Solon pushes for P25,000 basic salary for nurses

A lawmaker belonging to the Makabayan bloc has appealed to his colleagues to support the country's nurses by increasing their basic monthly salary to P25,000.

In a privilege speech, Rep. Neri J. Colmenares (Party-list, Bayan Muna) said the Salary Grade 15 with an equivalent of P25,000-monthly salary for nurses under the Nursing Act of 2002 was never implemented and was nullified by the Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL 3) in 2009.

Colmenares said based on SSL 3, a Nurse 1 position has an equivalent of P18,000-monthly salary. In private hospitals not covered by SSL 3, some nurses even receive a meager P6,000-monthly salary, Colmenares said.

In the provinces, especially in 4th to 6th class municipalities, the salaries given are still based on the 2nd and 3rd tranches of SSL 3, even though the 4th tranche of SSL 3 was fully implemented since year 2012, Colmenares added.

According to Colmenares, while the Philippines is the number one exporter of nurses around the world, reports show that there are still some 200,000 unemployed nurses and 300,000 misemployed nurses in the country.

The irony, he pointed out, is that in many hospitals, especially in public hospitals, there is only one nurse for every 20 to 40 patients. In San Lazaro Hospital, there are only four nurses manning the 100 bed in the tuberculosis ward while in Mental Hospital, the nurse to patient ratio is 1:80, he said.

There are 42,851 nurses employed in public and private hospitals, data from the Department of Health revealed.

The unjust compensation for nurses is one of the reasons why many of skilled Filipino nurses opt to work abroad, despite the risks of working in a foreign country, Colmenares declared.

Colmenares urged his colleagues to support House Bill 5541, a measure he authored that seeks to upgrade the minimum monthly salary of nurses to P25,000 and provide benefits for nurses. It is still pending deliberation with the House Committee on Health.

Colmenares also sought his colleagues' support for related bills and resolutions to help the nurses and the nursing profession to carry the task of providing adequate medical care for the citizenry.

"Let us help nurse the nurses and the nursing profession. Let us help heal our sick countrymen. Let us work towards a healthy people in a truly healthy society," Colmenares said. [via Source]