Filipino nurses to remain in demand despite deployment ban —DOLE chief

Filipino nurses will remain in demand abroad despite the Philippine government’s temporary ban on their deployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Thursday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III expressed such optimism as he presented the  proposed P27 billion budget for 2021 of DOLE and its attached agencies before the Senate committee on finance.

Senator Nancy Binay warned that the prolonged temporary grounding of nurses in the country could make them lose job opportunities abroad.

“I doubt that po kasi mahal na mahal po ang ating mga nurses dahil sila ay napaka-hardworking at maalaga,” Bello said.

“Hindi tayo mawawala sa market,” he added.

Based on Philippine Overseas Employment Administration records, the country is able to deploy 16,000 Filipino nurses abroad yearly before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted travel and other quarantine restrictions around the world.

The government initially exempted Filipino health care workers who already inked contracts and secured other documentary requirements as of March 8 from temporary ban coverage.  The exemption has since been extended to those who have valid documents, including signed contracts, as of August 31.

The extension, Bello said, would benefit around 1,500 Filipino health care workers, mostly nurses.

Bello justified the temporary ban as necessary to ensure that the Philippines has enough health care workers in the event of a surge of COVID-19 cases.

According to Department of Health records, there are 65,000 nurses employed in public and private hospitals and health care facilities in the country.

Considering such figures, Binay argued that the government can let the 16,000 nurses go and work abroad.

“16,000 lang naman po ito at peak, baka puede na po sila payagan umalis kasi hindi naman po natin sila puedeng tanggalan ng karapatan na makapaghanap-buhay para sa kanilang pamilya. Sana mapagbigyan natin sila,” Binay said.

Binay’s sentiments were echoed by Senators Joel Villanueva and Risa Hontiveros.

Bello responded by saying that the ban is only temporary.

"We do not have a close mind on this," Bello said.—LDF, GMA News