1

Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) 13th General Conference Parallel Sessions on Library Professions, Library Education and Training and Development Session A-Library Professions Day 4 : Tuesday, 28 March The Professionalization of Filipino Librarians – Corazon M. Nera

Introduction

On February 19, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9246 An Act Modernizing the Practice of Librarianship in the Philippines Thereby Repealing Republic Act No. 6966, Entitled : “An Act Regulating The Practice of Librarianship and Prescribing The Qualifications of Librarians,” Appropriating Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes. This Act is otherwise known as “The Philippine Librarianship Act of 2003.” The new law was touted to re-engineer and re-tool the librarian profession making it competitive and abreast with technology and more responsive to the ever changing demands of information users.

During the thirteen years, after the enactment of RA 6966, the old Philippine Librarianship Act of 1990, Congress deemed it necessary to enact a new law that will regulate the education, training, examination, registration and practice of the library profession. Congress took into consideration the essential role of librarianship as a profession in developing the intellectual capacity of the citizenry, thus making library service a regular component of national development.

The salient points of RA No. 9246 took into consideration a number of issues as follows:

a) National examination for licensure that is honest, effective and credible b) Strict supervision, control and regulation of practice of librarianship c) Integration of librarians under one national organization d) Continuous development of professional competence of librarians e) Qualifications of librarians in all government libraries, and f) Formulation of policies and standards for Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS) Program

The purpose of this paper is not to trace the history of the professionalization of the Filipino librarians but rather relate the process of qualifying in the librarianship profession, the practice of librarianship, the gains of the Filipino professional librarian after the enactment of the Philippine librarianship act of 1990 and 2003 respectively and the challenges facing the library practitioner. As we all know, the making of laws is a long and tedious process dictated by a bureaucratic process and at times events that marked history in our country. 2

I just hope that our colleagues from the different countries represented here today, will appreciate what we have done and are currently doing to secure public recognition that we librarians rightly deserve and to enhance the image of librarians and elevate it at par with all the professions in the Philippines in particularly, and the world over in general.

Qualifying for Librarianship Practice

Prerequisite to practice – In order that a person may legally practice professional librarianship in the Philippines, he or she must possess a Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card issued by the Professional Regulatory Board for Librarians and by the Professional Regulation Commission or a certificate of registration issued by the Board without examination after he or she is declared by the Board exempt from examination in accordance with the provisions of the Philippine Librarianship Act. To obtain such certificate, an applicant must first qualify for admission to and pass the librarian licensure examination given by the Board. In other words, passing the librarian examination given by the Board for Librarians is the basic requirement for licensure for the practice of professional librarians in the Philippines. A foreign librarian or librarian from another country shall be admitted for licensure examination, be issued a Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card and be entitled to the rights and privileges accorded to a Filipino librarian if the following conditions are met: (1) if the country or state / he or she is a citizen of or subject, permits Filipino librarians to practice librarianship on an equal basis as the librarians of the said country or state (2) the requirements for Certificate of Registration in said country or state are substantially the same as the requirements and (3) the law of such country or state grants Filipino librarians the same privileges as the citizens / subjects of that country / state.

Persons exempt from examination – Passing the librarian licensure examination is not required of any Filipino citizen applying for license to practice professional librarianship if he / she meets any of the following qualifications obtained on or before the date of the effectivity of Republic Act No. 6966, known as the Philippine Librarianship Act of 1990 which is December 5, 1990:

a. a practicing librarian with a bachelor’s degree, not necessarily library science and have passed the librarian or supervising librarian examination conducted by the Civil Service Commission in 1980 and 1982 respectively; b. a practicing librarian of 5 years who completed any bachelor’s degree with 18 units in library science and a first grade eligible or its equivalent; c. a practicing librarian of no specified number of years of library experience with a master’s degree in library science or library and information science and possesses a first grade eligibility or its equivalent; and d. a practicing librarian of 7 years, with a bachelor’s degree and 18 units in library science.

Those who qualify under any of the program categories shall be given up to March 16, 2007 to apply for exemption and be included in the Roster of Philippine Librarians. 3

The documents required from any person applying for exemption from the licensure examination together with the prescribed application form are as follows:

a. Certificate of a librarian/supervising librarian eligibility duly authenticated by the Civil Service Commission, when applicable; b. Diploma and transcript of records with special order number and date of graduation or certified photocopy by the school authority; c. Service records indicating the position title with the duties for the position duly certified by the personnel officer and notarized; d. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Ombudsman clearances for government- employed applicants, or NBI clearance for privately-employed applicants.

