QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine government under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration commits to addressing the shortage of healthcare workers in the country due to migration.
The role of Filipino workers has been constantly recognized abroad for their dedication thus more countries want to hire them which in turn has been affecting the delivery of effective healthcare in the Philippines.
“We are very proud of (our nurses and doctors) and the role they play during the height of the pandemic but as I said, we are a victim of our own success,” President Marcos said.
“But you know, we have to adjust and find other ways. We have to give them at least equal opportunities at home. It is very clear that most Filipino overseas workers are willing to take less in terms of pay so long as they can stay here," President Marcos pointed out.
Temasek Foundation International of Singapore chair Ms. Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng during its visit also commended the Philippines for producing good nurses and doctors, noting Singapore’s emergency room doctors are mostly Filipinos and praising their training based on life experience.
So, in partnership with Temasek Foundation International of Singapore, the government aims to find ways to address human capital flight in the healthcare sector in the Southeast Asian region.
Chair Ms. Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng shared that the Singapore nursing association has agreed to register nurses in Singapore to address human capital flight in the sector after the country lost 400 nurses to New Zealand, which offered permanent residency (PR).
Moreover, Singapore will not provide Filipino nurses citizenship so they can go back and forth during their working years.
Previously, President Marcos has already directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to address the shortage of nurses in the country.
CHED, in response, implemented various measures including retooling board non-passers, adopting a nursing curriculum with exit credentials, redirecting non-practicing nurses, and conducting exchange programs with other countries.
The Department of Health (DOH), on the other hand, is also assessing the status of the proposed legislation on the Magna Carta for Public Health Care Workers and the Philippine Nursing Act while doing a study on the standardization of salaries of nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers.
Temasek Foundation, a Singapore-based non-profit philanthropic organization, is an arm of Singapore’s state sovereign fund Temasek Holdings.
The foundation funds and supports programs aimed at building community capabilities in Asia and beyond through philanthropic endowments.
The foundation forged agreements with the Philippines to enhance competencies across industries, through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Digitalization and Industry 4.0) Program, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Design Thinking Programme, and Health Care Management Program. (KSAA – PIA CPSD with information from PCO)
