Discussing matters concerning the standardization of the validation processes of the credentials for professional Filipino engineers and architects living and employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) met the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) last November 29, 2022, at the PRC-PICC Office, Pasay City.

Participating on behalf of the Commission are its officials consisting of PRC Chairperson, Hon. Charito A. Zamora, and its Commissioners, Hon. Dr. Jose Y. Cueto, Jr. and Hon. Erwin M. Enad; Professional Regulatory Board of Electrical Engineering (PRB-EE) Chairperson, Hon. Francis V. Mapile, other PRC employees, and representatives from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Council of Engineers and Architects.

On the other hand, attending for the SCE are General Manager of Shared Services, Engr. Bandar Abdullah Alqahtani; and General Manager of Business Development, Engr. Mesfer Aljafar.

Going through the discussion, the SCE mentioned the possibility of adapting system alignment between the database of concerned government agencies and the system of KSA, thereby eliminating multiple steps and human intervention for automated verification of professional qualifications and bringing down the processing time.

In response to the initiative to digitize, PRC presented the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the SCE and the Philippine Council of Engineers and Architects way back in January 2014, asserting some inclusions for its revision, which includes: non-technical matters, including equivalency, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and additional qualifications and credentials to be aligned. It was also agreed that a technical working group will be created to work on the technical requirements, including the cyber security protocol, during the digital integration.

They also discussed the upcoming Special Licensure Examination (SPLE) to be administered by PRC in KSA and other matters concerning the said examination.

Honorable Erwin M. Enad rendered the closing message and thanked everyone for sharing their support, input, and thoughts on the present endeavor. He also expressed his hope for a fruitful collaboration between the SCE and the PRC with the aim to improve the facilitation of the mobility of Filipino Engineers and Architects to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as create more employment opportunities for Filipino professionals.