The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking to extend the validity of Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) identification cards from three years to five years.
House Bill No. 8876, approved through viva voce voting, aims to reduce the cost, inconvenience, and time spent by millions of Filipino professionals on repeated renewals of their PRC cards.
Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, one of the authors of the measure, said the bill would allow professionals to devote more time to work and public service instead of going through frequent renewal procedures.
“Sa panahon ngayon, mahalaga na mapagaan natin ang gastos at abala ng ating mga propesyonal,” Romualdez said.
He said extending the validity of PRC IDs from three years to five years would help professionals focus more on their livelihood, careers, and service to the country.
The Leyte solon said teachers, nurses, engineers, architects, accountants, and other professionals play a vital role in the economy and deserve a simpler, faster, and more humane government process.
“Ang panukalang ito ay konkretong hakbang para bawasan ang red tape at gawing mas maginhawa ang serbisyo ng gobyerno,” he said.
The bill provides that all professional identification cards issued by the PRC shall be valid for five years, subject to compliance with existing legal and procedural requirements.
House leaders said the measure is part of broader efforts to modernize government services and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on the public.
House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos said the proposal would help professionals save time, money, and effort by cutting down the frequency of renewals and easing long appointment queues.
“Professionals should not have to spend unnecessary time and money on frequent renewals when we can provide a more efficient system without compromising professional standards and regulation,” Marcos said.
He added that the longer validity period would also help decongest the PRC appointment system by reducing the volume of annual renewal transactions.