The Professional Regulation Commission in Central Visayas (PRC-7) warned yesterday against illegal practitioners employed in various companies.

PRC-7 regional director Narcival Taquiqui said that PRC has members of the board monitoring those establishments that employ fake professionals.

“Actually, the board also has experience catching non-professionals on-site during their monitoring while they are performing refraction. We have to employ only registered professionals, which is why the board is very active in working with the PRC to regulate professionals and ensure that these companies hire only registered professionals,” he said.

Citing that if a certain individual does not have any license and is actively working in a company, it is considered as “illegal practice of profession.”

Taquiqui mentioned the board members from Optometry were able to catch illegal practitioners in Bohol.

“They were immediately referred to the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation). Right there, when they were caught, the non-professional found during the inspection was immediately turned over to the NBI,” he disclosed.

Taquiqui emphasized the crucial task of the PRC in monitoring establishments when hiring professionals as it would be unfair for those licensed professionals who did not even get the job.

Educational institutions and monitoring engineers employed in various buildings.

“We should also coordinate with the LGU because before they issue a permit, they need to ensure that licensed professionals are present in the buildings,” he stressed.

Establishments caught employing illegal professionals will be warned first. But once the board conducts their next visit and those establishments fail to follow, they will have to face sanctions of violations.