By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 August 2009
Call it politicking or professional move, the act of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to conduct licensure examinations for various professions which, was believed to be responsive to the promise of President Arroyo to the OFWs in the Middle East during her state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is for me a gallant one.
Ostensibly, this move is supposed to professionalize thousands of Filipino expatriates in the Gulf Region to date – meaning, not just Filipinos in Saudi Arabia but also in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and in the neighboring GCC member countries.
In a memorandum issued by the Commission through the Consular offices, graduates of Accountancy, Architecture, Civil, Electrical, Electronics & Communications and Mechanical Engineering may take their licensure (Board) examinations in Al-Khobar and Jeddah for Saudi Arabia, Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The examinations will take place on 26th to 28th of November 2009 and 2nd to 4th of December 2009 for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-Qatar and United Arab Emirates respectively.
Arguably, this project would entail a lot of expenditures: travel, hotel accommodation, food, per diem, supplies, proctors, etc. Digging deeply, budgets corresponding to these expenses have to be scrutinized and consequential concerns have to be addressed to.
In the last two weekends of March 2009, the first CPA Licensure Examinations was given in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. A total of thirty-one examinees struggled their way in to the finish but only three of them succeeded: two from Al-Khobar and one from Jeddah; three managed to land with three conditions. Out of this number, nineteen are candidates from Eastern Province (Dammam, Jubail, and Al-Khobar) and the remainder from Jeddah and its neighboring cities.
The project was jointly spearheaded by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Business Professionals Organization (BPO) of the Eastern Province in conjunction, of course, with the Professional Regulations Commission.
Incidentally, I would have been one of the candidates in the first batch for the CPA Licensure examinations; I backed out due to massive work loads and disinterests.
Now, let’s talk about the mortality rate: for the first batch of the CPA Board Examinations, the registered rate was 9.38%. When I took the same board examinations in 1991, it was only 7%.
The number of passers, to put it in layman’s terms, determines the kind of examinations and quality of review process that are taking place. In this I mean, we have to look into the qualifications of the reviewers, the condition and the location of the review center, the schedule of the review classes, the materials provided, the support accorded. Of course in education, there is what we call “teacher” and “student” factors as far as classroom excellence is concerned. However, arguably though, in professional reviews like this, these all play a vital role in the passing rate.
Which is why, out of thirty-two, only three candidates made it to the yellow line; three others are still romping to remove the conditions.
Point of argument: is the government, through the Professional Regulations Commission, willing to support this project all the way from qualifying the reviewers to materials to expenses? If at the end of the day the “organizers” would announce for additional charges to shoulder the travel expenses of the Board of Examiners, then ultimately this will defeat the purpose.
I am not saying that this happened in the previous Board Examinations, though I heard some news from the candidates themselves. This I am not sure, however. And no one can really tell. Something odd can happen; it can happen in fact in the Philippines.
Pardon me; I don’t claim it was happening in the Kingdom. But for the information of the general public, OFWs here spend more than what the regular review schools do offer. And where does the difference lie?
Transportation here is difficult. If the candidate does not have a company car, then he should take a taxi cab regularly while attending the review sessions and depending where he lives, taxi fare here is about SAR10.00 as minimum and SAR30.00 as maximum. Registration Fees here, which of course is managed by their respective organization in cooperation with the BPO registered the lowest of SAR1,000.00. Translated into the Philippine Currency, this is equivalent to Php12,800.00 average. Materials and books are paid in Saudi Riyals especially when these are ordered from the Philippines. Photocopies are a bit expensive here.
While “professionalizing” one’s self is surely an “investment” however, the government should consider that OFWs are also suffering financial setback in the Gulf Region due to the recent economic downturn experienced worldwide.
Which is why, if I may urge, President Arroyo must look into this project deeply, invest more money, and make people accountable at once sans politicking or electoral interests.
And just what is in the OFWs why the present administration is undertaking this project? Reasons abound! First, electoral votes; second, economic returns in terms of remittance; third, political interests; and fourth, not to mention the self-interests of the organizers assigned.
Anyway, good or bad intention, the great Filipino community is not accountable to it; it’s them. In whatever manner they carry out the project, it’s between them and the Ultimate Creator. These OFWs do not concern themselves with the sincerity of these public officials at the moment; what they are concerned of is how to become “professional” through this program.
Obviously, of course, OFWs deserve the same treatment in taking their respective board examinations here in the Gulf Region as those taking in the Philippines.
Truly, this undertaking is an investment to these workers who want to try their luck in procuring that most coveted PRC License. It is right and timely to call for a better protection for this interest.
Please, take heed!
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