What You Need to Know about the Philippines Environmental Planning (EnP) Board Exam (November 2020 Update!)

Are you planning to take the Environmental Planning Board Exam?

Here’s what you need to know about the Environmental Planning Board Exam!

Overview of the Environmental Planning Board Exam

To become a Filipino Environmental Planner, you must pass the Environmental Planning Board Exam.

Between 2007 and 2019, the average passing rate of the Environmental Planning Board Exam is 51%.

The Environmental Planning Board Exam generally covers three subject areas, which “may be revised as the need arises (Section 17, RA 10587):”

• History, concepts, theories and principles of environmental planning;
• Environmental planning process, methods/techniques and strategies; and
• Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration.

Starting with the 2021 Environmental Planning Board Exam, only holders of environmental planning degrees can take the board exam (see Academic Requirements section).

Important Dates to Remember about the Environmental Planning Board Exam

Exam Dates	July 27 and 28, 2021
Places	NCR, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian and Tacloban
Opening of Online Processing	April 27, 2021
Deadline in Filing of Applications	June 26, 2021

Visit the PRC website for more updates.

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Academic Requirements for Taking the Environmental Planning (EnP) Board Exam

To take the Environmental Planning Board Exam, an aspiring examinee is required to have at least a Post-Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning.

Effective after October 2, 2019, only holders of “the following degrees from schools, colleges or universities duly recognized and accredited by the CHED ” can apply for the Environmental Planning board exam.

(1) A graduate in environmental planning, urban/city and regional planning, or town and country planning or its equivalent;

(2) A Post-Graduate Diploma in Environmental Planning, city and regional planning or its equivalent, and with at least one (1) year of on-the-job training as required herein;

(3) A Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, city planning or urban and regional planning, or town and country planning, or its equivalent, and with two (2) years of on-the-job training as required herein;

Section 18 (b) of RA 10587

Even present holders of planning positions need a diploma or a degree in environmental planning to apply for the Environmental Planning Board Exams.

Become a Filipino Environmental Planner!

Universities and Colleges that Offer Courses to be Qualify for the Environmental Planning Board Exam

Starting from the 2021 Environmental Planning Board Exam, higher academic credentials are required for “excellent, world-class and globally competitive (Section 2, RA 10587)” professional environmental planners.

These are Philippine universities and colleges that offer course on environmental planning.

In my opinion, incumbent local government planners will benefit from enrolling at the Diploma in Land Use Planning program of the UP Open University.

• The Diploma in Land Use Planning program is primarily delivered online.
• It can be completed in three semesters (with a full load of twelve units per semester).
• It prioritizes Local Planning and Development Coordinators.
• The “Urban Planning Workshop” course of the program may be the only concern for local government planners, as it “involves face-to-face meetings.”

EnP Cuyco details his experience in completing the DLUP program.

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Read next!

• How to Review for the Environmental Planning Board Exam: Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration
• How to Review for the Environmental Planning Board Exam: Environmental planning process, methods, techniques and strategies
• How to Review for the Environmental Planning Board Exam: History, Concepts, Theories and Principles of Environmental Planning

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Increase your urban planning knowledge by following these sites!

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Become a Filipino Environmental Planner!

Notes for Retakers of the Environmental Planning Board Exam

Bottomline: As of September 2020, no retakers without planning diploma or degree can apply for the 2021 Environmental Planning Board Exam (and beyond).

In a letter dated 9 August 2019 posted on the private group Environmental Planner.PH, the PRC Board of Environmental Planning stated its implementation of Section 18 of Republic Act 10587.

In the letter, the Board expresses that while it “sympathize(s) with all the concerned examinees, (the Board is) constrained by laws and PRC policies.”

A position paper submitted 11 September 2019 by petitioners Rodrigo Martin and Rochel Gerance seeks that the PRC allow unsuccessful examinees of the 2019 EnP Board Exam to retake the 2020 EnP Board Exam.

Update (06/17/20): The petition to allow unsuccessful examinees of the 2019 EnP Board Exam to retake the 2020 EnP Board Exam has been DENIED.

