Senator Lito Lapid has introduced a bill aimed at exempting financially challenged college graduates from paying fees for government-administered professional examinations.
Lapid highlighted that for many graduates from impoverished families, the cost of licensure exams presents a significant barrier to starting their careers. He emphasized the need for the government to alleviate this burden by allowing underprivileged graduates to take these exams at no cost.
The proposed Senate Bill No. 276, also known as the “Free Professional Examinations Act,” seeks to exempt qualified indigents—those with no visible income or whose earnings are insufficient for their family’s basic needs, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)—from paying professional examination fees.
This exemption would apply to licensure exams conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), eligibility exams by the Civil Service Commission, and the bar exams administered by the Supreme Court.