What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development helps Filipino professionals maintain their licenses, upgrade skills, and stay competitive in their respective fields.

Key Takeaways

CPD is a lifelong learning process that ensures professionals keep their knowledge and skills updated throughout their careers.
Under the CPD Act of 2016, PRC-licensed professionals must earn required CPD units to renew their licenses and continue practicing legally.
Professionals can earn CPD units through seminars, workshops, online courses, or postgraduate degrees.

Professionals nowadays are expected to keep their knowledge current, sharpen their skills, and adapt to new industry standards. In the Philippines, this is not just an expectation, but mandatory for professionals to stay in their field.

The most practical way to accomplish all these while working a full-time job is Continuing Professional Development. Not sure what CPD is? Do you know what a CPD unit is? More importantly, why do you need CPD as a professional?

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the process of keeping your skills and knowledge up to date. It’s important to do this throughout your career, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been working in your field for many years. CPD can help you to progress in your career, make a difference in your job and improve patient care.

What is the CPD Law in the Philippines?

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016 or the CPD Law in the Philippines requires Filipino professionals to continuously update their knowledge and skills. It ensures that licensed practitioners remain competent, ethical, and globally competitive in their respective fields.

Under this law, professionals must earn CPD units through approved seminars, training, workshops, or further studies as part of the renewal process for their Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) licenses.

What are CPD Units?

CPD credit units are measures of your participation in educational activities that maintain, develop or increase your professional competence and expertise. In the Philippines, 1 CPD unit is equal to 1 hour of actual learning time spent on an activity.

The number of CPD units needed varies based on your profession, but the requirement usually ranges from 10 to 15 units. For instance, accountants need 15 CPD units every two years, but medical laboratory technicians only need 10 CPD units.

How Many CPD Units Is a Master’s Degree in the Philippines?

If, however, you chose to do the academic track and pursue a Master’s or Doctorate degree, you will earn the full credit units upon completion of your degree.

Who needs CPD?

The CPD Law in the Philippines requires all professionals licensed under the PRC to earn CPD units.

These include:

Accountants
Teachers
Engineers
Pharmacists
Doctors
Architects
Nurses
Dentists
Social Workers

How to Prepare and Study for CPD

There are many CPD courses offered in the Philippines. You can attend workshops, conferences, seminars or online CPD courses offered by professional associations, colleges, or universities. You can also read books, journals or articles related to your field of work.

What to Expect from CPD?

CPD is about more than just attending workshops and seminars. It should also involve reflection on your own practice and how you can improve the services you provide to clients and patients. CPD activities can be used to help you identify areas where you need further education and training. Each CPD course varies per industry. For instance, you can expect to learn new technique that are currently used in other countries during a CPD for nurses course. Or you may learn spreadsheet shortcuts and formulae for a CPD for accountants course.

Importance of CPD

Continuing Professional Development is important because it helps you to stay up to date with the latest developments in your field. It also allows you to reflect on your practice and identify areas where you could improve. This can make a big difference to the quality of care you provide. CPD is important because it helps you to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. It’s also a way of showing your commitment to your career and keeping yourself motivated. Doing CPD can make you more employable and help you progress in your career.

What are the Benefits of CPD?

1. Improving patient care

CPD can help you be knowledgeable with the latest developments in your field, which can in turn improve the quality of care you provide to your patients or clients.

2. Keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date

As your career progresses, it’s important to keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date. CPD can help you to do this by providing you with new opportunities to learn.

3. Reflecting on your practice

CPD provides a chance for you to reflect on your current practice and identify areas where you could make improvements. You can better gauge your weak points, target them, and make a bigger difference in your field.

4. Progressing in your career

CPD can help you to progress in your career by providing you with new skills and knowledge. It can also make you more attractive to potential employers.

5. Improving patient safety

CPD can help you to identify potential risks to patients and take steps to minimize these. This can improve patient safety and reduce the chance of errors occurring.

6. Reducing stress

CPD can help you to manage your time more effectively and plan your workload in a way that reduces stress. This can lead to a better work-life balance and improved job satisfaction.

7. Increasing job satisfaction

CPD can increase your job satisfaction by providing you with new opportunities to learn and develop in your role. It can also make you feel more valued by your employer.

8. Enhancing your professional reputation

Earning CPD credit units allow you to keep your PRC license, which enhances your professional reputation by demonstrating your commitment to lifelong learning. This can make you more attractive to potential employers and help you to progress in your career.

9. Saving time and money

CPD can save you time and money by providing you with new skills and knowledge that can help you to work more efficiently. It can also lead to improved work output, which can save your organization money, too.

Take Charge of Your Professional Growth

So, there you have it! Our complete guide to continuing professional development. Now you know what CPD is as well as its importance to your profession. We hope this has helped and that you are now feeling inspired and motivated to take your career to the next level.

Continue learning and expanding your skillset by obtaining a postgraduate certificate online. Enroll in self-paced Continuing Professional Development short courses online through OEd Post Grad, the country’s pioneer in online learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What happens if I do not complete the required CPD units?

If you do not complete the required CPD units, you may face difficulties renewing your PRC license. In some cases, professionals may apply for exemptions or submit an undertaking, depending on current PRC guidelines.

2. How Can I Earn CPD Units?

You can earn CPD units by attending approved seminars, workshops, conferences, or by enrolling in postgraduate studies and online CPD courses offered by accredited providers.

3. Can I complete CPD while working full time?

Yes. Many CPD programs are offered online and are self paced, making them ideal for working professionals who need flexible learning options.