On December 16, 2023, 103 new registered professional foresters take their oath with the Professional Regulation Commission. The new registered professional foresters took and passed the recently conducted Foresters Licensure Examination (FLE) last October 17-18, 2023, in testing centers nationwide.
The Oath Taking for New Registered Professional Foresters was organized by the Western Mindanao State University – College of Forestry and Environmental Studies (WMSU CFES) in partnership with the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. (SFFI) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) – Board of Foresters.
Forester Neria Andin, Chairman of the Board for Foresters, served as the Guest Speaker and officiated the Oath-taking ceremony of the new registered professional foresters (“Oath of Professionals”). In her message she emphasized that every BS Forestry graduate is important and valuable to the forestry profession hence everyone must be able to pass the Board Exam therefore encouraging the academes and the new passers to help the graduates who have not yet passed the board exam to continue pursuing their goal of being a registered professional forester. She also added that oath taking is important for recording purposes of the Professional Regulation Commission as addition to the Roster of Foresters.
She also remarked that the passing rate in the past 30 years is at 45.75%. And as of to date the passing rate is higher than the past 30 years with a percentile rate of 48.97%. She also announced that this year’s passers may be the last batch of pencil and paper examination since there will be changes brought by the development in the usual manner of board exams.
Forester Andin also oriented the new professional foresters on the current goal of the forestry profession that is narrowed to rekindling, revitalizing and enhancing competencies among Filipino Foresters both local and global. Hence all professional foresters both old and new must specifically work on the following aspect: – how to communicate verbally and in writing effectively; – the ability to work multiculturally; – the ability to organize; – the ability to deliver service locally and globally.
She cited that the generalist will be helpful in the delivery of service with competent knowledge, skills, values. She also announced that the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. together with the PRC – Board for Foresters works for the proper recognition of the professional foresters that is by adding the acronym RPF (Registered Professional Forester) after the last name of every professional forester.
Forester Andin also shared her immense joy pertaining to the performance of each forestry schools especially for schools in Mindanao since before it was only the University of the Philippines (UP), which lands as top performing, but now other schools are already top performing like the Mindanao State University (MSU). This year top ten (10) placers of the FLE comes not only from two (2) or three (3) schools but from ten (10) schools nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. (SFFI), Forester Emmanuel F. Umali welcomed the new professional foresters in the organization. He led the recital of the Oath of Foresters and the Code of Ethics.
Also gracing the event were Forester Arlene E. Gabayno representing Forester Arleigh J. Adorable, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations- Mindanao and in concurrent capacity as FMB Director; Dir. Alfonso C. Viloria, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC Region IX – Pagadian City); Gerardo T. Cabreros, Member of the PRC- Board for Forester; Forester Almudi G. Lukman, Dean of the WMSU – College of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Maila R. Vasquez, Treasurer of the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc.
(Source: DENR Zamboanga Peninsula Facebook page)
