Philippine Psychology Act of 2009 Essay

STATEMENT OF POLICY Section 2. Statement of Policy. – The State recognizes that psychologists have an important role in nation-building and development. It also acknowledges the diverse specializations of psychologists and the diverse functions specific to the varied specializations. It particular, it recognizes the significance of the psychological services that practicing psychologists provide to diverse types of clients, but also recognizes the need to protect the public by preventing inexperienced or untrained individuals from offering psychological services. Hence, it shall nurture competent, upright and assiduous psychologists whose standards of practice and service shall be excellent and globally competitive through the administration of inviolable, effective and credible licensure examinations and the imposition and promotion of regulatory measures, programs and activities that enhance their professional growth and well-being. ARTICLE III DEFINITION OF TERMS Section 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) â€Å"Psychology† is the scientific study of human behavior. It involves the application of scientific methods to inquire into the biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, personality, social, cultural and individual difference dimensions of human behavior. (b) â€Å"Practice of Psychology† consists of the delivery of psychological services that involve application of psychological principles and procedures for the purpose of describing, understanding, predicting and influencing the behavior of individuals or groups, in order to assist in the attainment of optimal human growth and functioning. The delivery of psychological services includes, but is not limited to: (1) psychological interventions: psychological counseling, psychotherapy, psychosocial support, coaching, psychological debriefing, group processes and all other psychological interventions that involve the application of psychological principles to improve psychological functioning of individuals, families, groups and organizations; (2) psychological assessment: gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation, accomplished through a variety of tools, including individual tests, projective tests, clinical interview and other psychological assessment tools, for the purpose of assessing diverse psychological functions including cognitive abilities, aptitudes, personality characteristics, attitudes, values, interests, emotions and motivations, among others, in support of psychological counseling, psychotherapy and other psychological interventions; and (3) psychological programs: development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of psychological treatment for individuals and/or groups. (c) â€Å"Psychologist† means a natural person who is duly registered and holds a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card as professional psychologist, issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the Professional Regulation Commission pursuant to this Act for the purpose of delivering the different psychological services defined in this Act. (d) â€Å"Psychometrician† means a natural person who holds a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card as psychometrician issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the Professional Regulation Commission pursuant to this Act. As such, he/she shall be authorized to do any of the following: Provided, That such shall at all times be conducted under the supervision of a licensed professional psychologist: (1) administering and scoring of objective personality tests, structured personality tests, excluding projective tests and other higher level forms of psychological tests; (2) interpreting results of the same and preparing a written report on these results; and (3) conducting preparatory intake interviews of clients for psychological invention sessions. ARTICLE IV PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY Section 4. Creation and Composition of the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology. – There is hereby created a Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology, hereinafter called the Board, a collegial body under the administrative control and supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, which shall be composed of a Chairperson and two (2) members appointed by the President of the Philippines from a list of three (3) nominees for each position. The list of nominees shall be submitted to the Commission by the integrated and accredited national organization of psychologists. The Board shall be organized not later than sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. Section 5. Qualification of the Chairperson and the Members of the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology. – The Chairperson and members of the Board shall, at the time of their appointment and for the course of their term, possess the following quali fications: (a) A natural born citizen and resident of the Philippines; (b) At least thirty-five (35) years of age; (c) Possess good moral character; (d) Hold a doctorate degree in psychology conferred by a university, college or school in the Philippines or board duly recognized and/or accredited by   the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); (e) Have at least ten (10) years of practice in psychology and psychometrics in a duly recognized institution, clinic or center, as well as at least (5) years of teaching experience in the field of psychology; (f) Be a registered and licensed psychologists, except in the case of the first members of the Board who shall automatically be conferred a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card in psychology and psychometrics upon appointment to the Board; (g) Is neither an officer, trustee nor member of the faculty of any university, college, institute or school where a regular course in psychology is offered or taught or review classes conducted and shall not have any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any such institution; (h) Is not an officer, nor hold any position other than being a member of the integrated and accredited national organization of psychologists; and (i) Shall not have been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. Section 6. Term of Office. – The members of the Board shall hold office for a term of three (3) years or until their successors shall have been appointed and duly qualified. Each member of the Board may be reappointed for one (1) full term of three (3) years. The first members of the Board shall hold office for the following terms: the Chairperson for three (3) years; one (10 member for two (2) years; and the other member for one (1) year, which shall be specified in their respective appointments. Any vacancy occurring within the term of a member shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term only. Each member of the Board shall qualify by taking the proper oath prior to the performance of his/her duties. Section 7. Powers and Duties. – The Board shall have the following powers and duties: (a) Administer and implement the provisions of this Act and promulgate as well as revise or update, as necessary, rules and regulations, resolutions and guidelines hereto: Provided, That the policies, resolutions, rules and regulations issued or promulgated by the Board shall be subject to review and approval of the Commission; (b) Supervise and monitor the registration, licensure and practice of psychologists and Psychometricians in the Philippines; (c) Administer oaths in connection with the administration of this Act; (d) Issue, and upon compliance with due process requirements, suspend or revoke, and/or reinstate, the certificate of registration and professional identification card for psychologists and psychometricians; (e) Adopt an official seal of the Board; (f) Monitor the conditions and circumstances affecting the practice of psychology and psychometrics in the Philippines and adopt such measures as may be deemed lawful and proper for the enhancement and maintenance of high professional, ethical and technical standards of the profession; (g) Issue permits to and exercise visitorial powers over agencies, institutions, associations and partnerships to verify that the persons practicing psychology and psychometrics therein are psychologists and psychometricians with valid certificates of registration and valid professional identification cards, and that they possess the necessary accreditation, skills and/or facilities to competently carry out their functions; (h) Assist the Commission in the formulation and implementation of the guidelines on continuing professional education for psychologists and psychometricians; (i) Ensure, in coordination with the CHED, that all educational institutions offering the course/program of psychology stric tly comply with the policies, standards and requirements prescribed by the CHED for such course/program, especially in the areas of administration, curriculum, faculty, library and facilities; (j) Prepare, adopt, issue and amend, in consultation with the CHED, syllabi for the licensure examination subjects; (k) Investigate and, when warranted, her administrative cases involving violations of this Act, its implementing rules and regulations as hereinafter promulgated, and any applicable code of ethics and/or code of professional standards. For this purpose, it may issue subpoena testificandum and subpoena duces tecum to secure the appearances of witnesses and the production of documents in connection therewith:Provided, That the Board’s decision, resolution or orders rendered in administrative cases shall be subject to review only on appeal; and (l) Perform such other functions and duties as may be lawfully delegated to it, or as it may deem necessary to carry out the objectives of this Act. Section 8. Compensation and Allowances. – The Chairperson and members of the Board shall receive the same compensation and allowances as those received by the Chairperson and members of the existing regulatory boards under the Commission, as provided in the charter of the Commission and in the General Appropriations Act. Section 9. Removal or Suspension of Members of the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology. – Any member of the Board may, upon the recommendation of the Commission, upon observance of due process and completion of the proper investigation, be suspended or removed by the President from office for cause, such as gross neglect of duty, incompetence, malpractice, behavior unbecoming of a psychology professional, immorality, unethical or dishonorable conduct, final conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude, any act of grant and corruption, and participation in the manipulation of or any dishonesty relative to the licensure examinations and/or th e registration process. Section 10. Administrative Supervision over the Board, Custodian of its Records, Secretariat and Support Services. – The Board shall be under the administrative supervision and control of the Commission. All records of the Board, including documents relative to the licensure examinations as well as administrative and other investigative cases conducted by the Board, shall be kept in the custody of the Commission. The Commission shall designate the Secretary of the Board and shall provide the secretariat with necessary support services to effectivity implement the provisions of this Act. ARTICLE V LICENSURE EXAMINATIONS Section 11. Examinations Required. – All applicants for registration to practice psychology and psychometrics shall be required to pass a licensure examination for psychologists and psychometricians to be conducted by the Board in such places and dates, and subject to such requirements prescribed by the Commission. Section 12. Qualifications of Applicants for the Licensure Examination for Psychologists. – Any person may apply to take examination for registration and licensure as a psychologist after furnishing evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant: (a) Is a Filipino citizen, a permanent resident or a citizen of a foreign state/country which extends reciprocity to the Philippines relative to the practice of the profession; (b) Holds at least a master’s degree in psychology conferred by a university, college or school in the Philippines or abroad recognized/accredited by the CHED and has obtained sufficient credits for the subjects covered in the examinations; (c) Has undergone a minimum of two hundred (200) hours of supervised practicum/internship/clinical experience related to services enumerated in paragraph (b) of Section 3 of this Act and under the auspices of a licensed psychologist or other licensed mental health professional; (d) Is of good moral character; and (e) Has not been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude. Section 13. Qualifications of Applicants for the Licensure Examination for Psychometricians. – Any person may apply to take the examination for registration and licensure as a psychometrician by furnishing evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant: (a) Is a Filipino citizen, a permanent resident or a citizen of a foreign state/country which extends reciprocity to the Philippines relative to the practice of the profession; (b) Holds at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology conferred by a university, college or school in the Philippines or abroad recognized/accredited by the CHED and has obtained sufficient credits for the subjects covered in the examinations; (c) Is of good moral character; and (d) Has not