The Professional Regulatory Board of Environmental Planning of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has confirmed that graduates of the Diploma in Land Use Planning (DLUP) program are eligible to take the licensure examination for Environmental Planners (EnP).
The DLUP program is one of the programs offered by the Faculty of Management and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines Open University (FMDS UPOU). The program which was first offered during the 2nd Semester of the Academic Year 2015-2016 mainly caters to the needs of local government planners, including those at the municipal, city and provincial levels that now have to take on more extensive planning responsibilities as these are devolved to the Local Government Units (LGUs) under the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991. DLUP courses are handled by Planning Practitioners from the industry who are appointed as Senior Lecturers and also by affiliate faculty members from the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) of the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning of the College of Human Ecology (DCERP-CHE) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. DLUP courses cover topics such as the history, concepts, theories, and principles of environmental planning, environmental planning processes, methods/techniques and strategies, and environmental plan implementation, legal aspects, and administration which are included in the scope of the EnP licensure exam.
The said examination is held yearly in compliance with RA 10587 or the Environmental Planning Act of 2013 which aims to regulate the planning profession by ensuring that practitioners are qualified and capable enough to take on their professions in the field of planning. Since 2017, eight DLUP students have already passed the EnP exam, namely: Ms. Rosalina S. Quitalig, Ms. Mae S. Ortiz, Ms. Kristine Carmen D. Diones, Ms. Marlyn S. Lazaro, Mr. Andrew Ian B. Dormitorio, Mr. Marc Louie M. Almario, Ms. Shiela Beatriz L. Barroga, and Mr. Joshua Federick J. Vitaliz.
With the eligibility of DLUP graduates to take the exam, the Program hopes to contribute to the increase in the number of registered environmental planners in the country. Those who are interested to take DLUP for this coming 2nd semester AY 2018-2019 may still apply for the Program until 26 October 2018.