THE COMMITTEE on Higher and Technical Education and the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation at the House of Representatives passed a measure that will enable professionals to access training and other career enhancement programs.

The two committees approved for plenary deliberations a substitute bill amending the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016.

The measure will remove CPD units as a requirement for the renewal of licenses.

It also provides free or inexpensive seminars by government departments, agencies and private companies for everyone to earn CPD units as well as mandatory paid leave.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said the amendments on the CPD law should give professionals opportunity for more training and other career enhancement programs.

“Professionals, in particular those working in government like public school teachers, nurses, and doctors, should not be burdened by the CPD. It is the government’s mandate to provide programs for their CPD and these should thus be provided as a service,” Castro said in a statement.

“We join the teachers, nurses and other professionals in their demand for accessible CPD programs responsive to their conditions and the needs for public service, not the demands of the private sector. We will continue to monitor the developments of the CPD bill and ensure that the demands of our professionals are heard,” she added.

“Kapaki-pakinabang sa mga guro at iba pang mga propesyunal ang Continuing Professional Development dahil kapag mahusay ang ating mga propesyunal, magiging asset ito ng gobyerno at ng kanilang employer, ngunit kailangan itong gawing libre at dekalidad,” she said.