CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who took their oath yesterday during the 3rd Oathtaking Ceremonies of Real Estate Service Consultants, Appraisers and Brokers (under Section 20 of RA 9646) and the 1st Oathtaking Ceremonies of New Real Estate Brokers at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City yesterday.
Although the time indicated in the souvenir program was 1:00PM, the actual ceremonies officially started at 2:37PM (according to my watch). We thank Hon. Eduardo G. Ong, Chairman of the Board of Real Estate Service for welcoming the inductees and giving us an update of the latest activities of the Board in service for all of us professionals.
According to our Chairman, as of March 31, 2011 the numbers of licensed real estate professionals are as follows: Consultants – 24; Appraisers – 552; and Brokers – 4,033. And just this week, the Board of Real Estate Service signed Resolution No. 6, Series of 2011 approving 1,202 applications of the individuals for registration without examination as Real Estate Consultants, Appraisers and Brokers.
Add to these numbers, 3,185 new licensed real estate brokers who passed the first Real Estate Broker Licensure Examination given by the Board of Real Estate Service last March 27, 2011.
Chairman Ong also announced the upcoming schedule of licensure examinations for Real Estate Appraisers – on July 31, 2011; and for Real Estate Consultants – on October 2 and 3, 2011. Most importantly, the chairman confirmed that there will be another Real Estate Broker Licensure Examination on November 27, 2011.
Finally, Chairman Ong reported that the Board of Real Estate Service will be releasing the implementing guidelines for the recognition of the Accredited and Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO) by the Board, subject to the approval of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), sometime in the month of May 2011.
These guidelines have been very much anticipated by existing associations of real estate service practitioners. We hope for the immediate release of the said guidelines sooner rather than later.
The ceremonies officially ended at 5:02PM. However, the poor planning and lack of organization by the PRBRES and the PRC became manifest again. After enduring more than 90 minutes of disorganized queuing system to gain entry to the venue, the releasing of the PRC Identification Card proved to be more disastrous than the previous early afternoon chaos.
It took more than 120 minutes before we (my father, my wife and I) received our PRC ID card from the poor PRC staff that was over-matched against brokers who were tired and hungry at that time.
Maybe next time, the Board will better plan the release of the ID cards by (1) increasing the number of PRC staff manning the tables that release the ID cards; or (2) releasing the ID cards at the PRC office based on a pre-determined schedule – date and time, like what PRC did when it registered the 3,185 passers of the 1st Real Estate Broker Licensure Exam.
If there is a lack of staff to man the distribution points of the ID card after the oath taking ceremony then I am sure that the various local boards of PAREB can find some volunteers to assist in the releasing process to minimize if not eradicate the chaos that we experienced yesterday. All the Board has to do is to ask.
We hope that the same will not be repeated in the succeeding oath taking ceremonies. Other than the chaos before and after the event, we laud the Board for its efforts and hard work in making the oath taking ceremonies a success.
Realttorney® 