DBM blamed for lack of budget for nurses' salary increases

MANILA, Philippines - Health Undersecretary Theodore Herbosa on Tuesday revealed that the lack of enough budget from the government caused the delay of the implementation of higher salaries for the country’s nurses.

The Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization chaired by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV tackled the issues surrounding the nursing industry as well as the resolutions affecting the medical profession.

Resource persons discussed Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act, which was enacted in 2002, but remained unenforced.

During the hearing, ANG NARS partylist Rep. Leah Paquiz deplored the sad plight of the country’s nurses “who struggle in precarious working conditions.”

“Nurses exploitation did not just happen now,” she said.  “Nurses who, out of desperation serve as volunteer nurses, trainee nurses, nurses who work under deplorable working conditions, nurses denied of decent pay and statutory benefits—all of these are constitutive of precarious working conditions,” Paquiz lamented.

Paquiz blamed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for not prioritising the budget for the nurses' benefits. She noted the DBM memo, saying that the estimated P438-million needed for the proposed upgrading of entry level of 4,687 Nurse 1 positions “would further strain the government coffers.”

During the hearing, Sen. Bam Aquino asked the concerned agencies why the salary grade 15 has not been implemented for entry-level nurses.

“Why are we still implementing salary grade 11 for most of them?” Aquino asked during the hearing. “How much would the gap be? This is the budget season and now is the time to talk about it.”

Herbosa pointed out that the government hospitals are keen on ensuring that the nurses’ welfare are looked after.

However, Herbosa said the lawmakers should address the question of funding for salaries of nurses to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Civil Service Commission.

“Laws as passed must also be funded,” he said.

Herbosa reported that the DOH has been supportive of the moves to remove the practice of some private and government hospitals to accept the services of “volunteer” nurses.

Reports said there have been various complaints of newly-graduated nurses who are forced to enter hospitals for a fee to get work experiences.

“This administration has hired many nurses compared to other administration,” he told the Senate panel. The government has intensified the hiring of nurses in the barangay levels," Herbosa added.

“Health care is a service,” he said, recognizing the need to address concerns of doctors and nurses for better salaries and benefits. Otherwise, the medical personnel will go abroad, he added.