400,000 licensed nurses have no jobs in RP PRC

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly half a million licensed Filipino nurses are now out of jobs.

The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) reported that the country now has an oversupply of 400,000 licensed nurses.

“Both public and private hospitals could only accommodate 60,000 positions, so right now we have an oversupply of 400,000 nurses,” said PRC Commissioner Ruth Padilla.

Padilla pointed out that the country produces 100,000 licensed nurses annually, but there are no additional positions created in both government and private hospitals nationwide.

She, however, expressed confidence that a lot of employment opportunities abroad are available for those licensed Filipino nurses who cannot find jobs in the country.

“We will not have difficulty meeting the high demand for nurses abroad because we have an oversupply. We welcome opportunities outside the country,” Padilla said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) earlier reported numerous job orders for Filipino nurses overseas, particularly among highly developed countries.

POEA said the high demand for Filipino nurses is expected to continue for years because of the aging population in many highly developed countries.

But the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) said the country now has an oversupply of nurses because of the continuing decline in the hiring of Filipino nurses overseas.

For the past years, the PNA said the demand for nurses in key destinations like the United States and the United Kingdom has declined due to US visa retrogression and the shift in UK’s policy.

Padilla, however, said the government is now negotiating for agreements that would allow the hiring of Filipino nurses in various countries.