Article I

Title, Policy and Definition of Terms

SECTION 1. Title.— This Act shall be known as the “Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy.— It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote and upgrade the

practice of professions in the country. Towards this end, the State shall institute measures that will continuously

improve the competence of the professionals in accordance with the international standards of practice, thereby,

ensuring their contribution in uplifting the general welfare, economic growth and development of the nation.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms.— The following terms shall be defined under this Act:

• Accreditation is important for architecture programs as it ensures that graduates have a solid
educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies,
and in anticipating the health, safety, and welfare needs of the public. Accreditation also provides
benefits to various members of the educational community by reflecting the quality by which an
educational institution or program conducts its business.

• AIPO/APO refers to the Accredited Integrated Professional Organization or the Accredited

• ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement or ASEAN MRA is an agreement among the member
countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to recognize and accept
qualifications, standards, and skills across various professions and industries. The primary objective
of the ASEAN MRA is to facilitate the mobility of professionals within the ASEAN region, promote
regional integration, and ensure that professionals from one member state are qualified to
practice their professions in another member state without the need for extensive retraining or
requalification.

• ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework or AQRF refers to the device that enables
comparisons of qualifications across ASEAN Member States;

• Authorship refers to the creation of scholarly idea/work such as technical or professional books,
instruction materials, design and the like;

• Competence refers to an ability that extends beyond the possession of knowledge and skills, which
include cognitive, functional, personal and ethical competence;
• Competency refers to the capability to apply or use a set of knowledge, skills and abilities required
to successfully perform and implement critical work functions or tasks in a defined work setting;

• Continuing Professional Development or CPD refers to the inculcation of advanced knowledge,

• CPD Council refers to a body created to promote and ensure the continuous improvement of
professionals, in accordance with national, regional and international standards of practice;

• CPD credit unit refers to the value of an amount of learning that can be transferred to a
qualification achieved from formal, informal or nonformal learning setting, wherein credits can be
accumulated to predetermined levels for the award of a qualification;

• CPD Program refers to a set of learning activities accredited by the CPD Council such as seminars,
workshops, technical lectures or subject matter meetings, nondegree training lectures and
scientific meetings, modules, tours and visits, which equip the professionals with advanced
knowledge, skills and values in specialized or in an interior multidisciplinary field of study, self-
directed research and/or lifelong learning;

• CPD Provider refers to a natural or juridical person accredited by the CPD Council to conduct CPD
Programs;

• Diploma Program refer to either a;

• Formal learning refers to educational arrangements such as curricular qualifications and teaching-
learning requirements that take place in education and training institutions recognized by relevant
national authorities, and which lead to diplomas and qualifications;

• Informal learning refers to learning that occurs in daily life assessed, through the recognition,
validation and accreditation process, and which can contribute to a qualification;

• Invention/Patent refers to an technical solution to a problem in any field of human activity which
is new, involves an innovative step and is industrially applicable;

• Learning outcomes refer to what a learner can be expected to know, understand and/or
demonstrate as a result of a learning experience;
• Lifelong learning refers to learning activities undertaken throughout life for the development of
competencies and qualifications of the professional;

• Nonformal learning refers to learning that has been acquired in addition or alternatively to formal
learning, which may be structured and made more flexible according to educational and training
arrangements;

• Online learning activities refer to structured or unstructured learning initiatives, which make use
of the internet and other web-based Information and Communications Technology solutions;

• Pathways and Equivalencies refer to mechanisms that provide access to qualifications and assist
professionals to move easily and readily between the different education and training sectors, and
between these sectors, and the labor market, through the Philippine Credit Transfer System;
• Philippine Qualifications Framework or PQF refers to the quality assured national system for the
development, recognition and award of qualifications at defined levels, based on standards of
knowledge, skills and values, acquired in different ways and methods by learners and workers;
• Post-graduate Academic Studies refer to master's or doctoral degree/s, diploma/s or certificates
earned after the completion of a baccalaureate degree or course from a school, college or
university, or other institutions recognized by pertinent government bodies;
• Prior learning refers to a person’s skills, knowledge and competencies that have been acquired
through work experience, training, independent study, volunteer activities and hobbies, that may
be applied for academic credit, as a requirement of a training program or for occupational
certification;
• Professional refers to a person who is registered and licensed to practice a regulated profession in
the Philippines and who holds a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification
Card (PIC) from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC);
• Professional Work experience refers to any participation that a professional gain while working in
a specific field;
• Professorial Chair refers to an academic position awarded to a member of a faculty at the tertiary
level who has distinguished himself/herself in the field of expertise;
• Qualification refers to a status gained after a person has been assessed to have achieved learning
outcomes or competencies in accordance with the standard specified for a qualification title, and
is proven by a document issued by a recognized agency or body;
• Resource Person refers to a lecturer, speaker, presenter, panelist, reactor or analyst in a specialized
field of professional educational activity;
• Quality assurance refers to planned and systematic processes that provide confidence in the
design, delivery and award of qualifications within an education and training system, and is a
component of quality management that is focused on ensuring that quality requirements will be
fulfilled; and
• Self-directed learning refers to learning activities such as online training, local/international
seminars/nondegree courses, institution/company-sponsored training programs, and the like,
which did not undergo CPD accreditation but may be applied for and awarded CPD units by the
respective CPD Council.
 • Specialty Training refers to a non-degree post-graduate training program such as externship,
residency and fellowship in specialty and sub-specialty program/s

RULE IV
SECTION 14

Funding. — The implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be immediately included in
the PRC programs, the funding of which shall be included in its annual submissions for inclusion in the
annual General Appropriations Act.

The funding requirement herein mentioned shall be used for the regular operations of the CPD Councils,
including the monitoring of the conduct of the CPD Programs.

The PRC shall review and approve the proposed budget for each CPD Council, taking into consideration
the reasonable expenses that will be incurred for travel, honorarium/allowances, and per diems, when
attending official CPD Council meetings or performing other related functions assigned to them.

SECTION 15

Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The PRC and the PRBs, in consultation with the
AIPO/APO and other stakeholders, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) within
six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. However, a PRB may prescribe its own requirements or
procedure relating to the CPD as may be pertinent and applicable to the specific profession: Provided,
That the same does not contravene any of the provisions of this Act and its IRR.

SECTION 16

Fraud Relating to CPD.— Fraudulent acts relating to the implementation and enforcement of
this Act shall be punishable under the pertinent provisions of the Revised Penal Code, the New Civil
Code, and other applicable laws.

In addition to the penalties prescribed in the aforementioned laws, a professional who is adjudged guilty
of any fraudulent act relating to the CPD shall also be meted with the penalty of suspension or
revocation of his/her PRC Certificate of Registration and/or Certificate of Specialization. In case of a
government official or employee who is party to any fraudulent act relating to the CPD, he/she shall also
be subject to the administrative penalties that may be imposed under the anti-graft laws, the
Administrative Code and the Code of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees.

SECTION 17

eparability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional,
the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 18

Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders and other administrative issuances or
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 19

Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in the
Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.