Yes, you can renew your PRC license even without or with incomplete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units. … Due to the transition period, professionals are now allowed to renew their PRC IDs even without fully complying with the required CPD units

Is it okay to renew PRC license without CPD units?

Yes, you can renew your PRC license even without or with incomplete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units.

This has been the existing policy since the PRC amended parts of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the CPD Act of 2016 through the PRC Resolution No. 2019-1146³.

In case you’re wondering, the CPD or Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 basically requires all professionals to earn a specific number of units (which varies according to your profession) before they’re allowed to renew their licenses. These CPD units can be earned by attending development programs like online courses, seminars, and graduate studies.In the new resolution, PRC stated that it will follow a transition period in order to comply with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law. Due to the transition period⁴, professionals are now allowed to renew their PRC IDs even without fully complying with the required CPD units.

Originally, applications without or with incomplete required CPD units are supposed to be accepted only until December 2020. However, because the COVID-19 health crisis has prevented professionals from attending the seminars and learning activities (which apparently involve mass gatherings) needed to earn the required CPD units, the PRC recently extended the deadline until December 31, 2025/2026⁵, as already shown in the official LERIS website (see the screenshot below).

In other words, the PRC won’t fully implement the CPD units requirement until December 31, 2025/2026.

Despite the social distancing measures maintained in order to arrest the further spread of the virus, the PRC suggested the following ways professionals can still earn CPD credit units during the pandemic:

• Informal learning. This covers learning activities you can do at home that can still contribute to a qualification. Examples are reading books and journals to learn leadership, management, and other skills; Learning VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and instant messaging through cloud-based video conferencing tools to meet with co-workers; etc.
• Professional work experience. This refers to activities at your workplace (or at home) that are related to your profession like learning how to design modules for online teaching; reading books and other printed sources of information to specifically improve your professional knowledge and skills; providing consultancy services to clients; etc.
• Self-directed learning. This includes all activities you personally took the initiative to learn either through “volunteer engagement” or “professional activity”. The learning may be acquired through online training, seminar, and sponsored training programs that although didn’t have CPD accreditation may still be awarded CPD units by the authorized CPD Council.

Earning CPD units through the self-directed learning was exemplified by the recent granting of up to 45 CPD credit units⁶ to all professionals who rendered essential services during the pandemic.

Through the PRC Resolution No. 1239, Series of 2020, PRC has granted a maximum of 45 CPD units to qualified professionals with active participation during the pandemic like health and emergency frontliners in government health facilities, private health workers, Philippine Red Cross volunteers, researchers and scientists who developed the COVID-19 test kits, and many more.As for the other professionals who are not covered by this resolution, you may still renew your PRC license even with no or incomplete CPD units.

However, there’s no need for you to submit a separate Affidavit of Undertaking to prove that you’ll comply with the CPD requirements come January 2025/2026. All you have to do is complete the online renewal application form which already has an “Undertaking” section provided specifically for this purpose.

It must be noted that the following professionals are NOT required to comply with the CPD units requirement:

• Professionals working overseas (OFWs). They can renew their licenses anytime without the need to earn the CPD units which are only required for Philippine-based professionals.
• Newly-licensed professionals. For newly-licensed professionals, the requirements will only apply to them on their second renewal cycle.

Under the new guidelines, how many CPD units are required for the PRC license renewal?

In the old resolution, the minimum CPD requirement is 45 units. However, during the transition period (meaning after December 2025/2026), the required CPD credit units shall be reduced to a minimum of 15 units (to be earned every 3 years).

There are exception to this relaxed provisions though. These are:

1. Professions that are required to earn a SPECIFIC number of CPD credit units for license renewal by their respective Professional Regulatory Laws. For example, social workers and real estate brokers are both required to acquire 45 CPD units prior to license renewal by specific laws governing their professions (Section 26 of RA 10847 for social workers and the RA 9646 or the Real Estate Service Act for the real estate brokers/real estate professionals).
2. Professionals who intend to practice their professions in countries covered by bilateral, regional, or international agreements like the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs). For example, although 15 is the minimum CPD units required for Philippine-based Certified Public Accountants (CPA), this will increase to 120 if they’re going to apply for BOA accreditation to be recognized as a professional accountant abroad. This is the current CPD unit requirement of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and because the Philippine is a member of this organization, all accountants who want to be recognized as a professional outside the country must comply with their requirements.

How much is the PRC license renewal fee?

The cost of renewing your PRC license does not come cheap since it will be valid for another three years.

These are the fees that professionals will pay when renewing their licenses:

• For professions requiring a baccalaureate degree: Php 150 per year or a total of Php 450 (for 3 years)
• For professions requiring a non-baccalaureate degree: Php 140 per year or a total of Php 420 (for 3 years)

If you’ll renew your license 20 days after your birth month, the following additional fees will apply:

• For professions requiring a baccalaureate degree: Php 30 surcharge
• For professions requiring a non-baccalaureate degree: Php 28 surcharge