P65,000 monthly pay proposed to make nurses stay

MANILA, Philippines — To encourage health care workers to stay and not leave for employment overseas, the labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW) yesterday pressed for a P65,000 starting monthly pay for nurses in both the government and private sectors.

The FFW called on the House of Representatives to swiftly approve a proposed measure seeking to elevate government nurses’ entry-level wages from the prevailing P36,619 to P63,997.

It noted that there are about 58 bills pending before the House of Representatives and 21 in the Senate – all aimed at raising the wages to between P50,000 to P64,000.

Manuel Payao, FFW-UERM Employees Union president, said there is a significant pay disparity between the public and private sectors with the private sector nurses receiving a daily wage of P610 in the National Capital Region to as low as P431 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

This is low compared to the P35,000 monthly pay the employees of public hospitals and facilities are getting, he noted.

“These wage disparities are severe and unjust. Nurses, regardless of their employment sector, merit higher compensation given their crucial role and the intense physical and mental strain of their profession,” Payao stressed.

“We must stem the brain drain. We need to give our nurses compelling reasons to stay in the Philippines and not seek greener pastures abroad,” he said.

The FFW further demanded the immediate distribution of the mandated Health Emergency Allowances (HEA) to health care workers who performed their duties at the height of the COVID pandemic.

Phoebe Acuril, Capiz Emmanuel Hospital Employees Union president, said they have yet to receive the HEA of P9,000 per month from July to December 2022.

“We are encountering similar issues with health care employees at our sister hospital, Capiz Emmanuel Hospital in Roxas City, and here at Iloilo Mission Hospital in Iloilo City,” FFW vice president for Visayas Tiffany Ong said.