‘Saguip Nars’ program hires 100 nurses

As part of its efforts to further provide quality jobs among Ilocanos, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte started to deploy 100 nurses in various district hospitals and rural health units on Friday.



The Saguip Nars program was launched on March 28, 2014 to assist nurses while searching for permanent jobs as well as to address the unemployment and underemployment rate in the province.

Since then, the program had produced four batches and employed over 800 Ilocano nurses, mostly fresh graduates, according to the latest data from the Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

PESO officer in charge Lizette Bitancor revealed that the program has welcomed some changes this year by “allowing those who were previously employed to re-apply as well as the extension of the nurses’ contracts to six months compared to the three months in the past batches.”

The orientation for the new batch was held last January 12 at the Provincial Auditorium. The employed nurses had to go through a screening process which included an examination and interview.




Governor Imee Marcos has been pushing for a jobs-rich growth in the province as the program is hoped to “contribute to the two-year minimum requirement of experience and at the same time keep their professional skills going.”

She also noted that the provincial government remains supportive of their endeavors by providing them convenient services like passport processing “as some are also eyeing for employment opportunities abroad.”

As one of the first batches in 2014 who availed the program, Kristine Angeli Ruiz of Laoag City is now working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia and considers the experience that gave a boost to her application.

She thanked the provincial government for the assistance and urged Ilocano nurses to apply to the program as it is a “perfect opportunity to gain first hand knowledge and skills about the nursing field.” [via PNA]