SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara on Tuesday urged the Professional Regulatory Commission to consider putting up satellite venues for licensure examinations scheduled this year.

Angara said this will help aspiring doctors, nurses, policemen, teachers and other professionals with financial and mobility concerns during the pandemic.

Licensure examinations are held in regional offices of PRC. This means that many examinees would have to travel far from their home provinces.

Angara said that aside from the cost of transportation, examinees will also have to look for lodging and because of the pandemic, undergo Covid19 testing.

“All of these add up and may prove to be prohibitive to many families. Ayaw naman natin na may mga graduate tayo na hindi matuloy sa kanilang PRC exam dahil sa laki ng kailangang gastusin sa panahon na ito,” he said.

The chairman of the Committee on Finance said the PRC can consider establishing satellite testing venues in provinces where there are over 100 examinees.

“LGUs can support the program by providing the venues for the exams and the personnel needed for this purpose. The PRC can just provide the necessary training for these personnel. By doing this, the cost should not be too much on the part of the government,” Angara said.

“During this time we need more doctors, nurses, policemen, and with the possible reopening of face-to-face classes soon, teachers, so we should find ways to increase their numbers,” he added.

The licensure exams for teachers and doctors are scheduled for September; nurses in November, and criminologists in December.

“If we can produce more of our frontliners during this pandemic then we should find ways to make this happen. Setting up satellite exam venues is one small way we can help in this effort,” Angara said.