Dates and places of examination – Examinations for candidates desiring to practice librarianship in the Philippines are held in Manila or in such other places like Cebu and Davao or as may be decided by the Board for Librarians and approved by the Professional Regulation Commission. The licensure examination shall be given by the Board not earlier than one month but not later than two months after the closing of the semester prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education. The dates of the librarians licensure examinations are November 28 and 29, 2006.

Scope of examination – The scope of the licensure examination for the practice of librarianship in the Philippines shall be determined by the Board for Librarians. In determining the subjects of the examination, the Board shall take into consideration the objectives of the librarianship curriculum, the broad areas of librarianship, and other related disciplines and competencies particularly in the following subjects with the corresponding percentage weights in the examination:

Subjects % Weights in the Exam

1. Selection and acquisition of multi-media sources of 15% information 2. Cataloging and classification 20% 3. Indexing and abstracting 15% 4. Reference, bibliography and information services 20% 4 5. Organization, management and development of library and 20% information services including laws, trends and practices affecting the profession 6. Information technology 10% ______Total 100%

Application for examination – Every application for the librarianship licensure examination must be properly accomplished under oath, in the handwriting of the applicant, on the form prescribed by the Professional Regulation Commission at least 15 days before the first day of examination. The application must be accompanied with the required examination fee and the following documents and exhibits:

1. An examination record card furnished by the Professional Regulation Commission; 2. Two copies of the applicant’s recent bust photographs of 2x2 1/2 inches in size; 4

3. His or her birth certificate and marriage certificate (if married) issued by the National Statistics Office on NSO security paper; 4. His or her diploma and transcript of records with date of graduation and special order, if applicable, showing that he or she is a holder of bachelor’s degree in library science or major in library science from a college or university duly recognized by the proper government agency; 5. A certificate of naturalization, if necessary; and 6. Three certificates of good moral character issued by the current employer or local barangay official or parish priest, religious minister/ pastor.

Qualifications of applicant – In order to be admitted to the librarian licensure examination, an applicant must, at the time of filing his or her application, establish to the satisfaction of the Board for Librarians that:

(a) He or she is a citizen of the Philippines or a citizen or subject of a country which permits Filipino librarians to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subject or citizen of such country : provided, that the requirements for the registration or licensing of librarians in the said country are substantially the same as those prescribed in the Philippine Librarianship Act; (b) He or she is in good health and is of good moral character; and (c) He or she is a graduate of bachelor’s degree in library and information science (BLIS) or a holder of a Master’s degree in library and information science (MLS).

Nevertheless, holders of the following degrees may be allowed to take the licensure examination until February 2009:

a) Bachelor of science in education or elementary education ; or bachelor of arts with a major or specialization in library science; b) Master of arts in library science or library and information science; or c) Any masteral degree with concentration in library science e.g. master of arts in education, master of business administration, master of arts in teaching, etc.

This means that on November 28 and 29, 2009 onwards only graduates of the degree of bachelor in library and information science may be allowed to take the librarians licensure examination.

Ratings and reexamination – In order to pass the librarian examination, an examinee must obtain a general average rating of at least 75% with a rating of not below 50% in any subject. An examinee who obtains an average rating of 75% or higher but gets rating below 50% in any given subject must take the examination again. There is no limit to reexamination.

Issuance of certificate – Certificates of registration as registered librarian are issued by the Board for Librarians to applicants who passed the librarian licensure examination upon payment of the prescribed fees, and shall be included in the Roster of Philippine Librarians.

Renewal of license – Every registered librarian shall renew his/her license every three years on the form prescribed by the Professional Regulation Commission. The completed form must be submitted to the Commission not later than the due date indicated on the PRC license card, and the prescribed fee must be paid to avoid surcharges or fines. 5

Form of certificate – The certificate of registration issued by the Board for Librarians to every registered librarian bears the full name of the registrant, a serial number, and the signatures of all the members of the Board and the Chairperson of the Professional Regulation Commission, stamped with the official seals of the Board and the Commission.

Professional identification card – An identification card bearing the name and signature of the registrant, registration number, date of issuance, expiry date, duly signed by the Chairperson of the Commission is issued to every registrant.

