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UK envoy: Employ RP nurses at home first

JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE, GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173054/uk-envoy-employ-rp-nurses-at-home-first

Before the Philippines could start sending out Filipino health care workers in droves abroad, it should first begin populating its hospitals with nurses.

The current surplus in Filipino nurses should be used by the government to care for its own people, said newly installed British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie. 

“You have a lot of nurses in the Philippines but there are some parts of the Philippines that do not have nurses," Lillie said on Thursday.

Although the British government is proud that its health care system has Filipino nurses, Lillie said the UK would eventually want to be self-sustaining.

There are about 250,000 Filipinos staying in the United Kingdom, most of whom are working in the health care industry.

Aside from the promise of more than 20 times the salary for nurses in the Philippines, Filipino nurses are often lured to work in the UK in hopes of petitioning their families to live with them there.

But Lillie said the UK is not like Canada or Australia which encourages immigration of foreign workers and their families.

“We want our health care service to be self-sustaining," he added.

Since 2005, the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) noted that the demand for Filipino nurses in countries like the UK, US, and Canada have already reached their quotas, causing thousands of fresh graduates to cease finding employment overseas.

The number of unemployed Filipino nurses was estimated at 400,000 in 2008.

Then PNA National President Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz said the perceived oversupply of nurses is really caused by the inability of Philippine hospitals to create additional plantilla positions for fresh graduates.

Back to the barangay

To absorb the surplus of Filipino nurses, the government created a program to send them to hospitals in rural areas for training.

Under the Nurses Assigned in Rural Areas (NARS) program, which the British government has also been supporting, unemployed nurses will be made to return to their hometowns for a six-month tour of duty and will be given P8,000 a month as stipend or allowance. (For more information click on the Department of Labor and Employment’s website)

But Jackson Gan, vice president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters, said the program only addresses the temporary employment of nurses but it would not make them attractive abroad. [See: NARS won't make RP nurses attractive abroad]

“Trained nurses in specialty areas like surgical wards, burn ICU (Intensive Care Unit), neo-natal ICU, cardiac cath lab, nursery nurses, pedia, cardio-vascular, emergency, therapy, and clinical wards, which are in demand in the Middle East and Western countries like the USA, UK, Australia and Canada," Gan said.

He said funds for the NARS program should be diverted instead to the improvement of government hospital facilities in both rural and urban areas “so that more nurses can be hired in those areas and accumulate the training needed for work abroad." - GMANews.TV

Filipinos sue CA hospital over English-only rule

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By AMY TAXIN, Associated Press – Tue Dec 7, 5:52 pm ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101207/ap_on_bi_ge/ca_filipino_nurses_discrimination

LOS ANGELES – Dozens of Filipino hospital workers in California sued their employer Tuesday alleging they were the sole ethnic group targeted by a rule requiring them to speak only English.

The group of 52 nurses and medical staff filed a complaint accusing Delano Regional Medical Center of banning them from speaking Tagalog and other Filipino languages while letting other workers speak Spanish and Hindi.

The plaintiffs are seeking to join an August complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Kern County federal court over the hospital's enforcement of a rule requiring workers to speak English.

Filipino workers said they were called to a special meeting in August 2006 where they were warned not to speak Tagalog and told surveillance cameras would be installed, if necessary, to monitor them. Since then, workers said they were told on a daily basis by fellow staffers to speak only English, even on breaks.

"I felt like people were always watching us," said tearful 56-year-old Elnora Cayme, who worked for the hospital from 1980 to 2008. "Even when we spoke English ... people would come and approach us and tell us, 'English only.'"

A message was left at the hospital seeking comment.

In its lawsuit, the EEOC has accused the hospital in California's San Joaquin Valley of creating a hostile working environment for Filipinos by singling them out for reprimands and for encouraging other staff to report them. The agency is seeking an injunction to protect the workers against future discrimination.

[Rewind: Politician caught in English-only controversy]

The EEOC has seen an increase in complaints alleging discrimination based on national origin amid a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, said Anna Park, a regional attorney for the EEOC. That's especially the case in California's central valley, where a greater share of the complaints the agency receives relate to such issues than in the nation as a whole.

In this case, the current and former hospital workers filed a separate complaint under state law in part because monetary damages are capped by federal law, said Julie Su, litigation director for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, which represents the plaintiffs. They want the English-only policy to be changed and for hospital staff to be trained on the new rule.

