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Reforming the CPD Act: A Call for Fair, Accessible, and Meaningful Professional Development in the Philippines

 

📚 Reforming the CPD Act: A Call for Fair, Accessible, and Meaningful Professional Development in the Philippines

Published on Engineer Cokie's Civil Engineering Blog
📅 Updated: May 2025 | 🏷️ Tags: CPD Act, PRC, Professional Development, Philippines, Engineers, Policy Reform

🔔 Editor's Note: This article expresses the real-world frustrations of Filipino professionals on the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act and urges thoughtful reform. It supports a future where continuing education is fair, accessible, and genuinely beneficial—not simply bureaucratic.

✉️ Open Letter: To Whom It May Concern

I am writing on behalf of countless licensed professionals in the Philippines who are deeply concerned about the current implementation of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act, officially known as Republic Act No. 10912.

Despite the good intentions behind the law—to maintain professional competence and global competitiveness—the actual execution has sparked frustration, inequity, and financial burden.

🌐 The New Era of Learning: Why the Old System No Longer Fits

In today's digital world, continuous learning is more accessible than ever:

  • 🎓 Free online courses from platforms like Coursera, edX, and TESDA

  • 📺 YouTube educational channels led by industry professionals

  • 🤖 AI-assisted self-paced learning with personalized recommendations

All of these are available for a fraction of the cost of traditional seminars.

💡 Why pay ₱1,500+ for a 3-unit seminar when equally or more valuable knowledge is available online for free or at minimal cost?

⚖️ Unequal and Unfair: The CPD Unit Allocation Problem

One glaring issue is the inconsistent allocation of CPD units. For example:

  • A seminar on construction safety may award:

    • 🏗️ 15 CPD units to architects

    • 🧱 Only 3 CPD units to civil engineers


This misalignment is not only irrational but unfair to professionals whose fields are directly related to the subject matter. It undermines the very goal of CPD—to enhance relevant professional competencies.

🧾 The Reality of CPD Seminars: Compliance Over Learning

A significant number of CPD activities appear to serve more as checklist requirements than genuine learning opportunities. Consider these common scenarios:

  • 📍 Onsite Seminars: Attendees sign in, enjoy the meals, and leave early.

  • 💻 Online Seminars: Participants log in, mute the session, and go about their day.

These behaviors are not the fault of professionals—they are symptoms of a flawed system that values attendance over actual engagement and learning.

💸 Financial Burden: CPD Shouldn't Be a Business

What was intended as professional enrichment has become a lucrative business for some CPD providers. Fees often range from ₱1,000 to ₱5,000 per session, with little assurance of educational quality.

⚠️ This model disproportionately affects low-income professionals, provincial licensees, and those in public service.

📢 A Call for Reform: What Needs to Change?

We respectfully urge the following government bodies to review the current CPD implementation:

  • 🏛️ Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)

  • 🏢 Congress and Senate Committees on Civil Service and Education

  • 🏛️ Office of the President of the Philippines

Suggested Improvements:

✅ Recognize free and verifiable online courses as valid CPD
✅ Establish standardized unit allocation based on content relevance
✅ Make CPD events affordable, transparent, and monitored
✅ Encourage actual learning outcomes over attendance logging
✅ Audit CPD providers for compliance and quality assurance

🤝 Together for a Better CPD System

The Filipino professional community is not against CPD. In fact, we embrace lifelong learning. But we ask for a system that is:

✔️ Fair
✔️ Accessible
✔️ Effective
✔️ Free from abuse

We remain hopeful that meaningful reforms will be implemented in the near future, for the benefit of both professionals and the industries they serve.

📌 Hashtags for Visibility

#CPDReformNow #PhilippineEngineers #PRCUpdates #RA10912Review #CPDActChange #EngineerVoices #ContinuingEducationPH

📚 References

  1. Republic Act No. 10912 (CPD Act of 2016) – https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2016/07/21/republic-act-no-10912/

  2. TESDA Online Courses – https://e-tesda.gov.ph

  3. PRC CPD Guidelines – https://www.prc.gov.ph

  4. Cruz, R. (2021). Challenges in the Implementation of CPD Law in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Public Administration.

💬 What’s your experience with CPD? Comment below and let your voice be heard!


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