Thank yous can't pay bills, says nurse as many quit for higher paying jobs abroad

Nurses have been resigning from the country's hospitals to seek higher paying job opportunities abroad.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras,” Mark Dominguez said he wanted to serve the country but could not help but think about working abroad.

“Hindi kasi mabibigyan ng ano, hindi kasi napapakain ng thank you lang ‘yung mga pangangailangan natin kasi may mga bills rin naman tayo,” said Dominguez, a nurse at a dialysis ward of a private hospital.

He is now on quarantine due to fever and a cold.

[Thank you won’t fulfill our needs because we also have bills to pay.]

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, nurses in government hospitals are paid P33,000, lower compared to the wage of nurses in other countries which begin at a minimum of P100,000.

Data from DOLE, meanwhile, showed that nurses working in private hospitals earn P14,000 to P15,000.

“We want that this salary or entry-level salary of our healthcare workers, especially nurses, be at par with that of the public sector,” Labor and Employment Dominique Tutay said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said the country needs to fill 750 nurse positions in Germany under the government-to-government agreement of the two countries.

Nurses which will be hired will receive the same wage as German nurses.

“They will receive a minimum of €2,300 per month. That is equivalent to roughly, P135,000. Kapag sila ay fully recognized na… sila ay tatanggap ng €2,800… roughly equivalent to P165,000,” POEA administrator Bernard Olalia said.

To apply, requirements include being a board passer, a one-year experience as a nurse, as well as a German language proficiency certification. —Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News