The Librarian’s professional oath – Every successful examinee in the librarian licensure examination must, before performing his or her duties and exercising his / her privileges as a professional librarian, take a professional oath before the Board for Librarians or any commission officer or government official authorized by law to administer oath.

A standard form of this professional oath is as follows:

Board for Librarians Manila

Oath of Librarian

I (name of new librarian) of (address) hereby solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Philippines, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will obey the laws, legal orders, and executive orders promulgated by the duly constituted authorities of the Republic of the Philippines, and that I impose this obligation upon myself voluntarily, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

I further solemnly swear that at all times and places I will adhere closely to the ethical and professional rules generally accepted by the library profession in the Philippines, and that I will well and faithfully discharge to the best of my ability the duties and obligations incumbent upon a legally authorized librarian practitioner.

So help me God.

This is followed by

The Librarians’ Pledge

I solemnly pledge according to my best ability and judgment before God and in the presence of this assembly, that I will practice my profession faithfully with conscience and dignity, the welfare of my patrons will be my first consideration; I will respect the confidences and the responsibilities which are bestowed upon me, I will maintain the honor and the tradition of the library profession. I will not permit consideration of race, religion, party policies, personal gain, or social standing to intervene between my duty to profession and to society. I will maintain the utmost 6 respect for service. Even under threat I will strive for the freedom to read and for the other basic freedoms inherent in a democracy.

Membership to a national organization of librarians – Every registered librarian and licensed by the Board for Librarians and the Professional Regulation Commission shall automatically become a member of the integrated and accredited professional organization (APO) which is the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc.(PLAI). All members shall receive the benefits and privileges prescribed in the constitution and by-laws of PLAI. However, membership in the APO may not restrict the membership of the registered librarian with other social organizations such as the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL), Association of Special Librarians of the Philippines (ASLP), Philippine Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science (PATLS), Philippine Association of School Librarians (PASL) and the Philippine Public Librarians League (PPLL) Inc. and others.

PLAI membership oath – New professionals who passed the licensure examinations given by the Board for Librarians as well as the new registered librarians exempt from examination are required to take a professional oath before they enter into the practice of librarianship. The mass oath-taking of new professionals shall be administered and conducted by the Board for Librarians in cooperation with the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. ; whereby the oath-taking of the new professionals as new members of PLAI will also be administered and conducted in the same program wherein the mass oath-taking of the new professionals will be conducted.

The president of the PLAI administers the oath of membership to the association by the new librarians as follows:

Philippine Librarians Association Inc. Manila

Oath of Membership

I

(name of the new member)

do solemnly swear,

that I have joined PLAI voluntarily with a pledge to uphold to the highest degree of professionalism the practice of the librarianship profession;

that I shall perform my obligation as a member with the commitment to pursue PLAI’s high ideals and noble objectives; and

that I shall abide by its articles and By-Laws.

So Help Me God. 7

The Practice of Librarianship

Librarian defined – The Philippine Librarianship Act defines a librarian as “bona fide holder of a certificate of registration and professional identification card issued by the Professional Regulation Commission in accordance with this Act. The import of this definition according to Vyva Aguirre is that one becomes a librarian not through the performance of functions generally attributed to librarians but only through official recognition granted by the state through the agency of the Professional Regulatory Board for Librarians of the Professional Regulation Commission, who must give the recognition in accordance with the provision of the Philippine librarianship act.

Statistics of registered librarians – As of March 10, 2006, there are a total of 4,779 registered librarians ; 3,004 were licensed through examination while 1,775 were recognized through exemption.

The following table shows the statistics on the Board for Librarians (BFL) Licensure Examination for Librarians from 1992 to 2005:

Statistics on BFL Licensure Examination for Librarians

Date of Number of Number of Number of Percentage of Examination Examinees Examinees Examinees Passing Passed Failed 1. Dec. 1992 342 124 218 36.26% 2. Dec. 1993 28 14 14 50.00% 3. Dec. 1994 200 101 99 50.50% 4. Dec. 1995 263 136 127 51.71% 5. Dec. 1996 419 186 233 44.39% 6. Dec. 1997 451 245 206 54.32% 7. Dec. 1998 431 217 214 50.35% 8. Dec. 1999 536 295 241 55.04% 9. Nov. 2000 621 331 290 53.30% 10. Nov. 2001 688 351 337 51.02% 11. Nov. 2002 656 344 312 52.43% 12. Nov. 2003 724 370 354 51.10% 13. Nov. 2004 599 174 425 29.04% 14. Nov. 2005 762 240 522 31.49% Total 6378 3004 3374 47.09%