[Political candidate's statement: 'This is Alabama, we speak English']

Under California law, employers may require workers to speak English if there is a business necessity, Su said.

Delano Regional Medical Center is a 156-bed hospital located about 30 miles north of Bakersfield.

Israel not hiring Filipino nurses—Baldoz

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MANILA, Philippines—Israel is not hiring Filipino nurses, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldos said Monday in a strong warning to Filipino nurses dreaming to work there. 

“Filipinos are hired in Israel as home-based caregivers, and not as nurses,” she warned, citing a report of Labor Attache to Israel Merriam Cuasay saying the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Tel Aviv continue to receive reports that certain unscrupulous recruiters are still offering jobs for Filipino nurses for a Jordan Valley Medical Center.

“This center is fictitious. No such hospital exists in Israel. Job openings in Israel are only for home-based caregivers, not nurses,” Cuasay reported to Baldoz.

The labor and employment chief had noted that just recently, the so-called Jordan Valley Medical Center figured in the news after the Department of Foreign Affairs also issued a warning to Filipino nurses that the hospital is non-existent.

Baldoz’s warning to Filipino nurses not to fall prey to illegal recruiters promising them jobs to the fictitious hospital was followed by a directive to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to conduct a massive information campaign against illegal recruitment activities through its regional and provincial offices.

“I direct the POEA to bring this warning down to all local government units to inform our countrymen of this illegal and criminal activity. It must issue an advisory or a bulletin right away and exert all efforts to identify and apprehend these illegal recruiters luring nurses to non-existent jobs in that country,” Baldoz said.


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101129-305942/Israel-not-hiring-Filipino-nursesBaldoz

Free the 43 Health Workers NOW! Unity March on December 2!

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Free the 43 Health Workers Alliance is a consortium of non-government health organizations, health professional organizations, church institutions, human rights groups and advocates founded on February 2010 to call for the immediate release of the 43 health workers. Since then, the alliance has launched massive campaigns for immediate legal action and public information.

On February 6, forty-three health workers were illegally arrested by combined forces of the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police while conducting a First Responders Health Skills Training in Morong, Rizal. They were incarcerated and tortured in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal, and later on transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, after relatives and supporters demanded that the health workers be transferred to a civilian detention facility from the courts.

Comments From Filipino Nurses Facebook Page (Batch 2)

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[Nurse Junex] Just wanted to reiterate: Im calling to all To my fellow colleagues who are Trainees/Volunteers, please share your experience. It maybe sentiments or not...This is the time to hear your voice out as this will be shared tomorrow during the public hearing w/ Sen. Pia Cayetano... 

Comments From Filipino Nurses Facebook Page (Batch 1)

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Filipino NURSES

‎[Nurse Junex] Any Nurse Volunteers/Trainees? Can you please share with us your real experiences?

Rehistradong Batang Nars ng Pilipinas

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 by: KatipuNurse Kidlat

Ang pagiging NURSE ang isa sa mga sinasabing malinis at marangal na propesyon sa Pilipinas. Kinikilala ito na animoy prestihiyosong trabaho. Summer noon pagkatapos ko mag-grade 6, nang ako’y magpatuli at isang babae at lalaking nurse ang nag-assist sa akin. Sa pagkamangha ko sa kanilang trabaho, mula noon sinabi ko na sa sarili ko na balang araw, makapagsusuot din ako ng kagaya ng mga suot nilang uniform.

Taon 2007, nakamit ko ang degree na Bachelor of Science in Nursing sa isang eskwelahan dito sa Maynila. June 10 at 11, 2007 ng ako’y kumuha ng board exam at nag-antay ng halos 3 buwan bago lumabas ang resulta. Ika nga, “it was worth the wait” dahil naging positibo naman ang naging resulta. Pumasa ako. Hinanda ko ang aking sarili para sa bagong mundo na aking kakaharapin, ang paghahanap ng trabaho. Trabaho na may kinalaman sa kursong aking pinag-aralan ng 4 na taon. Kursong pinagpuyatan, pinagpaguran, at iginapang ng aking mga magulang na halos malubog kami sa utang at maisanla na yun mga ari-arian namin para maitawid lang ako sa kursong NURSING. Mula sa tuition fee, transportation, iba’t-ibang uniforms, contributions sa community, capping/pinning, stripping, graduation, pag-aaply sa PRC, review center, panunumpa ng propesyon at marami pang iba. Lahat ng iyon ay tinugonan ng aking mga magulang dahil nga magiging NURSE ang anak nila. Ngayon masasabi kong isa na nga akong ganap na Nurse. Registradong Nars sa Pilipinas. May lisensya, at sapat na kaalaman. Mula taong 2007 hanggang ngayon sa mga panahong ito November 2010,  tatlong (3)  taon na ang nakalilipas. Tanungin nyo ako, may trabaho na ba ako? Sagot, WALA!  Ngunit mahal ko ang pagiging isang Nars kaya hindi pa rin ako sumusuko.

