ACT CIS Party-list Representative Eric Go Yap has filed a measure that seeks to provide free professional examinations to qualified indigents.

In his House Bill 10572 or the proposed Free Professional Examinations Act, Yap stressed that many educational institutions offer free tuition fees and scholarship to qualified indigent students but there are other costs that must be shouldered by the students in order to finish their degree or practice their profession.

“For some who have been struggling to afford education, the added expense of a professional examination is an outright burden,” Yap said.

“Since the sole purpose of licensure examination is to identify those eligible with enough knowledge and experience necessary to perform the tasks on the job safely and competently, financial capacity or lack thereof must not serve as a barrier for graduates to take the exam,” he added.

Yap further said that his bill will level the playing field among all future professional examination takers as it will enable graduates from low-income families to overcome the financial barrier to becoming a professional.

Based on the bill, an examinee shall secure certification as a qualified indigent from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The certification shall be presented to the Professional Regulation Commission, the Civil Service Commission or the Supreme Court of the Philippines, as the case may be, in lieu of the payment of examination fees.