Capitol exec mulls incentives for exam topnotchers

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

A proposed ordinance in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo seeks to provide cash incentives for residents who will land on the Top 10 or exemplary passers of professional licensure examinations across multiple fields.

An indorsement sent to the Sanggunian that was obtained by Daily Guardian indicated that the proposed ordinance by Vice Governor Christine Garin would grant “Incentives to Individuals who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the board examinations, bar examination, and other national licensure examinations”.

The proposed ordinance would grant ₱40,000 to those ranked Number 1, ₱20,000 for ranks 2 to 5, and ₱15,000 for those ranked 6 to 10 in the Physician Licensure Examinations and the Bar Examinations.

For all other licensure examinations, the top rankers will get ₱20,000, ranks 2 to 5 will get ₱15,000, and ranks 6 to 10 will get ₱10,000.

Proposed qualifications are only that the examinee must have been a resident of the province for 6 months, as proven by a certification from their barangay, and should be certified as being within the top 10 in examinations held by the Professional Regulation Commission and the Supreme Court, and other appropriate agencies.

The validation will be done by a committee headed by the Governor as chairperson, and joined by the Vice Governor, the chairpersons of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s Education and Information and of the General Services and Human Resources committees, the Provincial Budget Officer, and the Provincial Treasurer.

The ordinance’s text states that “the granting of the incentives somehow motivates, boosts the morale, and rewards the hardship of individuals, during their review before the examination.”

The ordinance is set to be formally brought before the full provincial board in its regular session today, January 31.

Daily Guardian has reached out to Vice Governor Christine Garin for more details on the proposed edict, but she has not responded as of this writing.