been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude. Section 14. Examination Subjects for Psychologists. – The licensure examination for psychologists shall cover the following subjects: (a) Advanced Theories of Personality; (b) Advanced Abnormal Psychology; (c) Advanced Psychological Assessment; and (d) Psychological Counseling and Psychotherapy. Section 15. Examination Subjects for Psychometricians. – The licensure examinations for psychometricians shall cover the following subjects: (a) Theories of Personality; (b) Abnormal Psychology; (c) Industrial Psychology; and (d) Psychological Assessment. The Board may recluster, rearrange, modify, add or exclude and prescribed subjects for psychologists and psychometricians as the need arises. Section 16. Registration Without Examination for Psychologists. – A person who possesses the qualifications required to take the examination for registration as a psychologist pursuant to the provisions of this Act may be registered without examination: Provided, That the applicant files with the Board within three (3) years after its creation an application for registration and issuance of certificate of registration and professional identification card by submitting credentials satisfactory to the Board that the applicant had, on or prior to the effectivity of this Act, fulfilled the requirements under either subparagraphs (a), (b) or (c) herein: (a) Obtained a doctoral degree in psychology and had accumulated three (3) years of work experience in the practice of psychology; (b) Obtained a master’s degree in psychology and accum ulated a minimum of five (5) years of work experience in the practice of psychology; (c) Psychologists or employees who hold positions as psychologists presently employed in various government or private agencies, who have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, accumulated a minimum of ten (10) years of work experience in the practice of psychology as a psychologist, and who have updated their professional education in various psychology-related functions. Section 17. Registration Without Examination for Psychometricians. – A person who possesses the qualifications required to take the examination for registration as a psychometrician may be registered without examination:Provided, That the applicant files with the Board within three (3) years after its creation an application for registration and issuance of a certificate of registration and professional identification card by submitting credentials satisfactory to the Board that the applicant before the effectivity of this Act had obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and had accumulated a min imum of two (2) years full time work experience in the practice of psychometrics. Section 18. Ratings in the Examination. – To be qualified as having passed the licensure examination for psychologists and psychometricians, a candidate must have obtained a weighted general average of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for all subjects, with no grade lower than sixty percent (60%) in any given subject. An examine who obtains a weighted general average of seventy-five percent (75%) or higher but obtains a rating below sixty percent (60%) in any given subject may retake such subjects within the next two (2) years, and upon obtaining a rating of at least seventy-five percent (75%) in each such subject, shall then be deemed to have passed the licensure examination. Section 19. Report of Ratings. – The Board shall submit to the Commission an official report detailing the ratings obtained by each examine within ten (10) calendar days after the examination, unless such period is extended for just cause. ARTICLE VI REGISTRATION Section 20. Oath of Psychologists and Psychometricians. – All successful examines qualified for registration and all qualified applicants for registration without examination shall be required to take an oath to uphold the profession before any member of the Board or any officer of the Commission authorized to administer oaths, prior to entering into the practice of psychology or psychometrics in the Philippines. Section 21. Issuance of Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card. – A certificate of registration and professional identification card shall be issued to all successful examines and registrants without examination upon compliance with all the legal requirements, including payment of fees, prescribed by the Commission. The certificate of registration shall bear the signature of the Chairperson of the Commission and members of the Board, indicating that the person named therein is entitled to practice the profession with all the privileges and concomitant responsibilities appurtenant thereto. The said certificate shall remain in full force and effect until suspended in accordance with this Act. A professional identification card bearing the registration number, date of issuance and validity term of three (3) years, duly signed by the Chairperson of the Commission, shall likewise be issued to every registrant who has paid the prescribed registration fee. Upon expiration of the professional identification card, the psychologist and psychometrician may renew the same upon proof of compliance with continuing education requirements prescribed by the Board and/or the Commission. Section 22. Disclosure of Registration Information. – The psychologist or psychomitrician shall be required to indicate his/her registration and professional identification card number and date of issuance, the duration of validity, including the professional tax receipt number on each document signed, used or issued in connection with the practice of his/her profession. Section 23. Non-issuance of Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card. – The Board shall not register nor issue a certificate of registration or professional identification card to any person convicted of a criminal offense involving moral turpitude, has been found guilty by a judicial or other duly constituted tribunal of immoral or dishonorable conduct, or has been medically diagnosed to be of unsound mind. In the event of non-issuance of the certificate for any reason, the Board shall furnish the applicant a written statement setting forth the reasons for such denial, which statement shall be incorporated to the records of the Board. Section 24. Foreign Reciprocity. – No foreigner shall be admitted to the psychology or psychometrics licensure examinations unless he/she proves that the country of which he/she is a citizen either: (a) Admits Filipino citizens to the practice of psychology or psychometrics without need for registration and issuance of a certificate of registration/professional identification card; (b) Allows Filipino citizens to practice psychology or psychometrics without restriction; or (c) Allows Filipino citizens to practice the same after an examination on terms of strict and absolute equality with nationals of said country. Section 25. Practice through Special/Temporary Permit. – Special/temporary permits may be issued by the Board, subject to the approval by the Commission and payment of appropriate fees, to the following persons: (a) Licensed psychologists or psychometricians from foreign countries/states who are internationally acknowledged specialists or outstanding experts in psychology or psychometrics: Provided, That their services are important and necessary either due to the lack or inadequacy of available local specialists or experts or in recognition of their potential contribution to the promotion and advancement of the practice of psychology of psychometrics through transfer of technology; (b) Licensed psychologists or psychometricians from foreign countries/states whose services shall be free and offered exclusively to indigent patients in a particular hospital, center or clinic; and (c) Licensed psychologists or psychometricians from foreign countries/states employed as exchange professors to teach psychology or psychometrics in school s, colleges, universities offering psychology or psychometrics courses or programs. The permit shall detail the conditions thereof which shall, among other things, include the effectivity period of not more than one (1) year subject to renewal and the specific place of practice such as the clinic, hospital, center, school, college, university offering the course of psychology or psychometrics. The Board, subject to the approval by the Commission, shall prescribed rules and regulations on the implementation of this particular section. Section 26. Suspension or Revocation of Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card or Cancellation of a Special/Temporary Permit. – The Board shall have the power, after notice and hearing, to suspend or revoke the certificate of registration and professional identification card or to cancel special/temporary permits granted pursuant to this Act on any ground set forth in Section 33 of this Act or any of the instances hereunder: (a) Procurement of a certificate of registration and/or professional identificat ion card or special/temporary permit by fraud or deceit; (b) Allowing an unqualified person to advertise or to practice the profession by using one’s certificate of registration or professional identification card or special/temporary permit; (c) Violating or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of this Act, its implementing rules and regulations, the code of ethics or code of professional standards promulgated hereinafter by the Board; (d) Manifest physical or mental incompetence to render psychological services with reasonable skill and safety to his/her clients/patients; (e) Professional misconduct or negligence in the performance of duties as a psychometrician; and (f) Engaging in the practice of the profession during the period of one’s suspension. Section 27. Reinstatement. – A psychologist or psychometrician whose certificate of registration has been revoked may apply to the Board for reinstatement at any time after two (2) years from the date of revocation of said certificate. The application shall be in writing and shall conform to requirements hereinafter prescribed by the Board. No certificate of registration or professional identification card or special/temporary permit shall be reinstated unless the Board is satisfied that a good cause exists to warrant such reinstatement. Issuance of a new certificate of registration or professional identification card or special/temporary permit in lieu of one that has been lost, destroyed or mutilated shall be subject to applicable rules prescribed by the Commission. Section 28. Appeal from Judgement. – The decision of the Board shall ipso facto become final fifteen (15) days from receipt of the decision by the respondent unless an appeal has been filed with the Commission within the same period. The Commission’s decision on appeal may be further appealed before the Court Appeals within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof. Section 29. Rights of the Respondent. – The respondent psychologist or psychometrician shall have the right to be represented by counsel at all stages of the proceedings as well as to speedy disposition of his/her case. He/She shall have the right to confront witnesses against him/her in addition to such other rights guaranteed by the Constitution. ARTICLE VII PRIVILEDGED COMMUNICATION AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION Section 30. Rights to Privilege Communication for Psychologists and Psychometricians. – A psychologists or psychometrician cannot, without the consent of the client/patient, be examined on any communication or information disclosed and/or acquired in the course of giving psychological services to such client. The protection accorded herein shall extend to all pertinent records and shall be available to the secretary, clerk or other staff of the licensed psychologist or psychometrician. Any evidence obtained in violation of this provision shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding. Section 31. Integration of the Profession. – The profession shall hereinafter be integrated by consolidating all practitioners into one (1) national organization of registered and licensed psychologists and psychometricians, which shall be recognized and accredited by the Board, subject to approval of the Commission. A psychologist or psychometrician duly registered and licensed by the Board and the Commission shall automatically become a member of said organization and shall receive the benefits and privileges, as well as be subject to all responsibilities and obligations, appurtenant thereto upon payment of the required fees and dues. Membership in the integrated organization shall not be a bar to membership in any other association of psychologists and/or psychometricians.1avvphi1 Section 32. Code of Ethics and Code of Practice for Psychologists and Psychometricians. – The Board shall adopt and promulgated the Code of Ethics and Code of Practice for Psychometricians prescribed and issued by the accredited pro fessional organization of psychologists. ARTICLE VIII PROHIBITED ACTS, PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ACT Section 33. Prohibited Acts. – (a) No person shall: (1) Engage in the professional practice of psychology or psychometrics nor represent himself/herself as a professional practicing psychologist or psychometrician without a valid certificate of registration or valid professional identification card, or a valid special/temporary permit granted by the Board pursuant to this Act; (2) Represent himself/herself to be a licensed and authorized practicing psychologist