RP Embassy asks Saudi orgs to promote licensure exams

JEDDAH – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh are requesting officials of Philippine professional organizations in the kingdom to promote the Special Professional Licensure Board Examination (SPLBE) to increase the number of examinees and help the government maximize its resources and the program’s outcome. Charge d’Affairs Consul Romulo Victor Israel Jr. said the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) has noted that the examinee results turnout in the Middle East is low if assessed against the cost of the undertaking, based on the report of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on the status of the recent examinations. However, Israel said the PMS has recommended that the PRC continue holding the examination considering the cost and effort on the part of the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) should they return home to take the examination “Malaki ang gastos tapos konti lang ang nakapag-exam pero tuloy pa rin ang mga ito para hindi na umuwi at magastusan ang ating mga manggagawa sa pagkuha ng exam. Pero dapat maipaalam ito sa mga nagbabalak kumuha ng professional license para sa susunod na pagsusulit ay marami ang kumuha," Israel said. (The costs are high and only a few are taking the exams, but we’re still continuing it so that OFWs won’t have to go home and spend much just to take the exams. But is must be made known to those seeking to get a professional license so that come next exams schedule, more OFWs will take them.) Record gathered from the Embassy showed that a total of 1,254 OFWs in the Middle East took the examinations in the areas of accountancy, architecture and civil, electrical, electronics and mechanical engineering from November 26 to December 4 last year. Alkhobar registered the highest number of examinees at 452; 324 took the examinations in Qatar; 341 in Abudhabi; and 137 in Jeddah. Rosario Malicse, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy, said one of the factors contributing to the low turnout of the examinees is the absence of the venue to conduct the special examination in Riyadh. “Hindi kayang puntahan ng ating mga manggagawa ang pinagdarausan ng examination dahil sa layo ng distansya (Some OFWs are unable to go to the examination venue because it is too far)," explained Malicse. Because of this, Malicse said professional groups in Riyadh submitted a petition to the PRC requesting them to conduct the examination in their place. - Ronaldo Concha/KBK, GMANews.TV