LUNA, Apayao – Seven (7) government employees of Apayao all working in planning offices passed the recent Environmental Planner Licensure Examination held on June 7-8, 2017.
Four of the seven passers work at the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) of the Provincial Government of Apayao while the other three (3) passers come from the Local Government Units of Luna, Flora and Pudtol.
Those who passed the said examination from the PGA are: Engr. Henry Caluducan, PPDC; Mr. Arnold Castillo, Planning Officer (PO) IV; Mr. Leonel Basquez, PO III; and Mr. Felipe Abulencia, Project Evaluation Officer III. The passers from the LGUs are: Mr. Edward Lactam, Information Technology Officer of Luna; Engr. Sonny Butel, PO IV of Flora and Cristina Rumingquet, PO II of Pudtol.
Engr. Caluducan expressed his delight in passing the exam. “You are now called a legitimate environmental planner. You cannot sign a development plan unless you are a passer.”
According to Engr. Caluducan he understands the predicament of those examinees who did not make it as their expertise are based only on a limited sectors such as development, environmental, social institution, physical or infrastructure to name a few. He suggested that the concept of exposure and study should be more on a comprehensive development planning.
“Planning workshop and study should not be ‘sectoralized.’ It must be wholesome and more comprehensive which include regional and national planning. If they want to pass, they should start reading books now not only in the local setting but especially in the regional and national ones,” he stressed.
Mr. Castillo also of the PPDO believes on the necessity of taking the exam as he considers planning as a highly technical profession. He said although one’s position is protected by the rule on security of tenure, taking the exam is a challenge and in passing the exam, he is satisfied that he can now be legally addressed as an environmental planner.
The examination is mandate by Republic Act No. 10587 otherwise known as Environmental Planning Act of 2013. It is declared as a policy of the state to recognize the importance of environmental planning in nation-building and development.
Those who are not a graduate of environmental planning, urban/city and regional planning or town and country planning or its equivalent but want to become an environmental planner shall only be allowed to take the exam on 2018 as provided in Section 18, Article III of RA10587.
BY GERRIAHZON S. SEBASTIAN
