President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, Sept. 1, lauded Filipino nurses’ “competence and dedication” in the healthcare service and thanked them for their sacrifices and “significant contributions to society” especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his speech during the 100th Anniversary of Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and during the 65th Nursing Week, Marcos recognized nurses’ hard work and dedication to their profession, as well as their unparalleled and world-class care for patients.
“Diyan naiba talaga ang ating mga nurse. Marami namang magaling diyan… Kahit ‘yung mga foreigner hinahanap nila, mas gusto nila na ang nag-aalaga sa kanila mga Pilipino na nurse. At hindi naman kataka-taka dahil kapag inalagaan ka ng Pilipino na nurse, gagaling ka talaga,” he said.
Marcos recalled his recent bout with COVID-19 where “benefited from the able and healing hands of competent Filipino nurses.”
“Because of you and the sacrifices that you made knowing that there was a risk involved but because of that sacrifice, because of that compassion, because of that professionalism, our nation has survived the most difficult moments of this pandemic,” he stressed.
He noted that many nurses were infected by COVID-19 and that health workers have chosen to live separately from their families to prevent transmission.
“Please know that we understand this, that we know what you have done. We know the value of your work. And this is something that we know not only because of our personal experiences, but because of the experiences of everybody around the world,” he said.
“Kahit ‘yung mga prime minister, kahit ‘yung mga presidente ng mga ibang bansa ay pinupuri ang mga nurse na Pilipino na sinasabi ‘sila ang nagbuhay sa amin kahit dito sa aming bansa, hindi lamang sa Pilipinas’,” he added.
Supporting nurses
The President assured that his administration will continue to address the challenges faced by the health sector such as working conditions, salaries, health facilities, and benefits and security of tenure.
“So we can ensure that our people will always lean on and benefit from your exceptional care, your government will continue to pursue the programs and support the continuous development of Filipino nurses,” he said.
Among the measures he cited are the Nursing Certification Program, Primary Care Workers’ Certification Program, leadership development courses for public health nurses, in-service post-graduate scholarship program, and e-learning program.
Benefits
Marcos said the government will continue to provide nurses with benefits in the form of hazard pay, COVID-19 sickness and death compensation, insurance, allowances, among others.
“Also, we must address the uneven distribution of nurses in different areas around the country. In order to do that, we have to address issues related to health facilities, benefits, and security of tenure,” he said.
“As we work hard to improve the state of our healthcare system at home, let us join hands to maintain our country’s position as the gold standard when it comes to providing healthcare workers to hospitals and health facilities globally,” he added.
Meanwhile, Marcos mentioned the opening of more slots for foreign employment of nurses “while striving to improve opportunities domestically.” – Katrina Gracia Consebido-ag
