TAIPEI, TAIWAN – In a landmark initiative to empower Filipino professionals overseas, the Philippines’ Special Professional Licensure Examinations (SPLE), administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), were conducted for the first time in Taipei, Taiwan from 06 to 08 June 2025.

A total of 198 Filipino migrant workers took the examinations across 12 regulated professions, including Nursing, Elementary and Secondary Education, and various fields of Engineering. The SPLE, regularly held in select locations in the Middle East and Singapore, provides overseas Filipinos the opportunity to earn professional licensure without having to return to the Philippines for the exams.

The holding of the SPLE in Taipei was made possible through the efforts of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which formally proposed the initiative to the PRC in November 2024 following the strong clamor from the Filipino community in Taiwan. The proposal was responded to favorably by the PRC, led by Chairperson Charito A. Zamora, Commissioner Erwin M. Enad, and Asst. Commissioner Lourd Louis P. Valeria.

Preparations for this milestone event were carried out through the joint collaboration of the PRC, MECO, the Migrant Workers Office, and OWWA-Taipei. The examination team from PRC was led by Dr. Julie D. Junio of the PRC Central Office, who ensured the smooth, honest, and orderly conduct of the exams.

MECO Chairperson and Resident Representative Cheloy E. Velicaria-Garafil, MNSA, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the PRC for its full support of the initiative. “We thank the PRC for responding favorably to the call of the Filipino community in Taiwan and for bringing the SPLE closer to our professionals abroad. This landmark event reflects our shared commitment to raising the professional qualifications and global competitiveness of Filipino workers,” she said.

Chairperson Garafil also commended the tireless efforts of the volunteers who assisted in the conduct of the examinations: “To our pool of volunteers—migrant workers who selflessly gave their time and resources—you are the embodiment of Filipino resilience and dedication. You truly are our modern-day heroes.”

“To our first batch of SPLE examinees in Taipei, congratulations on completing this journey. We look forward to welcoming you at your oath-taking,” she added.

The examinations concluded at around 11PM on Sunday, 08 June 2025, with no untoward incidents reported.