU 30 CU
5 CU 10 CU 20 CU
OF THE CU OF
AUTHORSHIP
CATEGORY
[1-3 Pp.] [ 4-6Pp.] [7 or more
Pp.]
4 CU
6 CU
8 CU
3 CU
4 CU
6 CU
2 CU
3 CU 4 CU
5 CU Per Issue
2 CU/Article

6. POSTGRADUATE/ INSERVICE TRAINING

10-30 Credit Units per

Invention
0.25 CU Per Hour (Maximum
of 40 CU/Training)

7. STUDY/OBSERVATION
TOUR

2 CU/Day (Maximum of 30
CU/Tour?

8. PROFESSIONAL CHAIR

10 CU PER/CHAIR

PUBLISHED BOOK WITH

PROOF OF AUTHORSHIP
PROOF OF PUBLICATION
OF ARTICLE

COPY OF PUBLISHED
JOURNAL
DULY CERTIFIED COPY
OF PUBLISHED ARTICLE/
BOOK
CERTIFIED
COPY
OF
PATENT CERTIFICATE
CERTIFIED OF TRAINING
&
TRAINING
DESCRIPTION
CERTIFIED
FROM
SPONSORING
INSTITUTION
CERTIFIED OF GRANT OR
APPOINTMENT PAPER

9. SUCH OTHER
ACTIVITIES PREAPPROVED BY THE
COUNCIL WHICH ARE
IN COMPLIANCE WITH
THE OBJECTIVES AS
EMBODIED IN E.O. 266.

38

39

Appendix 6
TESDA OCCUPATION QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
Qualifications Standards

Set of Competencies*

Qualifications Assessment

Certification Level**

Technician/Master Craftsman

National License
Master Craftsmen/Technician

Certificate of Competencies (COSs)

Set of Competencies*

1st Class Certificate

National Certificate III

Operator III/Craftsman III

Certificate of Competencies (COSs)

Set of Competencies*

2nd Class Certificate

National Certificate II
Operator II/Craftsman II

Certificate of Competencies (COSs)

Set of Competencies*

3rd Class Certificate

National Certificate I
Certificate of Competencies (COSs)

Operator I/Craftsman I

INSTITUTION-BASED LEARNING, WORK/EXPERIENCE-BASED

LEARNING
* Each level has
several competencies. A Certificate of Competency (COC) will be issued upon completion/passing of test.
** Completion of all the competencies within a level will entitle a Statement Competency.
*** Certification will have a validity period which will be recommended by the sector through TAP.

40