or psychometrician during the time that his/her certificate of registration has been suspended or revoked or professional identification card without being renewed, or special/temporary permit cancelled; (3) Allow any other person to use his/her certificate of registration and professional identification card or special/temporary permit for any purpose, regardless of whether such enables the unqualified individual to engage in the practice of psychology or psychometrics; (4) Use, exhibit and/or misrepresent as his/her own the certificate of registration and/or professional iden tification card or special/temporary permit of another; and (5) Give any false, inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information to the Board on order to obtain a certificate of registration or professional identification card or special/temporary permit. (b) No corporation, partnership, association or entity shall operate a psychology or psychometrics office, center, clinic or otherwise engage in the practice or allow the practice of psychology or psychometrics within its premises without securing a permit therefor from the Board. Such permit shall be issued only after the Board is satisfied that such establishment is competently staffed by a psychologist and equipped with sufficient and adequate psychology-related instruments and facilities. (c)A violation of any provision of this Act or of its implementing rules and regulations shall be penalized accordingly. Section 34. Penalties. – Any person who violates any provision of this Act implementing rules and regulations shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than three (3) years, or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. Section 35. Injunction. – The Board may initiate action to enjoin, restrain, and/or prosecute any individual, corporation, association, partnership or entity engaging in the practice of psychology and psychometrics in violation of this Act. Section 36. Enforcement. – It shall be the duty of all duly constituted law enforcement agencies and officers of national, provincial, city or municipal governments to uphold and enforce the provisions of this Act and to investigate and prosecute or cause the investigation and prosecution of any person violating the same. ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Section 37. Funding Provision. – The Chairperson of the Commission shall immediately hereinafter include in the Commission’s programs the prompt implementation of this Act, funding of which shall be provided for in the annual General Appropriations Act. Section 38. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the constitution of the Board, it shall promulgated the necessary implementing rules and regulations, subject to approval of the Commission, to implement the provisions of this Act. Section 39. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall at any time be found to be unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected by such declaration shall remain in full force and effect. Section 40. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Section 41. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect afte r fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved, (Sgd.) PROSPERO C. NOGRALES Speaker of the House of Representatives| (Sgd.) JUAN PONCE ENRILE President of the Senate| This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3498 and House Bill No. 6512 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 14, 2009 and December 16, 2009, respectively. (Sgd.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP Secretary General House of Represenatives| (Sgd.) EMMA LIRIO-REYES Secretary of Senate| Approved: March 16, 2010 (Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President of the Philippines The Lawphil Project – Arellano Law Foundation Online Application for Registration Without Examination This facility is for the exclusive use of applicants for registration without examination and is available up to: * May 21, 2015 – for Psychologists and Psychometricians * May 21, 2014 – for Respiratory Therapists Please read carefully the entire instructions and information provided below so you will be guided properly on the procedures, requirements and timetables for registration without examination. 1. Before submitting an application for registration without examination, the applicant must: a. Decide what the application for registration without examination is for (whether for Psychologist or Psychometrician or both, or for Respiratory Therapist). Separate forms and payment will be required for each application. b. Determine whether applicant satisfies the qualification standards for Psychologist, Psychometrician, or Respiratory Therapist c. Determine if applicant can satisfy all the documentary requirements within 15 days from the time of online application. The documentary requirements for Psychologist, Psychometrician, or Respiratory Therapist are provided hereunder: For Psychologist 1. Original and Photocopy of Certificate of Live Birth in NSO Security Paper for Filipino citizens. In case of a foreign citizen, a copy of the law of the state or country which permits Filipino Psychologists to practice on the same basis as its subject or citizens, duly authenticated by the Philippine embassy or consulate therein. 2. Original and photocopy of Marriage Certificate in NSO security paper (for married female only) 3. Original and photocopy of Transcript of Records with scanned picture and with the Special Order Number indicated (for both undergraduate and graduate degrees). Where school is exempted from the issuance of an SO, a certificate of authentication and validation (CAV) must be secured from CHED. 4. For those who do not have a master’s degree, a certified true copy of of at least 100 hours of updating seminars and workshops attended from June 2005 to June 2010 must be presented/submitted 5. Original Certificates of Practice/Work Experience(s): a. Certificate of Employment from immediate superior duly noted by either the HR Manager or Employer specifying the position title, nature of work and specific period of employment duly sworn in by the issuing authorities. Official Job Description signed by the HR Manager must be attached, and for government employees, the official service record specifying the position item must also be submitted. b. For those who are self-employed, applicant must submit the following: 1. Certificate of private practice from colleagues, professional partners and/or institutional clients, specifying the nature of work/services rendered and the duration thereof, duly sworn in and notarized under oath 2. Work contract(s), if any, and/or sworn in statement of the practitioner specifying the nature, scope and duration of project engagement or services rendered, and the regularity of service-delivery with the undertaking that documentary evidence wi ll be produced when required by the Board 3. Business permit and DTI registration 6. Three (3) Original Certificates of Good Moral Character from any of the following: school, employer, church, and/or Barangay Captain duly signed by issuing authority and notarized under oath 7. Original Certificate of Mental Health or Mental Fitness from a Psychiatrist or from a Registered/Certified Clinical Psychologist, duly signed and notarized under oath 8. Original and photocopy of valid NBI Clearance plus Ombudsman clearance for government employees 9. Two (2) colored passport-size picture with white background and complete name tag 10. Photocopy of Community Tax Certificate For Psychometrician 11. Original and Photocopy of Certificate of Live Birth in NSO security paper for Filipino citizens. In case of a foreign citizen, a copy of the law of the state or country which permits Filipino Psychometricians to practice on the same basis as its subject or citizens, duly authenticated by the Philippine embassy or consulate therein. 12. Original and photocopy of Marriage Certificate in NSO security paper (for married female only) 13. Original and photocopy of Transcript of Records for Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (AB/BS) with scanned picture. Special Order Number must be indicated. Where school is exempted from the issuance of an SO, a certificate of authentication and validation (CAV) must be secured from CHED. 14. Original certificate of full-time work experience as a Psychometrician or full time work engagement in the practice of psychometrics for a minimum of 2 years, either from immediate superior (if employed) or from institutional clients, professional partners/colleagues (if on private practice), specifying the nature of work, duly sworn in and notarized under oath. Official job description must be attached. 15. Original and photocopy of valid NBI Clearance; plus Clearance from the Ombudsman for those in government service. 16. Three (3) original Certificates of Good Moral Character, from any of the following: school/former professor, employer, church, and/or Barangay Captain duly signed by issuing authority and notarized under oath 17. Two (2) colored passport-size pictures with white background and complete name tag 18. Photocopy of Community Tax Certificate For Respiratory Therapist 19. Original and photocopy of Certificate of Live Birth in NSO security paper 20. Original and photocopy of Marriage Certificate in NSO security paper (for married female only) 21. Original and photocopy of Transcript of Records (with scanned picture) indicating the Special Order (SO) number, and where the school is exempted from the issuance of an SO, a Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) from the CHED 22. Original and photocopy of NBI Clearance 23. Original Ombudsman Clearance (for government employee) 24. Three (3) Certificates of Good Moral Character, preferably from school, employer, church or barangay captain, duly signed by the issuing authority and duly notarized under oath 25. Two (2) colored passport-size pictures with white background and complete name tag 26. Community Tax Certificate 27. Certificate of Employment, Service Record and Job Description: For academic practitioners: c. Certificate of Employment and Service Record duly signed under oath and sealed by the Human Resources Department d. Certification of subjects taught in the last ten (10) years duly signed under oath and sealed by the Dean of the college, or his/her equivalent, and the school’s Registrar For clinical practitioners: e. Certificate of Employment and Service Record duly signed under oath and sealed by the Human Resources Department and Medical Director f. Copy of the Job Description duly signed under oath and sealed by the Human Resources Department For home care clinical practitioners: g. Certificate of Employment and Service Record duly signed under oath and sealed by the Human Resources Department and the General Manager (or his/her equivalent) h. Copy of the Job Description duly signed under oath and sealed by the Human Resources Department and the General Manager (or his/her equivalent) NOTE: For applicants working abroad, the required documents must be certified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office near the place of work. 2. 3. As soon as applicant has ascertained (1) which registration without examination to apply for (as Psychologist, Psychometrician or both, or as Respiratory Therapist); (2) that he/she satisfies the qualification requirements; and (3) can satisfy all the documentary requirements within the time stated, the applicant is ready to proceed to submit his/her application online. 4. After receiving an acknowledgement through applicant’s email that the application for registration without examination has been submitted successfully together with an order form for payment, applicant must follow the steps hereunder: d. On the assigned date, applicant must go to the Customer Service Center of the nearest PRC office and secure one (1) P15 metered documentary stamp. Affix the documentary stamp on the space provided in the application form, sign it and indicate the date when the application form was accomplished. Applicant can then proceed to the cashier’s window for the payment of the application/processing fee (P900.00 for each application to be processed). e. Submit a copy of the official receipt (OR) evidencing payment together with the duly accomplished application form and documents to: 1. For Psychologist and Psychometrician – Window 12, Application Division at the Ground Floor of PRC Main Building 2. For Respiratory Therapist – PRB Secretariat Office, 3rd Floor of PRC Main Building 3. PRC Regional Offices Submit all required documents in a clear book with the confirmation number and official notice of submission from the PRB on the first page, a table of contents on the second, the printed application form on the third page, and the rest of the documents in subsequent pages arranged according to the list provided. The application processor will conduct an initial screening of the application documents and should inform the applicant of any deficiency at this time. Applicant should receive a claim stub after initial screening is done. a. After receipt by PRC of applicant’s documents, he/she should wait for official notification from PRC through his/her email account. Applicant is also advised to check the PRC website regularly to check whether the application has been approved or call tel. no. 3101018 to inquire about the status of application. I have read and fully understood the instructions and I fully agree with the terms and conditions governing the Professional Regulation Commission’s application for registration without examination.

