Senator Mark A. Villar has filed a bill seeking to extend the validity of Professional Identification Cards (PICs) issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from three years to five years to ease administrative hurdles for Filipino workers.
Under Senate Bill No. 2391, or the “PRC ID 5-Year Validity Act,” all PRC-issued PICs will carry a five-year validity period, subject to compliance with existing legal and procedural requirements. Recent data shows there are more than 5,887,714 registered professionals across 65 PRC-regulated professions in the Philippines.
Villar stated that extending the expiration window will significantly reduce the time, expenses and administrative friction faced by professionals who must navigate frequent renewals. Currently, the PRC processes these transactions across its single central office, 14 regional branches, 21 satellite service centers and four offices located in One-Stop Service Centers for Overseas Filipino Workers.
“Our professionals have already invested years of study, training and continuing development to serve the country. We should not add unnecessary burdens to their work through frequent and costly renewal transactions,” Villar said.
“Extending the validity of the PRC ID to five years is a practical reform that will save our professionals time and money, reduce congestion in PRC offices and allow them to focus more on their careers, their families and the people they serve,” he added.
To support the transition, SB 2391 mandates the PRC’s Information and Communication Technology Service and related offices to upgrade system operations. This includes structural enhancements to the Licensure Examination Registration Information System (LERIS) alongside other core administrative workflows
Additionally, the measure directs the agency to finalize a revised assessment of annual registration fees within six months of the law’s effectivity.
Villar emphasized that the reform aligns with national initiatives aimed at curbing red tape and improving the efficiency of public service delivery.
“Every hour saved from unnecessary queues and every peso saved from repeated transactions can instead be spent on productive work and professional development. Through this measure, we are making government services more convenient for the people who help keep our country moving,” Villar said.