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Become a Filipino Environmental Planner!

Procedure for Application to take the Environmental Planning Board Exam

Begin your application through the PRC Licensure Examination and Registration Information System.

The PRC website also lists the requirements for application. For Filipino applicants, I duplicate the list below.

• NSO / PSA Birth Certificate
• NSO / PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
• Transcript of Records with scanned picture and Remarks “For Board Examination Purposes” (First Timer & Repeater)
• College Diploma
• Valid NBI Clearance (First Timers & Repeaters)
• One (1) Certificate of Good Moral Character from any of the following: Barangay, Church, School, Employer
• OJT Certificate or in Service-Training signed by the applicant’s immediate supervisor
• Certificate of Professional Civil Service Eligibility (for incumbent government planners only)
• Payment of P900.00

A tricky requirement is the OJT Certificate, which some applicants deem as necessarily “under a registered and licensed environmental planner.”

It should be noted that the latter part states “or the applicant’s immediate supervisor in an agency or organization acceptable to the Board, which is engaged or involved in environmental planning functions or programs.“

In short, the signatory of the OJT Certificate is not necessarily a licensed environmental planner, but can be your immediate supervisor, as long as your organization is acceptable to the PRC Board of Environmental Planning.

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Tips for Passing the Environmental Planning Board Exam

Lets’s begin with the end in mind!

You take the exam to become a Filipino Environmental Planner!

According to Section 16 of RA 10587, to pass the exam, you must

“obtain a weighted average of not less than seventy per centum (70%) AND a rating of not less than fifty per centum (50%) in any examination subject.”

Republic Act 10587

The second part of the statement, “a rating of not less than 50% in any examination subject,” can be a kicker for you if your review focused on only one subject area.

This is why I recommend that you create a review plan for the Environmental Planning Board Exam whether you self review or join review sessions.

Environmental planners are expected to be generalists.

Many planners are generalists, with a broad range of knowledge about the impacts of physical development. Good planning involves a great deal of coordination among experts from various fields and agencies. Generalist planners help to facilitate this coordination.

University of Memphis

Section 17 of RA 10587 continues that ” subject areas and syllabi may be revised as the need arises to conform to changes and new developments brought about by trends in the practice of environmental planning.”

Need reviewers for the Environmental Planning Board Exam?

One of my regrets when I took the 2018 Environmental Planning board exam was focusing on piecemeal planning guides and laws.

Don’t make the same mistake!

Here are more specific tips about reviewing for each subject area of the Environmental Planning Board Exam.

Many EnP Board Exam review centers also host Facebook groups. I list a few groups where I am a member below.

• Environmental Planning (EnP) Board Exam
• Environmental Planner Review.Ph
• 2018 Environmental Planners
• PRC ENP RA10587 Batch 2014-2019plus ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER reviewee BATCH

I also found the EnP Environmental Planner Ultimate Review app on Google Play, which has a rating of 4.7 in 74 reviews and was updated on 5 June 2019.

Read: Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental Planning in the Philippines

Why a Review Plan is Important (Plus Examples)

Creating a review plan will increase you ability to pass the Environmental Planning Board Exam.

With a review plan, you can avoid:

• Focusing much time on piecemeal references.
• Being disorganized in review sessions.
• Inconsistency of review sessions because of confusion.

Organization is one of the 7 characteristics of successful self reviewers!

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Are you ready?

Passing the Environmental Planning Board Exam is an initial step towards becoming a Filipino Environmental Planner.

Becoming a Licensed Environmental Planner was a dream that God granted me in 2018.

I hope you live your dream too!

The days will pass quickly so act now!

More References and Links for the EnP Board Exam

• Republic Act 10587 (Law) (IRR)
• Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning of UP Los Banos
• Edukasyon.ph
• PRC Licensure Examination and Registration Information System
• Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental Planning in the Philippines

Read next!

• Lessons Learned from Taking the Environmental Planning Board Exam(Updated!)
• Taking the Environmental Planning Board Exam (Part 3): The Exam Days
• Tips and Resources for Passing the Environmental Planning Board Exam (Updated!)

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