Macbeth Apperance vs Reality Essay

The world is governed more by appearances than by realities. Throughout society people are judged based on their appearance. This is unfortunate because appearance can be deceiving. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth appearances are not what they seem. Some people may change because they think that their true self does not fit in society while others pretend to be something they are not. In the theme of appearance versus reality Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an image but as the time passes by their true personalities began to show. Macbeth portrays himself differently from his true inner self. He pretends to be a strong and intelligent person but from inside he is weak and indecisive. When Macbeth first confronts the witches’ prophecies he says, â€Å"Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day† (1. 3. 152-153). Macbeth is leaving his future to ‘chance’. He wants to appear noble and strong but in the end he refutes his statement by killing Duncan and Banquo to get to the throne. Also, when Lady Macbeth explains the plan to Macbeth he asks â€Å"If we should fail? † (1. 7. 59). He is still afraid of the consequences of his actions. His actions look pungent but he does not have any reason to kill Duncan. Macbeth has a debate within himself to murder King Duncan or to spare his life. Macbeth hesitation to kill Duncan proves in realty he is a weak man. Lady Macbeth represents herself as a beautiful and powerful woman in society but she is as weak as her husband Macbeth. To convince Macbeth to follow the plan she says â€Å"I have given suck, and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn† (1. 7. 54-58). Macbeth asks for her help, but she responds by being harsh to him to keep up her appearances. Even when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, instead of helping him, she tells him to go to bed and stop imagining weird things. Lady Macbeth appears heartless toward others. However, one night a gentlewomen and a doctor see her sleep waking and mumbling â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out, I say! † (5. 1. 25). She appears to be wide awake but she is unconsciously revealing her true self. Her guilty conscious leads to her downfall through suicide. In this scene her appearance crumbles. She seemed powerful and unsympathetic, but in reality her guilt of Duncan’s murder driver her crazy proving she has become weak. In Macbeth the theme of appearance versus reality is shown through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They both revealed a fictitious picture of their personality even though on the inside they are different people. Macbeth’s indecisive personality leads to his destruction. The iron lady, Lady Macbeth appears to be a tough woman, who feels no guilt. But in the ending she shatters to pieces because of her guilt-ridden conscious. No matter what one appears to be reality will defeat appearance. People can put disguise on reality for time being but in the end truth reveals itself.

Marketing Audit Analysis of Bmw

Marketing audit analysis of BMW. The marketing audit has certain similarities to a financial audit in that it is a review of your existing marketing activities. Carrying out the marketing audit provides the opportunity to review and appraise your whole marketing activity, enabling you to assess past and present performance as well as to provide the basis for evaluating possible future courses of action. Because the business environment is constantly changing, the marketing audit should be used as a reference tool, with constant updates reflecting changes in the external environment and your own internal business experiences. Internal Marketing Audit Internal auditing, as defined by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), is â€Å"an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. † Independence is established by the organizational and reporting structure. Objectivity is achieved by an appropriate mind-set. The internal audit activity evaluates risk exposures relating to the organization's governance, operations and information systems, in relation to: * Effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Reliability and integrity of financial and operational information. * Safeguarding of assets. * Compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the internal auditors evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of how risks are identified and managed in the above areas. They also assess other aspects such as ethics and values within the organization, performance management, communication of risk and control information within th e organization in order to facilitate a good governance process.

Performance Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance Evaluation - Essay Example The number of professionally designed and well managed infrastructure within towns and cities of Emirates can be used as an indicator of developed infrastructure. Such urban environments will boast of superlative traffic and transport systems. Another indicator will be if Urban Planning Council meets the housing requirements. The housing requirement should have proper settlement patterns across the urban areas. On the sustainability of the environment, it is measured on how well the organization has protected the natural environment of desert and coastal ecosystem. It is measured on whether it has been able to protect Emirates rare deserts and unique ecology. Evaluating the performance of the social and human resources development involve the use of indicators such as growth, size and structure of population of the state can be considered. Further, education and illiteracy levels of the workforce are considered in relation to their education infrastructure. Urban Planning Council as an organization should use this indicator factor the number of educational institutions in relation to population growth, education and illiteracy levels. This helps determine the number and levels of educational institutions that need to be built within a given duration of time. Availability of educational institutions will enable an adequate supply of professional and well trained workforce in the future. An increase in per capita income indicates an economic growth and development of any given country. Another indicator that maybe used by the organization is the human development index where facts such as education, income for decent living and life expectancy are considered. In relation to the above economic indicators, the organization enough guidelines and framework of new projects are approved to enable its citizens work and live within healthy immediacy. This helps her populace earn a substantial