nurse volunteer from Bicol

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I volunteered for 4 months at the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, Camarines Sur

They required us to pay a so-called training fee of 2,000 pesos. If we do not pay, they will not furnish us with our well deserved certificates. There are around 180-200 nurses per batch. The Bicol Medical Center is the only tertiary government hospital that requires such fee in Bicol. The Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital does not require the fee.

Government hospitals have found ways to find a legal loophole. Instead of considering our services as volunteerism, they treat it as a training program so they can require us to pay a training fee. That is why they call us fellows instead of volunteers

~ DR,RN,RM

nurse volunteer from CAR

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Good day. I am a nurse volunteer in one of the hospitals in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and have been one for almost a year now. Although I have tried applying for a staff position in certain hospitals both here and abroad, I was rejected for not having enough or any actual hospital training back then; the primary reason i resorted to volunteering.

After almost a year of being a nurse volunteer, i have made different observations regarding the said training. Although we are indeed entitled to many actual learning experiences that increases our skill in the nursing profession, that I believe, is the only upside.

First of all, a nurse volunteer is required to pay about 1k/month for hospital training. This training lasts 3-4 months per module, or area of specialization.

This issue of payment has long been existing, and there has already been complaints mostly from the parents of the trainees who wok in the hospital. No numerical compensation is allowed to a volunteer even though the work load is that of a regular staff nurse.

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Hi! i'm a nurse  4 almost 2 yrs. i trained as a OR DR nurse without fee,kumbaga pang experience lang, almost a year din ako sa OR DR, mahirap sa umpisa dahil walang sahod or allowance lang man or pampamase lang, libre nman ang food kya okie narin khit walang sahod.dumating ung time na kelangan kung umalis dahil (NARS) program ng dating pangulo,okie din nman pansamanta ang   program na 6 mos  lamang ang katagal. its non renewable. cguro 70% ng mga kaibigan koh ang walang trabaho na mga rehistradong nurse ang volunteer parin ika nga until now like me..bsta mahirap maging nurse now ung ibang hospital nga nagpapabayad pa for the training eh, wala din kming magawa dhil un ang requirement kung lalabas ka sa ibang bansa ang certipikasyon na may experyens  ka.hirap din namn pumasok as regular employee kung wala kang LAKAS sa hospital na   pinagsisilbihan mu nang walang sahod..basta ang hirap 2 years na po akong murse pwo until now wala  pang trabaho.umaasa po ako na mapakingan ang aming hinaing.    


maraming salamat sa pakikinig
~ KeVin

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Hello. I am not a nurse trainee/volunteer but I am a newly registered nurse (batch July 2010) and after reading the posts/experiences of my fellow colleagues, I can say that I am dismayed by the REAL scenario in Philippine hospitals. Last week, I applied in a famous private hospital as staff nurse for their satellite clinic. I was brave enough to apply in this private hospital because our school is affiliated with it and according to our dean, graduates from our school are given priority (this is with proper procedure, of course). 


When I went there, I was even advised to apply as staff nurse in the hospital itself because according to them a lot of nurses have left the instution. But here's the catch...I still have to pay the hospital "training fee". I did not bother to ask how much. I know there wont be a meal/transpo allowance as well so I temporarily kicked the idea out of my mind and pushed through with my application for their satellite clinic instead. When I was interviewed, they said they are not yet hiring staff nurses in the specific branch I wanted but I was asked if I'm willing to be trained without pay. Ok, so same scenario. I was thinking, OPD clinic na nga lang, trainee parin WITHOUT pay. And its like minamata ako dahil wala ako experience. 


