Presidential son and Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte is out to repeal what he thinks is a burdensome law that incidentally was authored by one of his father’s most consistent critics.
“This CPD law is uncalled for,” Rep. Duterte said in a statement late Tuesday night, referring to Republic Act (RA) No. 10912 or the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016.
“To address this, we will file a bill repealing this anti-professional measure introduced by [former senator Antonio] Trillanes [IV],” vowed “Pulong,” who is a Deputy Speaker in the current 18th Congress.
The Davao congressman made the announcement just days ahead of the resumption of House sessions on May 4 and in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our proposed measure is also to serve as gratitude to our professional frontliners who continuously render their service to our nation, especially in this time of crisis. We have witnessed the selfless acts of our professional frontliners. They do not deserve the CPD law,” the solon stated.
The Trillanes law was enacted to upgrade the practice of Filipino professionals in line with the integration of economies of the member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as required by the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements, the Philippine Qualifications Framework, and the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework.
It mandates all professionals to take additional formal and non-formal training through CPD for the renewal of their Professional Identification Card every three years, effective July 1, 2017.
“While we support the lifelong learning among our professionals to further their craft, the requirements set by the CPD law just adds to the burden they have to deal with,” Rep. Duterte, son of President Duterte, said in justifying his promised bid to take down RA No. 10912.
“After a long day of work, they are forced to spend a bulk of their salary, take absences from work, and go through unreasonable hardships just so they can renew their licenses and continue the practice of their professions,” he said.
He further insisted that the government can help Filipino professionals meet global standards via other means, “without passing the burden to them.”
Because of the law, numerous professionals–whether employed or not–are forced to pay for trainings, seminars, or courses needed for the renewal of their licenses.
Meanwhile, those living or assigned at far-flung areas are forced to travel to major cities just for the purpose of filing applications and complete the required CPD units.
“This is long overdue. We will not just file it for the sake of filing. We will file this bill, seek support from our colleagues in Congress, and make sure that this is enacted as soon as possible,” Rep. Duterte said. (Ellson A. Quismorio)