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example With all of the important steps the research is designed and done accordingly to fetch the ultimate outcome. Introduction: Market forecasting is an important factor to be analyzed by the marketing team of the organization. For any decision the marketing research is very important. Starting from the customer satisfaction to the new product development and new branding strategies; the marketing research is important in all the aspects of marketing. This paper has different chapters dedicated to the thorough study of the marketing research. The importance of the marketing research in the decision making process, the different methodologies and data collection techniques are discussed thoroughly in this particular paper. The aim of this study is to understand the importance of the marketing research in the field of marketing decision making processes and forecasting. The Importance of the marketing research: The marketing research is the specific marketing function which is conducted to get the ultimate support for taking the marketing decisions (Wrenn, Stevens and Loudon, 2006). According to the American Marketing Association the marketing is defined as â€Å"the function which links the consumers, customer, and public to the marketer through information† (Wrenn, Stevens and Loudon, 2006). The marketing research is possible with the specified data, and it is done for some specific reason. It is a very expensive marketing affair. However, the best marketing research does not promise to produce the best marketing decision always. The marketing research specifies the important information to be needed to analyze the situation within and outside the organization. Without the marketing research no product development is possible. The proper marketing research tells the organization what are required to meet the expectations from the market. This is an essential function within the marketing department to simplify the future decision towards the development. Mark eting research is the ultimate option to understand the internal strength of the organizations and also the expected performance from the external environment. This is the quantitative analysis which would fetch the ultimate solutions to the specified problems. The mathematical and the statistical approaches help the marketing research to have the measurable characteristics. Role of marketing research in decision making: One of the main role of the marketing research is to simplify the decision making process in an efficient way. However, the complete marketing research plays two major role in the whole marketing system, and they are; 1. They are the part of the marketing intelligence feedback function, and 2. It provides the ultimate quantitative data to the decision makers to take decision accordingly towards future advancement. The segmentation research and the new product research are the most lucrative field in the marketing for the opportunist marketing managers (McDaniel and Gates, 1998). From customer satisfaction to the brand extension, every step is taken carefully with the suitable marketing research programs by most of the organizations. Satisfying customers is the main motive of most of the organizations in the recent business environment. And, to work according to

CRITICALLY REVIEWING A JOURNAL ARTICLE Assignment

CRITICALLY REVIEWING A JOURNAL ARTICLE - Assignment Example Researchers have outlined several practises of strategic human resources management and HR management policies and impacts of such policies on performance of various firms of China. Ngo, Lau, and Foley, has contrasted SHRM and HR policies in terms of ownership structure (Ngo et al., 2008). Integration of SHRM and HR practices in the ownership or management structure will increase operational efficiency, financial performance, and employee management. Researchers have outlined feasible strategies for organisational performance. In addition, researchers have developed investigation on various SHRM practises on the expansion, acquisition, and employee motivation strategies. In the page 74 of research paper, strategic HRM is recognised as the key HR strategy in terms of increasing organisational efficiency (Armstrong and Armstrong, 2000). Activities of HR managers are modified to increase competence of employees. HR managers must adapt performance appraisal policies to motivate efficient and performing employees. However, compensation of employees and improvement programs are essential to maintain employee relationship and motivation. Managing employee behaviours is one of the major strategies that will be followed by the HR managers. Globalised firms are increasing use of long-term strategies so that they are able to achieve objectives, growth and sustainability in the competitive firms. Ngo, Lau, and Foley, reported that strategic human resource will align different functions of the employees in order to competitiveness of the firms. However, growth and sustainability strategies of the firms are depending on employee’s performance as per predetermined goals (Armstrong and Armstrong, 2011). Researchers have investigated on the HR practices adopted in the developing countries. Effective HR policies will increase the competitive advantage of the firms in global and

Topic paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Topic paper - Essay Example Its reputation as a source of positive feelings is a motivator for people to come together to attempt a relationship as a couple. The concept of romance is inherently fascinating as it touches on various aspects of human development and psychology. Being so, numerous studies have been undertaken to demystify and understand this phenomenon. This exploratory study shall attempt to answer relatively basic and then and more complex questions pertaining to the dynamics of human romantic relationships, specifically that of heterosexual relationships – how it begins; its effects on the romantic couple; how the involved individuals perceive themselves and their partners and how romance is sustained. Scientific studies of people who are in love show that apart from the emotional responses, there are physiological effects of romance. Fisher (2004) devoted much of her career to studying the biochemical pathways of love in all its manifestations: lust, romance, attachment and the way they wax and wane. Likewise, Marazziti researched on the hormonal effects of the emotions romantic love produces. Levine, Aune & Park (2006) studied love styles, communication in romantic relationships and individuals’ preferences for romantic partners. They also researched on how romance is initiated and what people do to intensify the romantic relationship. Romance also affects one’s self-esteem, as studied by Green, Campbell & Davis (2007). These researchers indicate that when an individual is in love and knows that he is loved back by his partner, his self esteem becomes inflated. On the other hand, when the object of his affection rejects his love, then his self-esteem suffers much. Many more studies on how romance is developed and sustained are available in the literature that will be reviewed for this paper. This study will cover a wide spectrum of subject matter related to romance. It will investigate the topic holistically to

Simone Martinis and Robert Campin's Annunciation Essay

Simone Martinis and Robert Campin's Annunciation - Essay Example Simone Martini is one of the second generation Sienese artists, being a student of Duccio di Buoninsegna. They both belong to the school of painting that flourished in Siena, Italy between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Sienese art has rivaled the Florentine art and its main figures are Duccio di Buoninsegna, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti among others. The Annunciation was created by Simone Martine in 1333 just a year before his death. The artist has had French influence since he spend time in the Avignon. The state at that time was enveloped with trouble, when the Great Schism was happening, with three men claiming to be pope at the same time. Simone Martini was undoubtedly influenced by the Northern artists as he met them when he was in service and the Avignon.On the other hand, Robert Campin is a Flemish artist during the fifteenth century when he was called the "Master of Flemalle†. â€Å"Flemish painting flourished from the early 15th century until the 17th centu ry† when â€Å"Flanders delivered the leading painters in Northern Europe and attracted many promising young painters from neighboring countries†. These artists had the experience of doing painting works in the foreign courts giving them a Europe-wide influence. He is considered the great Master of early Netherlandish painting in the Early Renaissance Period. The Sienese school of painting where Simone Martini was groomed was characterized by a more conservative art, inclined towards â€Å"the decorative beauty and elegant grace of late Gothic art†.

Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Immigration - Essay Example In the Western Countries, the magnitude of immigration has been comparatively high, and the example of America will effectively illustrate the altitude of international immigration. â€Å"All Americans are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. We may not often think of ourselves this way, but the description is literally and absolutely true, because everyone who has ever lived in America came from someplace else.† (Purcell, xi) Therefore, immigration is a global reality, and the facts and figures of international immigration illustrate how crucial this issue is. It is essential to comprehend that the reasons and benefits of immigration are closely related in the contemporary context, because it is mainly due to the benefits of immigration that people move their place of residence from a particular country to another, permanently. The most fundamental benefits of immigration include economic gains, progress of cultural diversity, improvement in the standard of living of immi grants, a younger workforce, and skilled workers.

Money Today Essay Example for Free

Money Today Essay Money today seems to be the most important thing in peoples lives, examples of this are shown in Paper by Catherine Lim; which tells the story of Tay Soon and his wife, and their general obsession with owning their own dream house. Another story that helps to prove this point is The Winner by Barbara Kimenye which centers itself around an elderly gentleman named Pius who is forced to deal with the acquisition of a large sum of money. While the two stories contain characters, which hold different values they both hold a similar ironic ending, and both stories prove that money changes peoples lives. Although both stories help to prove that money indeed does change peoples lives; both Paper and The Winner do it through characters that hold completely different values. For example in Paper Tay Soon is obsessed with his money. Even after he had made enough to buy his dream house he refused to sell his stocks because he wanted more. Whereas in The Winner Pius doesnt really care when he is informed that the original amount he had won had to be split between 300 people. Tay Soon was also very vocal about the actions of his mother and how it appalled him when she refused to try the stock market. I was kind enough to offer to help her make money. But since shes so nasty and ungrateful, well leave her alone. Pg 77 This proves that Tay Soon is a take charge kind of guy. This is further proved by his actions, as he buys and sells all his stocks himself and waits in the brokers office for the latest stock tips. However Pius who similarly is discontent at first with Cousin Sarah passively says nothing to her about it and keeps his discontent to himself, showing that he doesnt really like to take charge of his situations. This is further proven by how easily he is influenced by his best friend Salongo, for instance when Pius is being interviewed by the radio reporter and Salongo keeps telling Pius to say nothing and sure enough Pius says nothing. This all shows that the  difference in character values does not affect the similarity in the theme. While the two stories may be separated by a difference in character values, they are similar in irony. Both stories posses similar ironic endings in which both endings turn out differently then foreseen by the main characters in both stories, thus changing their lives. In Paper Tay Soon expected to make millions playing the stock market and buy his dream house, however in the end he lost all his money, which led to his death; and to further the irony Tay Soon was buried in a model dream house made of paper, the very thing that caused his death. In The Winner the main irony came from the fact that at the beginning of the story Pius thought Cousin Sarah was annoying and wanted to get rid of her. Pius listened to her confident aplomb with growing horror, whilst Salongo frantically nudged him and whispered There what did I tell you? That womens a stickler. Pg 78 However in the end it was proved that Cousin Sarah was the only one who would stick by him when everyone found out there was no money then originally thought and Pius and Cousin Sarah end up getting married. So as you can see money does seem to be the only thing on peoples minds these days. For example look at the growing number of lawsuits and reality based game shows. They just show that people will do anything for a quick buck these days, further proving that money changes peoples lives.

