CHED open to 'selective' lifting of moratorium on new nursing programs

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is open to the lifting of the decade-old moratorium on the opening of new programs for nursing as proposed by a lawmaker.

According to CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera III on Wednesday, the commission is actually considering a "selective lifting" of the moratorium that was contained in a memorandum issued in 2010.

"Halimbawa, ili-lift lang dun sa mga lugar na talagang mataas ang kaso ng COVID [For example, we'll just lift the moratorium in areas with high number of COVID-19 cases," De Vera told Super Radyo dzBB, naming NCR Plus, Iloilo, Davao and Cebu.

"Kasi sa mga susunod na buwan o taon, ang mangyayari sa mga lugar na ito ay palalakasin ng pamahalaan yung health facilities in anticipation of pandemics in the future, mangangailangan ng additional health personnel," he said.

(In the coming months or years the government will strengthen the health facilities in these areas in anticipation of future pandemics, so they would need additional health personnel.)

"So ang iniisip namin hindi naman lahat kundi dun lang sa strategically targeted places at saka dun sa magagaling na pamantasan [What we are considering is lifting the moratorium in strategically targeted places and in quality learning institutions]."

It was Quezon Representative Angelina Tan, chairperson of the House Committee on Health, who urged CHED  to lift the moratorium on the opening of new programs for nursing, citing the lack of nurses in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a privilege speech on Monday, Tan said now is the perfect time for CHED to assess the relevance of its memorandum on the moratorium, which became effective school year 2011-2012.

De Vera said the commission has been tackling this issue "for months" already, and that they are just awaiting data and advice from the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) before coming up with a decision.

"Kung ang datos ay talagang nagpapakita ng talagang kailangan at targeted ang lifting, palagay ko yan ay madaling maaaprubahan ng komisyon kung nandiyan yung datos at advice galing sa DOH at DOLE," he said.

(If data would support targeted lifting of the moratorium, I think the commission will easily approve it.)

De Vera also said DOLE's input is needed as there is also a global demand for nurses. --KBK, GMA News