EVER since the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, the province has strictly enforced border control in accordance with the recommendation of the IATF and BIATF, which directly hampered the tourism sector and the local economy.
Recently, however, Bohol opened its borders to visitors. And it recently welcomed the Professional Regulation Commission, through its Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology, in partnership with the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), which hosted the “International Psychology Summit on Regulation, Professional Mobility and the Challenges of the Profession” from October 20-23 2022, in Panglao, Bohol, Philippines via a hybrid face-to-face and online participation.
Chairperson of the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology, Dr. Miriam Cue, said in that “consistent with the Commission’s thrust of promoting the global recognition and mobility of Filipino Psychologists, Philippine Psychologists forged an agreement with member countries of the ASEAN Regional Union of Psychological Societies (ARUPS) on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ).”
Moreover, she noted that to implement this agreement, “a development plan with timelines and priority actions leading to the registration of the ASEAN Psychologists, which was crafted before the pandemic, needs a system to be established. While this agreement signifies a community of interest among ARUPS member countries, there is still a need to transition from MRPQ to Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). An ASEAN MRA for Psychological Services should further facilitate a common framework, measures and guidelines for career progression, educational standards, professional practice and other areas of alignment.”
The summit’s objectives were to advance the mutual recognition and collaboration among psychology professionals across countries and regions through international cooperation and collaboration. It hoped to address the challenges of the profession in a highly changing world, along with the need for cross-border supply of professionals and the mutual recognition of both the academic and professional qualifications of these professionals, while promoting the development and use of an internationally endorsed set of core competences that can describe and identify the essential elements of professional psychology practice around the world.
The October 2022 summit had participants from professional organizations, professional regulatory bodies, and government policy makers involved in research and the practice of Psychology from different countries, along with the local psychologists and psychometricians from the Philippines.
Dr. Clinton said that the Philippine psychologists have been visionary in terms of seeking new perspectives. They invited speaker-experts from Columbia, China, the USA and other countries. Some of the delegates participated in person, and some did via Zoom. They came together to really think about how to answer the question of global competency in Psychology in a thoughtful, evidence-based and integrated, inclusive way.
Dr. Amanda Clinton, Director for International Affairs, American Psychological Association, expressed that she thought that “it is impressive that Philippine Psychologists are taking notable leadership in answering questions that are critical for Psychology across the world.” She concluded that the very idea of discussing the work they do, how they regulate it, and how they do it in a world that’s very mobile, is timely and critical. And, of course, the actual event had been gorgeous
According to Norsk Psycholog Forening Seniorrådgiver Dr. Sverre L. Nielsen, this event is very important event in many ways. He shared that he is thrilled that Dr. Miriam Cue organized this summit, which has not happened before in the ASEAN context. He said the delegates came because, in many ways, this is a start for them to work on the next level of professional competencies regulation. This means that the network now has the core competencies accepted internationally. Since some are already using it, and there’s a need to build on it. He further stated that all of their colleagues in the Philippines can now be informed about the summit in terms of things learned and adopted.
As far as the province of Bohol is concerned, hosting this summit is a welcome indicator that Bohol is ready and capable of catering to international events. This heralds the start of the recovery of Bohol’s tourism sector and local economy.
Other attendees in the summit were the following: the Board of Psychology’s Hon. Imelda Virginia Villar and Hon. Hector Perez; PRC commissioners Hon. Charito Zamora, Chairperson; Hon. Erwin Enad, and Hon. Jose Cueto, Jr., who attended via Zoom. (PIMO/MAEP)
