Talk of professional imbalance.

The country is woefully short of professionals who are  sorely needed in two key sectors – the mining industry and health care.

Both are critical to the country’s sustained socio-economic development in terms of job creation and a strong, healthy workforce.

In fact, the country may soon run out of mining engineers and other professionals, the Professional Regulation Commission  has warned.

PRC commissioner Jennifer Manalili said the country is suffering from a severe shortage of licensed mining engineers, optometrists, guidance counselors, psychologists, medical technologists, social workers, pharmacists, nutritionists and dentists.

“Over the years, most of our young students preferred to take up courses that were in demand at that time like nursing, so we are now experiencing an undersupply in certain professions,” Manalili said.

The situation is both tragic and ironic because the mining industry is experiencing a spectacular boom on account of peak international demand for metal and mineral products and the continued entry of foreign investors into the mining sector.    

If the trend is not reversed, the country would lose out on a very big opportunity to cash in on the record high prices of precious metals like gold, silver, and copper in the world market.

Engr. Cornelio Casido, PRC Board of Mining Engineering chairman, said there has been an undersupply of miners worldwide, including the Philippines, as fewer students are opting to take up such course.

“We are actually facing an extinction of miners mainly because only few schools are offering the course and much fewer students are choosing to enroll,” Casido was quoted by a major broadsheet as saying.

“There are only four universities offering mining engineering, and two have already closed down. Another one is likely to close also because only two students have enrolled. This is really a very acute problem,” he said.

The PRC-BME chief noted that last year, only eight mining engineering graduates took the licensure examination and all of them passed the board.

“But even if we have a high 100-percent passing rate, we will still have a shortage because there are very few who are taking the course and the examination annually,” he said.

Since 1910 up to today, the country has had a total of 2,050 licensed mining engineers. Of the total number, half have died and the rest are now getting old or have changed profession, according to Casido.

To address the problem, the PRC had given four special board examinations for old miners who have at least 15 years experience in the industry.

Meanwhile, Board of Optometry member Dr. Vivian Sarabia said there is also a stiff decline in the number of young Filipinos who are taking up optometry since the government opted to add two more years to the previous four-year course.

According to Sarabia, the board is offering a special licensure examination for the four-year graduates for the last time next year in an effort to curb the shortage of optometrists.

The PRC said licensed nutritionists are also declining because young students would rather take up the now very popular culinary course.