GORDON BACKS SC RULING GIVING FAIR SALARIES FOR FILIPINO NURSES

Senator Richard J. Gordon strongly supports the Supreme Court's decision to endorse Section 32 of Republic Act 9173 or The Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 that states that the minimum base pay for nurses working in the government hospitals and health institutions should start at salary grade 15 or P31,545 per month.

Gordon has been emphasizing that Filipino nurses, both in the government and private hospitals and health institutions, should be compensated fairly as their salaries are not commensurate to their labor. Currently, entry-level nurses receive a salary of P8,000 to 13,500 only. The low pay being given to them, according to Gordon, is not fitting for their long hours of duty. This, he added, drives them to seek jobs abroad where they can earn more.

As a strong gesture of support to the nursing sector, Gordon filed a bill amending RA 9173 last July. It proposes a new comprehensive policy for Filipino nurses that will be beneficial to them and will give them opportunities to advance themselves in the nursing field while they serve the country's growing needs for healthcare professionals.

According to the bill, "Once nurses graduate and become licensed, they should have the option to be hired by the government at a just pay and dispatched to places in the country where they are needed the most."

Gordon also stressed that while there are many places in the country that are in need for healthcare professionals, a huge number of Nursing graduates are not working in hospitals and medical institutions, but in other industries such as the business process outsourcing (BPO) and aesthetics. Others are reported to be working in various review centers or put up their own businesses.

Gordon said, through the bill, the education-career mismatch among nurses will be resolved, as well as the scarcity of nurses in the country.

"Nurses should be respected. We want them to graduate and be paid well to serve our people. They are very important to public health and so, we must give them the compensation that they truly deserve," said Gordon.