Writing In A State Of Siege English Literature Essay

Writing In A State Of Siege English Literature Essay The ten years between 1948 and 1958 recorded the bustle and disturbance of social life and exhibited the necessity and possibility of a united fight against racial discrimination. The wide spread resentment at the pass-laws, liquor raids and inadequate amenities in 1950 resulted in the suppression of Communism Act. The word communist it self meant unlawful. In 1952, eight thousand people were imprisoned for opposing the apartheid regulations. Chief Albert Luthuli, the President General of the African National Congress was banned for his commitment to a democratic and inter-racial future in South Africa. Things were in oblivion and in 1958, as the whites did not require any permits, the Fugards were advised to go to Sophiatown, a freehold township, a place which combined magic and smut, respectability and crime, black and white and the most lively and crowded of all the African townships, where the blacks and the whites could move freely, with certain social constraints. As Jurger Schadeberg observes, There was poverty in Sophiatown. There were areas that were somewhat slummy. There were gangs. There were crime and there were cutthroats, but it was a real suburb. It had all the facilities a normal suburb has. Whereas when people moved to Orlando or Meadowlands, or whatever, there was nothing there. Sophiatown was romanticized afterwards. Sophiatown was a symbol because it was a place where people were not mixed than in other places. And people owned their own property. (Schadeberg, 2002: 111-112) Sophiatown was predominantly black and also predominantly poor. The greater part of Sophiatown was a sickening slum. As Don Mattera observes the little Chicago of Johannesburg was essentially known for its cosmopolitan flavor and every conceivable space was occupied by a living thing man or animal. (Mattera 1987:49). Derek Cohen also observes, The small corner of the world, the all but forgotten township of the 1950s, Sophiatown, teems with the variety and vivacity of the world itself. Deep in the bowels of this house of hunger, where men and women tread a diurnal mill of deprivation and indignity, lie, as Fugard reminds us, humanity and strength3.(1984:273-284)) The township also had a surprisingly stunning intellectual atmosphere as the black journalists were trying to express their feelings. Jim Baileys Drum magazine covered the township life. Drum ran articles almost every month, reporting on crime figures, the circumstances forcing ordinary citizens into a life of crime, and the shebeen culture, which fed these offences. Benjamin Pogrund, a liberal friend of the Fugards advised Fugard that he would find the right atmosphere in Sophiatown for his play. The only job Fugard could find was that of a clerk in a Native Commissioners Court where offenders of the pass-laws were tried. The cruel conditions gave birth to his pessimism and his earlier incomplete novel (Tsotsi) found its voice in the two plays of his apprenticeship years, No-Good Friday and Nongogo which represented the travails of the black township. Though they were his early plays and though they lacked the dramatic charm and vision of his later plays, they indicate the struggling mind of Fugard to represent his stance as a dramatist. If No Good Friday projects the impact of bad economic conditions on the individuals who aspire for better social conditions and education, Nongogo reflects the aspirations of the people who dream for better living and individual dignity. These two early plays belong to the formative stage of Fugards maturity as a dramatist. No-Good Friday and Nongogo both represent the apartheid trauma of the South African Society. An exploration (Gray,1981:56-63) into the manuscripts of the first novel of Fugard, (which he threw into the Fiji lagoon) Tsotsi, which was published in 1980, reveals Fugards anxiety during his apprenticeship years to present the problems within the existing conditions. Fugards early plays, No-Good Friday and Nongogo also share some of the aspects of Tsotsi as they were set against the same milieu. Stephen Gray5(1981:56) feels that the characters of Tsotsi appeared in the subsequent plays of Fugard like The Blood Knot, Hello and Goodbye, People Are Living There, Boesman and Lena and in many of his plays written during the 1970s. Fugard presents the burning zeal of an incipient black revolutionary against the exploitation faced by the blacks in No-Good Friday (1958). This play works at two levels at the surface level, it appears to be a mere representation of the conditions of the blacks; but at deeper levels, it records the helplessness of the blacks in the face of exploitation by their own fellow men during the conditions of the apartheid. Fugard presents the oppressive politics working on the life of the township in various forms. Crime by African against African was an everyday reality in Sophiatown. For example an article in the November 1951 issue of Drum, The Birth of a Tsotsi, describes the classic circumstances under which a young boy takes the wrong turning: With grinding poverty and the sea of squalor that surrounds the Gold City, it is not difficult to understand the rest. There is a struggle for existence, and the individual intends to survive. Fugard records this struggle in a naturalistic manner in his early plays like No-Good Friday and Nongogo. Willie Seopela, the independent and stubborn protagonist is an aspiring youngman and he stays with Rebecca, his lady love. Willie, an intellectual in the making, with hopes for a brighter and better living, is a student pursuing his undergraduate studies through correspondence. He represents the image of the desperately stubborn black young men of South Africa. Despite hard circumstances, Willie is optimistic and highly independent. He is liked by Father Higgins, the white humanist who visits the black ghettos to offer solace. Father Higgins introduces Tobias, an innocent villager, who comes to Sophiatown for a better living, to Willie and asks him to fix him somewhere, as he is badly in need of money for his living. Willie, aware of the catastrophic situation that awaits black people in the township, asks Tobias not to entertain big dreams. He does not make any promise to Tobias. The residents of the black township are frequently nagged by Shark, a black gangster who appears every Friday, the day of their weekly payment. The innocent residents ought to offer a share from their pay packets either to Shark or similar other gangsters in trains and on roads. They cannot even make a complaint against them to the police, for, they do not have the pass-books to stay in that town. In a way, they buy their protection from Shark, their fellow black South African. Even the independent Willie makes a passive living allowing the share for Shark from his Fridays pay-packet. Tobias, unaware of these facts innocently argues about the share and gets killed in the hands of Shark. It is only after the death of Tobias, Willie realises the gravity of the situation, the result of their passive attitude and decides to oppose Shark in spite of the murderous consequences. In the process, he sacrifices his love for Rebecca. The play ends with Willie getting prepared for the challenge. The play projects a story of loss of relationships, loss of values and loss of security or protection in the white repressive world. Willie, the protagonist condemns the situation in Johannesburg and very often he appears to be the mouth-piece of Fugard. We are frequently reminded of the life-situation described in Peter Abrahams Mine Boy ,Alan Patons Cry, the Beloved Country and Alex La Gumas A Walk in the Night and And a Threefold Cord. Life is not easy there and it has become unbearable, as observed by Father Higgins, a character in No Good Friday. The grim situation of an unprotected life is summed up by Guy very well. Speaking about Shark, he says: Dont you understand? Hes got shares in the police station. . . . . . You can forget about the police. They protect a fellow like Shark. You see they are only interested in our passes. But a Kaffir laying a charge against a criminal-that would be a joke. We are all criminals. Look, Father, do not be hard on us. You know what I have just said better than any other white8. (1977: 146) As in The Blood Knot and other plays here too Fugard arranges his scenes and the protagonist to present the conditions which reflect their predicament. Asked by Guy to explain their sad life, Willie says that the music of their life is a song of melancholy, loneliness and despair (1977:125) and this is reflected in every scene, every chapter and every dialogue. The play portrays the hard realities of the life in Sophiatown, especially on Friday, which is a fertile acre for troubles (1977:126). Father Higgins, though aware of the all pervading nature of sorrow, expresses his helplessness when Willie asks him if he wants to plant a daffodil in his yard. As Don Mattera describes: The ghetto-like township was unpredictable and dangerous. There were times of searching for a loved one in some alley; finding him or her wounded in a hospital or jail, or dead in a morgue. Or checking for husband or father, a brother or a son who had never returned home from work. Or waiting for a mother, an aunt or sister who did not get off the bus or tram where you usually waited for them. Then the anguish and anxiety that would follow reports of a woman raped, beaten and robbed by the jobless and wont work brigades of tsotsis who owned the days and ruled the nights.'(1987:50) No-Good Friday portrays all these problems in Sophiatown, absence of care by the government, unemployment, frustration, poverty, insecurity, gangsterism, evils of pass-laws, broken bonds of love and the cheapness'() of life seen through the lives of various characters. Despite the hard work, they can hardly reach homes safely with their Friday pay-packets. Reflecting the problems of township life, the play is presented in the back yard of Willie and it indicates their poverty amidst iron shacks. The play has black as well as white characters, like Father Higgins, who resembles Rev. Trevor Huddleston, who made a crusade against the stringent laws of the apartheid in the townships. It also records the migration of the innocent youth to the townships to find employment. The play records the raging gangsterism, a social evil, an oppression by the notoriously stronger ones, which has no opposition. It also shows how the underprivileged ones are victimised. The race-laws worsen the condit ions of living and the Group Areas Act had restricted the blacks in the name of the pass-books. The pass laws had been a permanent threat to the African people. As observed by Edward Roux: The pass laws held the people in conditions of abject poverty and subjection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ were the cause of sharp racial friction between the peoples of South Africa upheld the cheap labour system which resulted in malnutrition, starvation and disease and filled gaols with innocent people, thus creating wide-spread crime19.