Total Registered Librarians through Examination - 3,004 Total Registered Librarians through Exemption - 1,775 Total Registered Librarians as of Year 2006 (March 10) - 4,779

8

Classification of librarians in general – According to the fields of librarianship. In general, librarians in the Philippines may be classified according to the fields of librarianship wherein they devote their practice into academic, school, public, corporate, law, medical and government agency librarianship. Academic librarians are those employed in colleges and universities. The term school librarian includes librarians of pre-elementary, elementary and secondary schools. Public librarians are those connected with the local government units, e. g. provincial, city, municipal, district and the national library. Special librarian includes corporate, law, medical and government agency librarians.

According to types of service - Librarians may be classified according to types of service such as: reference librarian, Filipiniana librarian, readers services librarian, media librarian, periodicals librarian, electronic librarian, technical services librarian, etc.

According to types of positions held – Librarians in the Philippines may also be classified according to the following type of positions :

1. Chief Librarian Director Head Librarian

2. University Librarian College Librarian Unit Librarian

3. Asst Chief Librarian Deputy Director Asst. Head Librarian

4. Librarian V Librarian IV Librarian III Librarian II Librarian I

Scope of practice of librarianship – Under the Philippine Librarianship Act, practice of librarianship consists in:

1. Selection and acquisition of multi-media sources of information which would best respond to clientele’s need for adequate, relevant and timely information based on a collection development policy/program; 2. Cataloging and classification of knowledge or sources of information into relevant organized collections and creation of local databases for speedy access, retrieval or delivery of information; 3. Development of computer-assisted/computer-backed information systems which would permit online and network services; 9

4. Establishment of library system and procedures for dissemination of information; rendering of information, reference and research assistance; archiving library materials; and education of users; 5. Teaching, mentoring, lecturing and reviewing of library, and information science subjects taught in library schools, including subjects given in the licensure examination; 6. Rendering of services involving technical knowledge/expertise in abstracting, indexing, cataloging and classifying; or the preparation of bibliographies, subject authority lists, thesauri, union catalogues, and finding aids; 7. Preparation, evaluation or appraisal of plans, programs and/or projects for the establishment, organization, development and growth of libraries or information centers, and the determination of library requirements for space, buildings, structures or facilities; 8. Provision of professional and consultancy services or advice on any aspect of librarianship; 9. Organization, conservation, preservation and restoration of historical and cultural documents and other intellectual properties; 10. Managing or directing the overall operations of the library/information center or one of its divisions, departments, or sections; 11. Rendering accreditation service to a library for the purpose of assessing the overall operation or specific areas of concern to improve library service.

Penalty for illegal practice of librarianship – Any person who practices librarianship in the Philippines, within the meaning of the Philippine Librarianship Act, without a certificate of registration as librarian issued by the Board for Librarians or any person who presents or uses as his or her own, the librarian certificate of another, or any person who has given any false or forged evidence of the Professional Regulation Commission in order to secure a certificate of registration as librarian, or any person who uses a revoked or suspended certificate of registration as librarian or any person who assumes, uses or advertises as registered librarian without having been conferred such title by the Board for Librarians, or any person who advertises any title description tending to convey the impression that he or she is a registered librarian shall be guilty of misrepresentation and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of not less than P30,000.00 (US$ 588) nor more than P100,000.00 (US$ 1,960), or to suffer imprisonment for a period of not less than one month nor more than three years.

Gains of the Filipino professional librarian

After a decade of implementation of the Philippine Librarianship Act of 1990, several studies were conducted to determine the impact of the law to the stakeholders, both the employer of librarians and the professional librarian employee and this could be viewed from two angles: 10

A. On the side of the state, society, clients and employing agencies

1. The state has recognized the essential role of librarianship as a profession in developing the intellectual capacity of every Filipino

2. A professional librarian must be employed by a school, college or a university before the Department of Education or the Commission on Higher Education grants its permit to operate, open a new program/course or given the authority to reopen a course offering

3. The employment of a professional librarian is a basic requirement for a school program to be accredited by any agency such as the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities-Accrediting Agency, Inc., Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities-Commission on Accreditation, Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities, and Accrediting Association of Chartered Colleges and Universities

