Lawmaker eyes P64k ‘base pay’ for government nurses

MANILA, Philippines — The leader of the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives expressed his support for proposals that would substantially increase the salary of government nurses, from the current P36,619 entry level to P63,997.

“We have to improve the compensation and benefits of public physicians, nurses, medical technologists, midwives and other health professionals if we want to discourage them from leaving for greener pastures abroad,” said House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan.

He issued the statement coinciding with the observance of International Nurses Day on May 12, the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who was the world’s first nurse and the founder of modern nursing.

Libanan moved to formally co-author House Bill 5276, which seeks to raise from P36,619 to P63,997 the minimum monthly base pay of government nurses, which is a 75 percent equivalent hike.

Under the bill, the lowest base pay of nurses employed in public health institutions would be bumped up by six notches to Salary Grade 21 prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law of 2019.

Libanan expressed his desire to co-author HB 5276 in September last year, citing the heroism of Filipino nurses and other health professionals serving on the frontlines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has assured the public that the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez will make sure that the funds allotted to the Department of Health (DOH) will be “effective and efficient.”

“We want to make sure that the DOH is delivering the services that our people need, and that every peso of the people’s money is being spent wisely. We owe it to our constituents to ensure that they are getting the health care services that they deserve,” he said.