(1964:320). Fugard also projects the hidden social angle the White police mans hidden understanding with the black gangsters like Shark. Speaking about the crime of Sophiatown Bloke Modisane writes, I learned there in Sophiatoown,that one looked at the killing and never at the faces of the killers; one also knew that the law is white and justice casual, that it could not protect us against the knives of Sophiatown, so we tolerated the murders whilst the law encouraged them with its indifference.( 1986:63) The residents of Sophiatown cannot approach the police, who are obviously on the side of law. The blacks continue their survival in hellish conditions. These and similar conditions are portrayed in a more powerful manner in Sizwe Bansi is Dead. If Tsotsi traces both gangsterism and the realisation on the part of the protagonist in a single individual, No-Good Friday projects the evils of gangsterism through Shark and the realisation appears in the protagonist, Willie. Having understood the significance of life and the way it is being shattered in Sophiatown, Willie mourns over the misery of their lives and the impossibility of living. He realizes that life is not a fairy tale with a happy ending. The absurdity of living forces him not only to be away from Rebecca but from his own life itself. To make his life more purposeful and less mundane, he wants to oppose Shark by informing the police. His dreams of living happily ever after get shattered and he says: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.I gave up dreaming. Tobias reminded me of too much, Guy. He was going to make some money and live happily ever after. Thecosy little dreamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ like this, Willie and Rebecca lived happily ever after! Thats how the fairy stories end and its stupid because, out there is life and it is not ending happily14. (1977:155) He feels that life is vain and useless without a protest against the problem. He blames the individuals within his society including himself for allowing such problems. Willies opposition to Shark and the words of the cunning politician Watson project Fugards anger against such conditions. When life becomes dreadful and unprotected, it becomes meaningless. The death of Willie is not the end of the sequence, but it makes a bold beginning of opposition against gangsterism. It is also the frustration and struggle for a better life. The action of the play takes place between two Fridays and the play carries various emotions like humour, satire, shame, anger, frustration and tragedy, the representative feelings of an impoverished, fragmented and violent society20. (Sheila Fugard: 1993:408).Watson, the politician stands as a satirical portrait of the townships black politicians, who demand a sacrifice from the innocent blacks, for their own betterment. The ironical dedication of the song of Guy, Friday Night Blues itself speaks about the theme of the play. Shark, the gangster with a significant name swallows people like Tobias and ironically praises those who pay him regularly. The play brings out the fact that the people of the township should not have cosy dreams about comfortable living. Going against the tradition of depicting the gangsters from the romantic viewpoint, as was done by other writers of his time, Fugard presents Shark, the gangster, as a cruel reality. As observed by Don Mattera, No story about gangsterism or violence in the townships of Johannesburg can be complete without that of Kort Boy- real name George Mbalweni the five-foot-nothing knifeman from Benoni, a former mining town on the East Rand near Johannesburgà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Kort Boy was a legend in his day much hated , much loved it all depended on which end of knife you were at.(1987:102) Characters in No-Good Friday are many, representing the unlimited problems of his society. Each character stands for a problem. Fugard does not offer any solution but he represents things as they are, for an understanding of what was going on in South Africa. As a symphathising white liberal he expresses his sense of helplessness in the wake of events and the act of writing itself becomes an act of courage and commitment as an individual and as a writer. Despite the removal of the apartheid condition, they enjoy their validity, for, these plays stand as records of the 1950s. Fugard brings out his message best the problem of survival in the wake of hopelessness, dejection and destruction. No Good Friday had its premiers on 30th August 1958 after ten years of the initiation of apartheid in South Africa on the primitive stage of the Bantu Mens Social Centre and Fugard was praised by the African monthly Zonk for giving his unknown actors, a wonderful opportunity to show their talents. Apart from the shows in Bantu Mens Social Centre, the play was also staged amidst church walls in the townships, to black audiences and in the White suburbs. Fugard was refused permission to see even the productions he directed. During the run of No-Good Friday Fugard established friendship with important directors like Barney Simon and Tone Brulin. Not only to the actors, but to the people (both blacks and whites) of Sophiatown, it offered a scope to see themselves and their problems on the stage. Although the play has its own technical faults, as observed by critics -like heavy plotting, unlimited characters etc, the play brings out the shaping mind of Fugard as a dramatist with social concerns. The characters apart from representing the troubled people of South Africa become potential images if Willie, Tobias, Rebecca and Guy stand as the victims, Shark and Watson stand as the wicked political images of the cruel exterior of South Africa. The repeated use of the fairy-tale image with its reference to the impossibility of comfortable life speaks about the predicament of the life of the blacks in South Africa under the pressure of the cruel racist law. Fugard does not present this drama as a mere piece of entertainment. It is a realistic document about the sorrowful living of the black people of Sophiatown who suffer from inter-and intra-racial oppression. Fugard recognises that to be black in South Africa is to be poor, and that black existence is imbued with the struggle to find release from the cycle of poverty and the mean quality of life indigence creates. (Albert Wertheim:) It provokes us to think and Fugard makes his observations and statements come alive through the characters he brings on to the stage. As observed by Sheila Fugard19, the germinative ideas of a nascent playwright got fortified in his later plays like The Blood Knot, Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, The Island, Master Haroldand the boys. Fugard incorporates his intellectual and individual stances of rebellion in Willie the black protagonist. Through him, he voices out his feeling, which necessitate the reason for opposition against the dreadful forces like gangsterism which bear the impact of several cruel racist laws; but according to Nkosi, the play had very little concern with the politics behind the chronic violence and gangsterism in the ghetto. (Vandenbroucke,Russell). Nkosi feels this as a limitation. On the other hand, white writers like Alan Paton and Fugard had observed moderation in depicting their conditions. As analysed by Albert Wertheim it was their moderation that drew world attention to the outrages of apartheid. The final speech of Willie is universal in its appeal, as it explains the reasons for the birth and growth of such evil forces within a society. By making the apartheid tragedy ACT on the stage, Fugard has achieved the theatrical and political meaning of two words acting and imagination. Although Fugard sets many of his plays in South Africa and more specifically in Port Elizabeth, he is not writing specifically South African tragedy, for he uses his South African setting and this presentation of South African life under apartheid rule to define a tragic situation imbued with meaning far beyond the geographical boundaries of South Africa.21 (Albert Wertheim) The play is not restricted to South Africa alone; it appeals to the living conditions of all common people who live in poverty ridden slums and ghettos of all parts of the world. As observed by Albert Wertheim, the play is set against a realistic background-it is a statement against oppression, a feature that is found everywhere in the world. REFERENCES Schadeberg,Jurger(ed).2002. Intervies, Johannesburg 15 March 2002:105-108(Transcript) Mattera,Don.1987.Gone with the twilight: A Story of Sophiatown. London,Zed Books. 3.Derek Cohen, Beneath the Underworld: Athol Fugards Tsotsi, World Literature Written in English, Vol. 23, No.2, (1984) 273-84. 4. Stephen Gray, The Coming into the print of Athol Fugards Tsotsi, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Vol. XVI, No.1 (1981) pp 56-63. 5. Ibid.P.56 6. Athol Fugard, No-Good Friday, Dimetos and Two Early Plays, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1977. All subsequent references are to this edition. 7. No Good Friday, p 144. 8. ibid, 146. 9. ibid, 152. 10. ibid, 152. 11. ibid, 154. 12. ibid, 155. 13.Modisane,Bloke.1996.Blame Me on History, Goodwood,Western Cape: A.D.Donker 14. ibid, 155. 15. ibid, 160. 16. Albert Wertheim 17. No Good Friday, p 155 18. Mattera,Don.1987:50 19. Edward Roux, Time longer than Rope, 2nd ed. (Madison: University of Winconsin Press, 1964) p. 320; Quoted by Mbulalo Vizikhungo Mzamane, Sharpeville and its Aftermath: The novels of Richard Rive, peter Abrahams, Alex La Guma and Lauretta Ngcobo, Ariel, Vol. 16, No. 2, April 1985, pp. 30-44. 20. Sheila Fugard, The Apprenticeship Years, Twentieth Century Literature, Ed. By Jack Barbera, Vol. 39, No.4, Win 1993, p. 408. 