Lawmaker seeks to allow foreign doctors to temporarily practice in PH

MANILA — A senator is asking the Department of Health to consider allowing foreign doctors to practice in the Philippines even just for a limited time to foster knowledge-exchange opportunities.

The suggestion, which was floated by Sen. Francis Tolentino, received support from newlyminted Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who cited his experience when he worked in the healthcare industry in Malaysia.

“All I had to do was to submit a copy of my Philippine license, my membership with the Philippine Medical Association, my curriculum vitae, all of which they reviewed,” Herbosa said during Tolentino’s weekly program on DZRH.

“Then I had a little interview before they gave me a temporary license in the hospital in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,” he added. Herbosa said he will hold talks with the Professional Regulations Commission to see if the suggestion would be possible.

Under Philippine laws, the PRC has the power to “approve the registration of and authorize” the issuance of a certificate of registration or license to a foreign professional, provided that their license from their home country is still valid and that requirements to obtain one are “substantially the same as those required” by the Philippines.

Tolentino noted that there are foreign doctors who have expressed interest in practicing in the Philippines but current policies prevent them. He added that there are Filipino-American healthcare workers who have also signified that they wanted to go back to the Philippines to serve the medical industry.

10-year-old becomes first PH female chess National Master

by Frederick Nasiad ManilaTimes.net

FOR the first time in Philippine chess history, the title of National Master was given to a female player.

Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, chief executive officer of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, confirmed in a social media post on Saturday, June 10 that the NCFP has bestowed the title of National Master on 10-year-old Nika Juris Nicolas of Pasig City.

The title is usually conferred on male players who compete in open tournaments dominated by males.

Its female counterpart, the Woman National Master title, is given to female chess players who dominate the distaff side of the competition.

Nicolas, however, competes in the boys and open divisions and, more often than not, prevails.

She was the only female who competed in the under-11 boys division when she topped the national eliminations for the 2023 NCFP National Youth and Schools Chess Championships held in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental from March 24 to 27.

At the grand finals of the same event for boys held in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte from June 2 to 9, Nicolas was the only player in her division to win medals in all three events: a silver in standard chess, a silver in blitz and a bronze in rapid.

Because of her success in the tournaments and her breaking the gender barrier, the NCFP awarded her the title of National Master.

Traditionally, the chess titles conferred to men are higher in value than those given to women.

In fact, the world chess federation requires higher FIDE rating thresholds compared to their female equivalents when awarding chess titles such as Grandmaster, International Master, FIDE Master and Candidate Master.

Nicolas is seen as the brightest future of Philippine chess.

She is set to compete in Asean Age-Group Chess Championships in Bangkok, Thailand slated from June 17 to 27, 2023, where she also aims for the Woman FIDE Master title.

She is set to play in the 1st Professional Chess Association of the Philippines National Interschool Championship slated next month. She will play for the