Guingona wants salary for nurses raised to Php30,000

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MANILA – Senator Teofisto ‘TG’ Guingona III has filed a bill seeking to raise the starting salary of registered nurses both in the public and private sectors to Php30,000 per month.

Under his Senate Bill No. 2538, Guingona proposes for a comprehensive nursing law that will repeal the existing Republic Act No. 9173 enacted in 2012 to increase the salary of the public nurses to Salary Grade (SG) 15, equivalent to almost Php30,000 salary per month.

To those working in the private sector, Guingona said an equivalent salary to SG 15 will be mandated.

“To address the major challenges faced by Filipino nurses, this proposed bill seeks to institute measures towards relevant nursing practice, just and human conditions of work, and promotion of professional growth,” Guingona explained.

Guingona said his proposal aims to address the increasing number of unemployed nurses as a result of the health system’s failure in determining and projecting human resource needs in and out of the country.

“Plantilla positions in public hospitals remain unfilled, making nurses vulnerable to exploitation and unfair labor practices. In recent years, nurses have been forced to work in job order or contractual terms. Many accept “volunteer” work or pay “training fees” just to be able to work. We need to correct this,” he said.

The Mindanao senator noted the nurses are among those who play a critical role in achieving the intended goal of making health care services accessible to all Filipinos.

The bill aims to create Professional Regulatory Board of Nursing that will supervise and regulate the practice of the profession with the power to suspend, revoke certificates of registration for the practice of nursing.

It also mandates all nurses to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) to improve and enhance the nurses’ competence.

The bill also proposes that the Board, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), other concerned government and non-government institutions, association of hospitals and accredited professional organizations, to establish an incentive and benefit system in the form of free hospital care for nurses and their dependents, scholarship grants and other non-cash benefits.