21. Mattera,Don 22. Albert Wertheim 23. Russell, Vandenbroucke, Truths the Hand can Touch, p. 24. Albert Wertheim, ************** b) NONGOGO (1959) Like No-Good Friday, Nongogo also, but in a different way exposes the travails of the black people in Sophiatown. It exposes the anguish of the women who ran shebeens for livelihood and who longed for decency, though impossible. If Willie of No-Good Friday gets ready to face death with existential courage, Queeny of Nongogo laughs in the face of indecency and shame after a stubborn struggle against them. Nongogo, like No Good Friday also deals with the external and internal aspects of the troubled individuals against the backdrop of troubled economic conditions and suppressive rule. The unique quality of Sophiatown was further enhanced by its shebeen culture. Although blacks were not allowed to drink in the 1950s, they were not stopped by the prohibition. The Sophiatown shebeens sold illegal booze, both store-bought European liquor as well as home brewed skokian. But the shebeens were not merely informal drinking clubs. They were homely places where everyone knew each other. As apartheid ceased to exist, intellectuals like Can Themba, Nat Nkasa and others used to spread circles of literature in these shebeens. As Anthony Samson recalls: The shebeens, however, were another story. Here was what Nat Nakasa called that noble institution, those hospitable homes. Here was a place outside of apartheid as the names reflected: Back Othe Moon, Cabin in the Sky, Little Heaven, The Sanctuary, Kind Lady.(Nicol: 1991:97) Modisane recalls how his mother, after the death of his father, was forced to become shebeen queen in order to keep body and soul together. Her customers, he remembers, drank for one reason only to get drunk, as for them, getting drunk was a purposeful destruction of the pain of their lies, a drowsing of themselves in this orgiastic expenditure. They were breaking out, escaping from themselves. (1986:39) The bad economic conditions forced the black women to take up beer-brewing and shebeens to support their families and to send their children to schools. Apart from the naturalistic portrayal, Fugards play focuses light on the hidden ugliness of evil economic backdrop. As observed by Gerald Weales (1978:) both plays deal with the enervating force of the black situation in South Africa, but they do not so directly as an agitprop would. As in the novels of Peter Abrahams we watch shebeens, drunkards, squalor, hunger, and prostitution- as results of oppression. Dennis Walder(1993:414) in The Genesis of the Township plays observes: The Sophiatown plays nevertheless reflected the aspirations, violence, and vitality of urban black people,offering a window into the world of the correspondent student, Shebeen Queen, Tsotsi (gangster) and rural migrant for predominantly white, liberal audiences.They may now also be seen to have helped to legitimate everyday urban black experience the experience of the majority of South Africans as a subject, for blacks as well as whites. Nongogo presents the conflict between hope and despair, the celebration of life in all its beauty and the devalued existence without virtues. As observed by Russell Vandenbroucke Nongogo is a play about the actuality of the past and forlorn hopes for the future (: 22). The conflict is the result of victimisation. The play has two acts-with the first act getting prepared for decency and respectability, the second act plays a dirge upon the death of these two qualities decency and respectability. The play as a whole exposes the guilt-racked victims of South Africa in both physical and psychological terms. Their physical destruction culminates in their psychological crisis, where their souls wail with the anguish for being the victims of the rough exterior of South African society. The play Nongogo exposes two individuals who experience such angst and a sense of guilt. Both of them are spoiled by social conditions of South Africa. Johnny is badly used by the masochistic, sex-starved mine workers and Queeny-is exploited by the carnal appetite of the South African masculinity, during her fight to eke out a living. Both of them dream for betterment -for a life of decency and respectability which remain to be dreams-the dreams of impossibility. Johnny and Queeny both stand as the physical images of destruction of the psychological self. Like La Gumas A Walk in the Night this play projects the brutalisation that has corroded the moral faculties of the poor.(1973:55) As Fugardxx himself observes, man is more concerned about hunger physically and mentally. Johnny and Queeny become the victims of the hunger of loins and of the poor conditions of the neglected lot. There are other characters like Sam, Blakie and Patrick, who make a parasitic living and work against decency; and who are also in a way, the helpless victims of the poor conditions which can not be bettered, and they in turn victimise their fellow beings-Johnny and Queeny and their dreams of better living for their selfish purposes. The process of victimisation here as in No Good Friday, is the result of both the internal and external aspects of South Africa. Queeny, a nongogo a woman for two and six- the proprietress of a shebeen gets enthused by the arrival and speech of an unexpected salesman Johnny at her door-step. His mode of address makes her feel that she should regain her lost sense of decency. His legitimate living makes her think of dispensing with her shebeen and make a cleaner life with a sense of decency and respectability which remain to be dreams- the dreams of impossibility. Her trust in Johnny encourages her to start a legitimate cloth-business. Her idea of legitimacy creates distaste in Sam, her business partner and her earlier pimp and Blackie, her attendant. With the help of Patrick, a way-ward drunkard, Sam and Blackie spoil the mind of Johnny by sowing the seeds of suspicion. Johnny and Queeny come face to face and compelled by Johnny, Queeny unwillingly digs into her past and in this process, hates Johnny for his inability to understand a womans heart. The play ends with Queeny re-opening the shebeen. Fugard has taken care in portraying the character of Queeny. Her desire for better life with a sense of decency and her despair for not finding it form the crux of the plot. If No-Good Friday presents the process of victimization on the physical plane, dealing with the death of Tobias and of Willie, Nongogo deals with the same process, on the mental plane, indicating the death of the self, when there is the sense of guilt and helpless acceptance of the past life of filth. The crisis of Johnny and Queeny, the victims of the South African society gets interiorized in Nongogo. As Robert M. Post observes, in other plays of Fugard too we find these victims(1985:3-16). Morris and Zachariah in The Blood Knot, Frieda and Errol in the Statements; John and Winston, the political brothers in The Island; Gumboot Dhalami in Tsotsi; Sizwe Bansi in Sizwe Bansi Is Dead; Boesman and Lena in Boesman and Lena; Piet in A Lesson from Aloes and the title character of Dimetos-all of them have been victims in various ways. Queenys curiosity in shaping her life as she had wanted gets shattered. She stands helplessly alone before her own life, a testament of time, as a victim of circumstances. Her disappointment as a living being against past, present and future life is made explicit through the use of two images indicating time the singing wall-clock and the wrist watch. Fugard very keenly exhibits the absurdity of human living against the unchanging nature of time in the South African context. Johnny and Queeny remain as the victims of their conscience. The two plays Nongogo and No-Good Friday exhibit the emotional involvement of Athol Fugard in the problems of the township. The pathetic predicament of man and woman in the South African townships comes alive on the stage. Fugard displays no political purpose in his portrayal of the characters in this play. His artistic involvement as a writer and his personal reaction as a liberal individual made him represent them in a realistic manner. As he observes No-Good Friday and Nongogo are inflated verse dramas by a liberally-informed white-but both the plays are in prose. (Quoted by Russell, Vandenbroucke, THCT, p.25) The gold mines stand as a contrasting back drop to represent the cruel exterior of South Africa. As in No-Good Friday, in this play too, we find the process of victimization. Johnny and Queeny stand as the victims of external conditions with a battered conscience and shattered inner self. Johnnys extreme craving for pure life makes him blind to his circumstances. He fails to treat Queeny as a human being like himself with a yearning for perfection and for a life of decency. Queeny dominates the whole scene with her knowledge of life and an awareness of the nature of men. Her shrewd thinking and her mature opinions about womanhood against the backdrop of her unfortunate murky past as a nongogo elevate her. She says: There is now. But there was a time I thought I had all I wanted when I got this. But when I had it that was the end. There has been times I never knew what day it was in hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I never needed to know. Id wake up and think is it Monday or Tuesday, be Friday? It did not make any difference. Giving it a name did not make it any different from the rest. (p.91) She exhibits a dignity in the climactic scene when she is found re-opening the doors of her shebeen. Her poor conditions had made her a nongogo; her desire for betterment made her think of the life of decency and respectability and the presence of Johnny had made her once again the Queeny of shebeen. Her resurrection as the proprietress of shebeen makes her a tragic figure. She bursts out: What do you think Ive been doing for five years? It had ended Johnny, it was dead and buried when you walked in here. But you wont let it stay that way, will you? Youd be worse than Sam, who just sighs when he passes the grave. Youve dug it up. Youve performed a miracle, Johnny. The miracle of Jesus and Dead body youve brought it back to life. The warmth of your hate, the breath of your disgust had got it living again. Im not too old . . . not too fat . . . even you looked at me like you never looked at another woman. Gods put a lot of streets Ive not walked, lampposts Ive not stood under, faces Ive not smiled at. (p.11