SEN. Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill exempting qualified indigents from paying board examination fees.
Tulfo said on Sunday that through Senate Bill 2035 or the proposed Free Professional Examinations Act, poor college or university graduates could “achieve their dream profession and improve their lives.”
Included under SB 2035 are the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) board exams, civil service eligibility exams, and Bar exams.
“It is a reality for many Filipinos to finish school but never get the license they worked hard for due to a lack of funds,” Tulfo said in a statement.
“Instead of paying for licensure exam fees, they tend to start working — often becoming underemployed — just to get by,” he said.
Tulfo said this gap not only deprives poor Filipinos of opportunities to improve their lives but also limits the country’s pool for the next generation of licensed professionals.
Under the proposal, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will determine who will be exempted from paying the board exam fees.
The DSWD will issue the certification to be presented to the Professional Regulation Commission, Civil Service Commission, or Supreme Court.
Tulfo said that to ensure the bill’s objective is met, availing of this benefit is limited to only once a year.