ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro on Thursday urged the Professional Regulation Commission to find a way to safely conduct Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers amid the pandemic.

She issued the call as the agency again postponed the exam.

“This will be the 4th postponement of the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers in NCR, Lucena, Romblon and Butuan. The PRC said requests for transfer of examination testing centers will no longer be entertained and affected examinees would have to again wait for the next schedule of exam,” Castro said.

“Another batch of education graduates in these areas will not be able to take the BLEPT exam and the employment of teachers in both the public and private schools hired under Section 8 of RA 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 will be affected for their failure to comply with the requirements under the provision,” she added.

Castro stressed that the PRC Commission should find ways to safely conduct the board examinations. Otherwise, there will be a shortage of professionals if the commission will simply wait for the end of the pandemic before it resumes examinations.

“There will be a shortage of teachers especially in the new normal where there should be fewer students in a class,” Castro said.

She urged her colleagues in the House of Representatives to adopt House Joint Resolution 39 calling for the suspension of the five years requirement of licensure examination for teachers.

“Habang tumatagal na hindi natutuloy ang BLEPT, lalong dumarami rin ang nangangambang mga guro na hired sa ilalim ng probisyong ito ng RA 10533. Ngayon pa lang, marami na tayong nakukuhang mga report na natanggalan na ng trabaho dahil sa pagsuspinde ng exam para sa BLEPT,” Castro said.