Why do professionals need to execute an Undertaking before they can renew their Professional Identification Cards (PICs)?

Hi, the new implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law provides that, for renewal of license, at least 15 CPD units are required. However, Section 15.3 further states that ,an undertaking should be executed prior to the effectivity of the IRR to be qualified to the 15 units. What happens if we do not execute the undertaking? Does that mean, we still need to comply with the 120 units for us to renew?

Responses to this question:

The complete text of the subject provision is as follows:

Section 15.3 Professionals who executed an Undertaking prior to the effectivity of this Resolution shall only comply with the required number of credit units as amended pursuant to this Resolution equivalent to not more than fifteen (15) credit units.

Currently, professionals are allowed to renew their Professional Identification Cards (PIC) even without full CPD compliance until December 2020.

[READ: PRC allows Renewal of PIC even without full CPD compliance until December 2020]

However, professionals are required to execute an Undertaking before they can renew their PICs. The Undertaking serves as an Agreement between the professional and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) of the required CPD units that must be earned by the professional before he/she can renew his/her PIC again.

Prior to the issuance of the updated IRR of the CPD Law, that is, PRC Resolution No. 2019-1146, professionals who renew their license execute an Undertaking, indicating therein the required CPD units that they must earn.

[READ: PRC issues Updated IRR on the Implementation of the CPD Law]

With the updated IRR, professionals who already renewed their license and executed an Undertaking shall only need to earn 15 CPD units, even if they promised in their Undertaking to earn higher CPD units before their next PIC renewal.

Should the professional opt to not execute an Undertaking, he/she must ensure that he/she can submit the required CPD units, otherwise, he may not be allowed to renew his/her license.

Please note, however, that this measure is just temporary which means that the CPD requirements will eventually be returned to what is required under the CPD Law. Hence, as what we experienced when we renewed our license, the Undertaking only serves as a promissory note/agreement between the professional and the PRC of what will take place in the future or what should the professional undertake in the future. — GABOTAF

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