Repealing CPD law: A step back for PH nursing
The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016 was established on a simple yet critical premise: that Filipino professionals—including nurses—must continually update their knowledge, sharpen their skills, and adapt to a rapidly evolving global environment. For health-care workers, especially nurses, continuing education is not optional—it is integral to safe, effective, and evidence-based care.
Recently, however, legislative attention has shifted, with a senator filing a bill to repeal the CPD Act. While the legislator’s motivation reflects public frustration over the cost and logistics of CPD compliance, repealing the law altogether risks undoing years of progress in professionalizing nursing and aligning it with international standards.
We firmly believe repealing the CPD Act is not the solution. Instead, we need to refine its implementation, reduce its administrative burdens, and improve access to meaningful, competency-based learning.
Nursing is unlike most professions because it deals directly with people’s health and lives. Every clinical interaction—whether administering a simple injection or responding to a life-threatening emergency—requires up-to-date knowledge and skills. New diseases, emerging technologies, and evolving patient needs demand a workforce that is always learning.
CPD ensures nurses are not trapped in outdated practices. It empowers them to adopt new clinical guidelines, use advanced technologies, and respond appropriately to complex health issues. Most importantly, it reinforces core nursing values: patient safety, quality of care, and lifelong learning.
Internationally, CPD is nonnegotiable. Countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada have embedded CPD requirements into their regulatory frameworks. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Mutual Recognition Arrangement also assumes member states have comparable quality assurance mechanisms. Without CPD, Filipino nurses risk losing global competitiveness and the ability to work abroad.
While CPD is valuable, its implementation has indeed faced challenges. Many professionals complain of high seminar fees, long travel times, and limited accredited providers, particularly in rural areas. In nursing, some CPD courses have been criticized for being repetitive or theoretical, failing to measure real competency gains.
A reform-oriented approach could involve expanding free or low-cost CPD offerings through public universities, hospitals, and professional organizations, including remote and online modalities.
Today’s patients are more empowered and informed. They expect their health-care providers to use the latest evidence-based practices. Imagine being cared for by a nurse who has not updated their knowledge on infection control, safe medication administration, or life-saving interventions in years. Without CPD, such scenarios become more likely.
Moreover, CPD contributes to workforce mobility. Filipino nurses are among the most sought-after globally, but this demand exists because of our reputation for competence and adaptability. Dismantling the CPD framework sends the wrong message internationally, potentially weakening employment opportunities abroad.
The CPD Act is not perfect, but its purpose—to “promote and upgrade the practice of professions in accordance with international standards of practice”—remains valid and urgent. Instead of repealing the law, legislators can strengthen it through:
Government-funded CPD vouchers for nurses and other health professionals, especially those working in public hospitals or underserved areas; incentivizing employers to sponsor CPD activities, integrating learning into routine work; expanding free online CPD modules, especially on critical nursing topics such as primary health care, digital health, and advanced clinical procedures; and introducing competency-based assessment.
Nursing is about trust—patients trust that nurses are competent, current, and capable of providing safe and compassionate care. That trust is strengthened when nurses commit to lifelong learning. Repealing the CPD Act risks weakening our professional standards and compromising patient safety.
Instead of scrapping the law, let us improve its implementation, reduce unnecessary burdens, and invest in accessible, meaningful learning for every nurse. Our profession—and the Filipino public we serve—deserve nothing less.
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Jerome Babate is the executive director of the Filipino Nursing Diaspora Network, an international organization of nurses committed to uplifting the voices and contributions of Filipino nurses worldwide. Professor Rozzano Locsin serves as the group’s global advisor, offering visionary leadership rooted in transpersonal caring and advancing the global visibility of Filipino nursing scholarship. Professor Daisy Palompon is a former VP as well as former dean of the College of Nursing of Cebu Normal University. Aries Baldonado, Ph.D., RN is current nursing dean of St. Alexius College.
