[ PRC RESOLUTION NO. 2008-422, February 19, 2008 ]

AMENDED GUIDELINES IN THE RELEASE OF PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD MEMBERS AND PRC PERSONNEL FROM THE CONFIDENTIAL PRINTING ROOM AND THE RELEASE OF COPIES OF TEST QUESTIONNAIRES TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARDS



WHEREAS, Section 7 (d) of R.A. No. 8981, otherwise known as the œPRC Modernization Act of 2000  empowers the Commission to administer and conduct the licensure examinations of the various regulatory boards in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by it and to adopt measures to preserve the integrity and inviolability of licensure examinations.

WHEREAS, there were recent incidents that could have compromised the integrity of the examinations that led to the re view of policies and procedures in the administration of licensure examinations.

WHEREAS, there are areas or practices in the preparation of test questionnaires inside the confidential printing room that could be possible sources of irregularities and therefore need to be addressed or changed, as follows:

1. Release of professional regulatory board members and PRC personnel from the confidential printing room one (1) hour after the test questionnaires for the last subject of the day are distributed to the examinees.

2. Release of copies of test questionnaires (one copy each of Set A and Set B) and Question Reference Report (QRR) to the professional regulatory board members when they leave the confidential printing room.

WHEREAS, there are licensure examinations with only one (1) subject scheduled for the day that usually end between the hour of 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the professional regulatory board members and PRC personnel assigned inside the confidential printing room are released at 9:00 O ™clock in the morning.

WHEREAS, with the long hours from release inside the confidential printing room up to the end of the examination, there is a room to doubt or there are speculations on the possibility of passing, transmitting or feeding, by the use of electronic gadgets or by any means, the questions and answers from those assigned inside the confidential printing rooms.

WHEREAS, to erase doubts of collusion or leaking of test questions and answers on the part of the professional regulatory board members and PRC confidential printing room personnel, there is a need to change the time of the release of copies of test questionnaires and question reference report (QRR) to the professional regulatory board members and of the PRC personnel assigned inside the confidential printing room.

WHEREFORE, the Commission resolves as it is hereby resolved to adopt the following guidelines and procedures in the preparation of test questionnaires inside the Confidential Printing Room:

1. For examinations with only one (1) subject, both the PRC Confidential Printing Room Personnel and the Professional Regulatory Board Member will be released at the end of the day when the subject is finished.

1.a. For examinations with two (2) or three (3) subjects for the day, the PRC Confidential Printing Room Personnel, the Professional Regulatory Board Member who owns the subject in the morning, and the Board Member/s who own the subsequent subjects for the day will be released at the end of the day when the last subject is finished.

2. The Supervisor of the Confidential Printing Room shall give the copies of the test questionnaires (one copy for Set A and Set B) to the Head of the Rating Division in a sealed envelope at the end of every examination day.

3. The sealed envelope containing the copies of the test questionnaires will be released to the Professional Regulatory Board Member (who owns the subject) by the Head of the Rating Division on the following day after his subject is given.

4. All Professional Regulatory Board Members are prohibited from answering the test questions while inside the Confidential Printing Room.

5. Anyone who will violate this Resolution will be subjected to disciplinary action under the Civil Service law, rules and regulations and R.A. No. 8981 and its implementing rules and regulations.

This Resolution shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in the official gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines whichever is earlier.

Let a copy of this Resolution be furnished the U.P. Law Center.

Adopted: 19 Feb. 2008

(SGD.) LEONOR TRIPON-ROSERO
Chairperson


(SGD.) RUTH RA A- PADILLA
Commissioner
(SGD.) NILO L. ROSAS
Commissioner