Inhibition Against the Practice of the Teaching Profession

Except as otherwise allowed under this Act, no person shall practice or offer to practice the teaching profession in the Philippines or be appointed as teacher to any position without having previously obtained a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional license from the Commission.

Penal Provisions

The following shall be punishable by a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) nor more than twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than five (5) years or both at the discretion of the court.

1. Any person who practices the teaching profession in the Philippines without being certified in accordance with the provisions of this Act;
2. Any person who represent or attempts to use as his own certificate of registration that of the other;
3. Any person who gives any false, or fraudulent evidence of any kind to the Board or any member thereof in obtaining a certificate of registration as teacher.
4. Any person who impersonates any registrant of the same or different name;
5. Any person who uses a revoked or suspended certificate of registration;
6. Any person who, in connection with his name, otherwise assumes, uses or advertises any title or description tending to convey or conveys the impression that he is a teacher without holding a valid certificate; and
7. Any person who violates or who abets the violation of any of the provisions of this Act. The penalty of fine or imprisonment or both, as provided in the section, shall also apply to any school or school official who shall cause or be responsible for the Commission of any of the above-enumerated acts.

The promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 1006 on September 22, 1976 formally organized the National Board for Teachers (NBT). Directly under the supervision of the Civil Service Commission, the NBT was the first board to exercise regulatory exercise over the teaching profession.

On December 16, 1994 the regulation and licensing of teachers was transferred to the PRC through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7836, otherwise known as “The Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994.” The law provided for the professionalization of teaching under the aegis of the PRC.

Pursuant to the law, the first Board for Professional Teachers (BPT) was constituted on September 19, 1995 with the appointment of Dr. Nilo L. Rosas as Chairman, Dr. Aurelio O. Elevazo as Vice-Chairman and Dr. Lucila F. Tibigar, Dr. Fe A. Hidalgo and Dr. Martha A. Mogol as Members.

On August 1996, the Board and the PRC administered the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) for the first time to 97,560 examinees. In 1997, 101,348 examinees took the LET, a record in the history of professional regulation. In 1998, a total of 115,499 took the LET, and in 1999, 123,025.

In 1996, the Board also administered the first licensure examination for school superintendents, the results of which were released five (5) days after the examination date.

Today, teachers constitute more than half a million, comprising one of the largest occupational groups in the country.

♦   REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9293
An Act amending certain sections of Republic Act numbered seventy-eight hundred and thirty-six (R. A. No. 7836), otherwise known as the "Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994"

♦   REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7836
An Act to Strengthen the Regulation and Supervision of the Practice of Teaching in the Philippines and Prescribing a Licensure Examination for Teachers and for Other Purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Short title. - This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994.”

Statement of Policy. - The state recognizes the vital role of teachers in nation-building and development through a responsible and literate citizenry. Towards this end the State shall ensure and promote quality education by proper supervision and regulation of the licensure examination and professionalization of the practice of the teaching profession.

Objectives. - This Act has the herein objectives:

1. The promotion, development and professionalization of teachers and the teaching profession; and
2. The supervision and regulation of the licensure examination.

Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean:

1. Teaching - refers to the profession concerned primarily with classroom instruction at the elementary and secondary levels in accordance with the curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, whether on part-time or full-time basis in the private or public schools.
2. Teachers - refers to all persons engaged in teaching at the elementary and secondary levels, whether on fulltime or part-time basis, including industrial arts or vocational teachers and all other persons performing supervisory and/ or administrative functions in all schools in the aforesaid levels and qualified to practice teaching under this Act.
3. Board - refers to the Board for Professional Teachers duly established and constituted under this Act.
4. Commission - refers to the Professional Regulation Commission.

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Qualification of Board Members

Each member of the Board shall, at the time of his appointment:

1. A citizen and resident of the Philippines;
2. At least thirty-five (35) years of age, of proven integrity, and possessed of high moral values in his personal as well as professional conduct and has not been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude;
3. Be a holder of the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Education and preferably a holder of a master’s or doctorate degree in education, or their equivalents, from a university, school, college, academy or institute duly recognized and/ or accredited by the Philippine government
4. Be a professional teacher with a valid certificate of registration and valid professional license, save those members who shall compose the first Board for Professional Teachers;
5. Has been a professional teacher in the active practice of teaching profession for at least ten (10) years in the elementary and secondary level; and
6. Not be an official member of the faculty of, nor have pecuniary interest in any university, college, school, or institution conferring a bachelor’s degree in education or its equivalents for at least three (3) years prior to his appointment, and neither connected with a review center or with any group or association where review classes or lectures in preparation for the licensure examination are offered or conducted. Provided, however, That, the membership to the Board shall be evenly distributed to cover all levels of education, including equitable representation of the different fields of specialization.