Bello floats idea to abolish licensure exams

MANILA, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday floated the idea of abolishing licensure exams, especially for nursing and law, arguing that people seeking to enter professions where these are needed have already taken enough tests as students.

“Napakamahal kumuha ng kursong nursing. Kukuha sila ng four years, after graduating, kukuha sila ng board exam. Bakit pa kailangan ng board exam eh ilang exam ang dinaanan nila sa nursing?” Bello told a news conference.

(It’s very expensive to take the nursing program. They’ll take it for four years, after graduating, they’ll have to take the board exam. Why do they need that when they’ve taken so many exams in the nursing program?)

“Palagay ko hindi na kailangan, especially so kung ‘yong eskwelahan ay accredited by no less than the CHED (Commission on Higher Education). Hindi ka ba naniniwala sa mga eskwelahan nating accredited by CHED?” he added.

(I think a test is not needed, especially if the school is accredited by no less than the CHED. Don’t you believe in our schools accredited by CHED?)

Aside from nursing, Bello said licensure exams to practice engineering, dentistry and law should be abolished.

“Why don’t we do away with Bar [Exam?] Tutal ‘yong estudyante may four years pre-law, four years [law school] proper, dadaan ka sa rigorous scrutiny, graduate ka as Ll.B. (Bachelor of Laws) graduate, tapos pak, dadaan ka pa sa Bar,” he said.

(Why don’t we do away with the Bar Exam? A student goes through four years of pre-law, four years of law school proper, you’ll pass through rigorous scrutiny, you’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Laws, then you’ll have to pass the Bar.)

Bello admitted that his proposal is still just an idea, but said that he did tell the Philippine Nurses Association and the Board of Nursing during a meeting to study it so they can propose to Congress to amend the law requiring licensure exams for nursing.

He also said the removal of licensure exams may be his pet bill should he make a return to Congress. — Xave Gregorio