Salceda: Extend PRC License Validity from Current 3 Years to 5 years for doctors, nurses; or 10 Years for teachers, police; reduce Red Tape and CPD Costs for Professionals

May 19th, 2025

Office of Congressman-elect Raymond Adrian Salceda

LIGAO CITY — Once he takes his oath as Congressman of Albay’s 3rd District, Raymond Adrian Salceda will file a measure that seeks to overhaul the country’s professional licensing system by extending license validity and reducing compliance burdens on professionals. The bill and supporting economic impact studies are already finalized and ready for formal filing.

The proposed “Professional License Rationalization and CPD Access Act” will extend the validity of professional licenses issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from the current three (3) years to either five (5) or ten (10) years, depending on the nature of the profession.

Professions will be reclassified as:

• Dynamic Professions, such as those in healthcare and information technology, which will renew every five (5) years; and
• Established Professions, such as teaching, librarianship, and criminology, which will renew only every ten (10) years.

“We’re targeting unnecessary red tape. The law should distinguish between fast-changing professions and those with long-established practices. A blanket three-year renewal cycle is wasteful and unfair,” Salceda said.

CPD Should Be Free for Public Servants

The bill mandates that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs be provided free or subsidized for professionals in the service of public interest — such as teachers in the Department of Education, government nurses, and uniformed personnel like the Philippine National Police.

“As LMP President in Albay, I’ve already helped deliver free CPD to our professionals,” Salceda said. 

“But we can’t keep solving this piecemeal. We need structural reform. That’s what this bill does.”

Costs and Red Tape Burden

Salceda emphasized that under the current setup, many professionals — especially those in the public sector — spend as much as ₱15,000 over 10 years to maintain their license due to renewal fees and CPD expenses. The proposed reform could reduce that to below ₱2,000.

“This isn’t about weakening standards — it’s about removing senseless burdens. Professionals should focus on their work, not on chasing certificates and receipts every three years.”

International Precedents Support Reform

Salceda cited examples from Canada, where aircraft maintenance engineers hold 10-year licenses; New Zealand, which offers teachers extended certification validity; and Germany, where doctors are licensed for life with strict CPD and ethics systems in place.

The bill also mandates a five-year ethical review to ensure accountability across the board.

“We’ve benchmarked this against global systems. We also ran economic modeling. The numbers show this reform is a win-win: professionals save money and time, and the government can focus on real regulation,” Salceda said.