4. The professional librarians’ standing in the academe, corporate and public service was upgraded

5. The salaries of professional librarians became competitive, some are even comparable to that of deans

6. The professional librarian was given more opportunities to move upward

B. On the part of the professional librarian

1. The professional librarian became confident in discharging his/her duties with professionalism, integrity and competence

2. The professional librarian became efficient in terms of volume of work, meeting deadlines and personal relations with superiors, peers, colleagues and clientele

3. The professional librarian’s work attitudes and self esteem positively changed

4. The professional librarian’s opportunities for continuing education and exposure to new trends and developments increased

5. Librarianship has become a prestigious calling that every Filipino librarian is proud of

11

Challenges to the Filipino professional librarians

Given the recognition and respect that the Filipino professional librarian deserves, can he or she now sit back and relax and be complacent? Certainly not. It is his/her duty to sustain and safeguard the gains of becoming a professional librarian. And, the hallmark of true professional is his/her willingness to accept professional and ethical principles and follow these principles in the conduct of his/her daily affairs. The acceptance of these principles requires that he/she maintains a higher standard of conduct that is called for by law.

The specific principles of professional conduct are:

1. Service to others 2. Integrity and objectivity 3. Professional competence 4. Solidarity and teamwork 5. Social and civic responsibility 6. Global competitiveness 7. Equality of all profession

Conclusions

The Code of Good Governance for the Professions in the Philippines provides that all professionals should treat their colleagues with respect and shall strive to be fair in their dealings with one another. No one group of professionals is superior or above others. All professionals perform an equally important, yet distinct service to society. In the eyes of the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines, all professionals are equal and, therefore, every one should treat other professionals with respect and fairness, and that includes the Filipino professional librarian. 12

Bibliography

Cruz, Ener S. Extent of compliance of PAASCU – accredited school libraries in Metro Manila to R. A. 6966. 105 leaves. Thesis (MLS) – University of the Philippines, 2000.

Paez, Leonila S. The extent of compliance and implementation of R. A. 6966 among academic librarians in Region III. 114 leaves. Thesis (MLS) – University of the Philippines, 2000.

Nablo, Benilda B. Policy issues and problems that hinder the implementation of Republic Act 6966 in selected government offices in the Philippines. 56 leaves. Thesis (MLS) - University of the Philippines, 2000.

Hormillosa, Ma. Aida F. The extent of compliance with Republic Act 6966 among public school libraries and government agencies in Region VI. 76 leaves. Thesis (MLIS)

University of the Philippines, 2002

Santos, Antonio M. The professionalization of librarians in the Philippines: the role of library associations. Paper presented during the 69th IFLA general conference and council, August 1-9, 2003, Berlin.

Aguirre, Vyva V. The Professional librarian : who and how? ILIS Newsletter July – December 2005.

Nera, Corazon M. Seminar on Updates of the Philippine Librarianship Act. Cagayan de Oro City (February 25, 2004)

_____. Philippine Librarianship Act : basis for the library staffing structure and training. Ateneo de Manila University (March 29, 2004)

_____. Updates on RA 9246. Quezon City Public Library, Quezon City (May 18, 2004)

_____. Public forum on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9246. The National Library Auditorium (May 24, 2004)

_____. Updates of Laws governing the librarians professional status. Mabini Elementary School, Quiapo, Manila (May 25, 2004)

_____. Professionalization of librarians, RA 9246 known as the Philippine Librarianship Act of 2003 and the Code of Ethics for Filipino Librarians. University of the Philippines Institute of Library Science (July 3, 2001)

_____. RA 9246 An Act modernizing the practice of librarianship in the Philippines. Ateneo de Naga University, Naga City (October 18, 2004) 13

_____. RA 9246 Implementing Rules and Regulations. The National Library of the Philippines (October 21, 2004)

_____. Forum on RA 9246 : Its effects and prospects for the information professionals. New Era University, Ouezon City (November 24, 2004)

_____. Collaterals, tradeoffs and challenges of being a professional librarian. University of Assumption, San Fernando, Pampanga. (September 20, 2005)

_____. The Professionalization of Librarians : gains and rewards. University Negros Occidental Recoletos, Bacolod City (November 11, 2005)

_____. RA 9246 and the public librarians. Queen Margaret Hotel, Lucena City (December 15, 2005)

_____. The Impact of the professionalization of the Filipino librarian. San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Cavite City (December 9, 2005).