PRC sets up online verification of professional licenses, ID renewal

Individuals, including employers, can now verify online if a professional is licensed, while professionals can now renew their identification cards over the Internet. This was made possible by the two Internet-based systems launched recently by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) — the Online Verification of Filipino Professionals (OVFP) and the Online Renewal Application System (ORAS). The OVFP, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is part of an intensified campaign against fraudulent documents and fake professionals. The PRC is an attached agency of DOLE. “With the system… the days of con men producing fake documents, including unscrupulous persons posing as professionals to defraud the public, are over," said DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz in a news release. Baldoz explained that through the OVFP, employers or any person can check with the system, accessible through the PRC website, the authenticity of the professional license or if the professional is in good standing. (OVFP link here) She urged the public to report to authorities individuals who are claiming to be licensed, or producing fake documents. According to DOLE, some 4,000 individuals have benefited from the system since its soft launch on December 17. A check on the site, however, showed only searches for maritime professionals are allowed. While the notice on the site also says one can do a search based on the name of the person or the license number, only the latter is functional for searches on marine deck and engineer officers, while both search options are applicable for radio personnel and other maritime professionals. Apart from the online verification, the PRC also launched ORAS, an automated system which allows Filipino professionals in the Philippines and abroad to renew their Professional Identification Cards (PIC) without having to fly back home or fall in line at the PRC offices. PRC chair Nicolas Lapeña said ORAS gives professionals, primarily those overseas, an alternative means of applying for renewal of their PICs without having to go the PRC offices. (ORAS link here) He said the system is designed to save professionals time, money and effort, and that the transactions covered include the renewal, reprinting and duplication of the PIC. As of the moment, however, only maritime professionals as well are able to use the online renewal system. Baldoz said the two systems are part of the PRC 24/7 eServices, designed to protect the integrity of PRC documents and eliminate the long queues of professionals transacting with PRC offices daily. The other components of PRC 24/7 eServices include the following: (1) Online Verification of Rating, for examinees to check their rating or grade in any licensure examination through the PRC website; (2) Online Verification of Eligibility System, for government entities to verify records of professionals; (3) Online Verification of room assignment, for examinees to verify their room assignments during licensure tests; (4) Online Verification of Academic Records, to verify academic records from schools whose graduates are about to take licensure tests; and the (5) Professional Identification Card Availability Verification, which enables professionals to verify the availability of their PRC card. – Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV