Here are alternative ways to earn CPD points. Selfies required.
Despite the public outcries and petitions, the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law or RA 10912 is here to stay. The 2016 law, sponsored by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, requires 45 CPD points from architecture and engineering professionals for the renewal of their licenses every three years.
Different groups have challenged the law on the grounds of accessibility, affordability, and appropriateness. Nevertheless, professional organizations such as the UAP have committed to provide architects multiple ways to earn CPD points. After all, there are over 40,000 registered architects and the most recent national convention, the largest annual gathering of architects, could only accommodate 3,000 delegates.
Yes, there are ways to earn CPD points beyond the attendance of official seminars, or completing a post-graduate degree. (Although, those are all reliable ways to get things done.) On 6 July 2017, the Professional Regulation Commission approved operations guidelines for the implementation of RA 10912.
These guidelines identify activities under a Self-Directed Program matrix for points. These include “learning activities which did not undergo CPD accreditation but may be applied for and awarded CPD units by the CPD Council of Architecture.”
Under this provision, visiting design exhibits, museums, heritage sites, and even socio-civic work can merit points. So make sure to keep all your certificates, receipts, boarding passes, entrance tickets, and IDs in order to put them to good use.
BluPrint has prepared handy charts of the different CPD-worthy activities. Plan your next out-of-town trip to be not only fun, but hardworking too. We’re pretty sure the spouse, kids, or travel buddy won’t mind having a museum stop in the itinerary. Don’t forget to take a selfie for good measure and make it Facebook official!
As they say: pics or it didn’t happen. 
