TACLOBAN CITY – The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Regional Office VIII is planning to launch a multimillion-peso project aimed at computerizing licensure examinations, with an estimated budget of P9 million. The project is expected to be rolled out by the third quarter of 2025.
PRC-VIII Regional Director Armond M. Englis announced that the office is currently in the procurement phase for securing a venue for the Computer-Based Licensure Examination (CBLE). Following this, plans for upgrading the region’s internet infrastructure will be set into motion.
The CBLE will utilize fully computerized facilities, including laptops connected via a virtual private network (VPN) in a securely proctored venue. This ensures the integrity and credibility of the exam while offering a more efficient and streamlined process.
Director Englis emphasized that the CBLE’s introduction will bring several advantages. Aside from faster and more systematic results, the digital approach will help reduce logistical costs, save time, and optimize resources used in conducting the exams. Moreover, the use of ICT infrastructure will minimize the need for classroom rentals in various public and private schools, avoiding any disruptions to regular classes.
While the CBLE will be implemented alongside traditional pen-and-paper exams, priority will be given to licensure examinations with fewer candidates. This hybrid approach will ensure a smooth transition while accommodating all types of examinations.
This move is part of PRC’s ongoing modernization efforts to replace traditional paper-and-pencil tests. The computer-based format allows examinees to type their answers directly into the system, facilitating quicker processing and enabling results to be released on the same day the examination concludes.
Since the passage of the PRC Modernization Act in 2000, the agency has progressively embraced digitalization to improve services for professionals and aspiring professionals across the country.
In 2024 alone, PRC-VIII administered licensure exams to 21,435 examinees. Among the examinations conducted in the region over the past three years were those for professional teachers, criminologists, medical technologists, nurses, architects, civil engineers, real estate brokers/appraisers, master plumbers, physicians, fisheries professionals, geodetic engineers, mechanical engineers, pharmacists, agricultural and biosystems engineers, midwives, agriculturists, and radiologic technologists. | AHLETTE C. REYES via Samar Chronicle
