Prof. Neriza G.

Mamasabulod


UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG
FILIPINO NURSES
Several months ago, news of unemployment among
Filipino nurses remained afloat with the number
reaching up to about 400,000. Statistics from the
Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE),
particularly on its Market Trend analysis.

The DOLE and the Board of Nursing (BON) acted
with dispatch to review available data which revealed
that from 1952 to 2008 the country has registered or
licensed 480,992 Filipino nurses out of 523,272 who
actually passed the Philippine Nurse Licensure
Examinations.

According to DOLE data the total number of Filipino
nurses employed between October 2001 & 2007 was
58,000 (fifty eight which represented 3.86% of the
total employed professional workers (1.5 million)
reflected in the National Statistics Office, Labor Force
Survey as source of data.
There is actually a market slowdown starting
2006, when the demand for Filipino nurses started to
plateau as a result of the retrogression in the US
market and a change of nursing employment policy in
the UK.
The previous high demand for Filipino nurse has kept
our nursing pool in the country relatively large.
Despite the number of nurses reportedly
deployed/employed there still is a slow-down in the
hiring of newly passed nurses.
The actual unemployment and underemployment
figures would only range to about 80,000 and the
developments in the international job markets remain
to be bright and still promising.










Other data on nursing in the Philippines that are
worthy to note are:
1. From 27,833 nursing enrollees recorded in academic
year 2000-2001, there was a record high of 453,896
enrollees in academic year 2006-2007 or an annual
average growth rate of 62%. (Source of data: CHED)
2. The number of nursing graduates showed an
increasing trend for the period 2000 2005, with
140.5% increase in the number of graduates in SY
2004 - 2005 (Source of data: CHED)

3. From 2001-2008, the number of board examinees was on the rise.
The passing rate exhibited a declining trend from a high of 55.8%
in 1998 to a low of 45.2% in 2006 or an annual average of 49.5%.
In June 2008, the passing rate (43.1%) was lower than the average
registered for the period 1998-2007. In addition, 1 out of every 5
colleges of nursing registers a zero passing mark, which is
indicative of the questionable quality of education and/or
decreasing quality of students admitted for the nursing
profession. Source of data: PRC
4. From 1998 to June 2008, 224,961 did not pass the Philippines
Nurse Licensure Examination. This figure is 32% higher than the
169,766 combined local and foreign demand for nurses. What
could be done with this human resources in the country?

5. The migration of experienced nurses who are highly
skilled (5-15 years) and specialists in their fields of expertise
actually creates a vacuum in the local health care delivery
system. Most nurses locally employed are new graduates
who lack experience and skills which pose serious
implications on the quality of health care provided our own
countrymen. One of the push factors for migration is the
wide discrepancy in the salaries of our nurses employed
One of the push factors for migration is the wide
discrepancy in the salaries of our nurses employed locally
and overseas (US$4,000- US; $700-1,500 in KSA; and
US$180-220 in the Philippines)

Economics of Nursing Education
Before the 1950s, there were only 17 nursing schools in the Philippines
which graduated 7,179 qualified nurses per year. The number of schools
and nursing graduates increased consistently. A peak of 14,112 qualified
nurses was reached in 1976. The increase in nursing graduates was mostly
due to a response to the demand of Philippine nurses abroad during those
times.
During the late 70s however, US and West Germany (two countries where
Philippine nurses were in demand), closed its doors temporarily to foreign
nurses. Because nursing schools were created as a response to world
market demand, there was an oversupply of nurses who could not find
work in the Philippines. Nursing began to lose its attraction as a
profession. By the early 1980s, there was an insignificant number of
applicants to nursing schools. The Philippine Regulation Commission
registered 5,859 enrollees in 1983 compared to a peak of 14,563 in 1980.
In order to off set the decreasing enrollment of nurses in the early 1980s,
nursing schools adopted a policy of 'open admission' which basically
meant anybody could enroll. Since then, according to the PNA, the quality
of nursing education has started to go on a downhill trend.


Supply & Demand for Nurses
As of year 2000 Number of RN
Supply 306,110
Demand 178,045
Surplus 128,065
* Demand is much higher from other countries.
Philippine Nurses Salary
The provision on salary increase is specially crucial
given that the present average pay of nurses in tertiary
government hospitals at basic pay of 12,026 under
Salary Grade 10 is way below the P27,100 monthly or
P911.00 daily living allowance for a family of 5 (Source:
National Wages and Productivity Commission).












ARTICLE VII
Health Human Resources Production, Utilization and Development

Section 32. Salary. - In order to enhance the general welfare,
commitment to service and professionalism of nurses the minimum
base pay of nurses working in the public health institutions shall not be
lower than salary grade 15 prescribes under Republic Act No. 6758,
otherwise known as the "Compensation and Classification Act of 1989":
Provided, That for nurses working in local government units,
adjustments to their salaries shall be in accordance with Section 10 of
the said law.



Republic Act No. 9173
RA9173

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MORE RESPONSIVE NURSING PROFESSION,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7164, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS "THE PHILIPPINE NURSING ACT OF 1991" AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Nurses Salary
Salary Grade 10 12,000 Php
Salary Grade 11 additional 6,000 Php from
above
Salary Grade 15 24,000 Php
Now is the time for all Filipino nurses to close ranks
and consider contingency measures for the collective
good of the nursing sector to cushion the effects of the
said global economic crisis which will definitely
impact the Filipino nurses, their families, and the
country as a whole.