But how can I get experience if hospitals won't hire us. You're supposed to get a job to get experience and not the other way around! I did not pursue them, since there is no hiring yet. So now I'm frustrated. We are not well-off and we cannot pay for such "training fees". Saan ba napupunta ang fees na yan anyway? I studied for four long years, and I know we have spent so much on my tuition fees and I was hoping I could give back to my family. But how? When the hospitals in the Philippines are exploiting new nurses! Yes, I know that volunteering can be rewarding expecially when you have done successful interventions to your patients. But how can you feel good when at the end of the day, you worry about where you will get money for your food and transportation allowance for your duty the next day? Nurses are humans too. They get tired, they get hungry, they get sick. You give your whole self to care for your patient, do all the dirty work in the hospital and yet you are not properly COMPENSATED!


I wish even just a mere meal and transpo allowance and hazard pay from hospitals be given to "trainees". Why do hospitals even bother to get you as "trainees" when at the end of your hardwork, they will just turn you down saying that they cannot hire you as staff nurses yet. The training fees and allowance will just go to waste. And also, "volunteering/training" won't be counted as work experience anyway so what shall we do?? 


I hope something will be done about this. Another thing that frustrates me is the "palakasan" system. I have asked some friends if they can suggest a good hospital where I can try to apply and they always say that its hard to apply because most good hospitals do not hire nurses even as trainees. But if you have a family member working in the hospital or you know someone prominent, you get in easily. So much for playing fair huh?


This resolution by Sen. Pia Cayetano is indeed very timely since new nurses has just been produced and are now clammoring to get into different hospitals just to volunteer. I hope this resolution will be passed because really, the employment system for nurses here in the Philippines is rotten. No wonder a lot of them resort to a call center job because they can get hired immediately and of course, the salary is high. Personally, I do not want to join the callcenter bandwagon. I have nothing against them. Its just that I do not want my nursing skills to be put to waste. But with the situation today, I'm guessing that I'd eventually have to settle with a non-healthcare related job just to make ends meet. 
There's a lot more concerns that I can say but I guess this sums it up. This has become pretty lengthy already.


Please continue to update us regarding this matter. Thank you very much.


~ nurse ivan

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as a volunteer nurse for like a year now so frustrating..yeah we benefit for that position and opportunity,cause ang daming my gusto sa kung nasan ako as a trainee at a government hospital, but the thing is ang sakit at nakakainis is madalas kami na lng ang kumikilos and not the staff nurses themselves. Kami ang umuuwing pagod khit gabi na walang hazard pay or any allowance man lang, umuutang magkaroon lang ng pamasahe araw-araw. Hindi kmi makapagreklamo dahil kami pa ang may utang na loob sa kanila. i dont understand why the government is not doing anything. nakakafrustrate na po talaga, i cant go abroad because of the lack of experience, they keep on saying it is still not enough as a qualification. i just really hope that senator cayetano will and can help us end this exploitation. ~ jen

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Many hospitals are taking advantage to their nurses. They are not hiring enough nurses dahil baka malugi ang hospital if in case na bumaba ang number of patients.  Because of that, regular staff nurses in our hospital have no more freedom to do other things due to 12 hrs of duty everyday and hold-off duty which are really tiring yet napakababa ng sweldo nila. I think they should hire enough number of nurses to avoid this exploitation in the nursing profession. ~ayo

volunteer nurse experience

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by: psycho-nurse_LEI_OTACAM I started to volunteer as a nurse last April 2010 at ____________ Medical Center. My first ward assignment is Ward _____ also known as “The General Ward”, “ER Ward” or “Temporary Ward.”  Located at the basement of the hospital, it’s like a building-size oven toaster during the afternoon.  Though it’s well ventilated with a lot of electric fans and large windows it’s still a bit humid inside the ward. On my first day of duty I was expecting to see another 2 volunteer nurses that will help me with the task assignment, but to my surprise I was alone. The first one is sick and the other one changed her schedule. The senior nurse gives me a short orientation about the ward and after that the endorsement begins. “Census 84” said the other nurse. The ward is big but I didn’t expect that it has a crowd of patients.

Morong 43 group to P-Noy: do the right thing now

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November 5, 2010

Morong 43 group to P-Noy: do the right thing now

Free the 43 Health Workers! Alliance trooped to Malacañang again today to seek a dialogue with the President himself to order the release of the Morong 43 following his declaration that evidences against the health workers were wrongly gotten.

Relatives, supporters, and representatives from the health sector once again knocked on the doors of the Palace to ask the President to stop dilly-dallying with the case and let justice commence by withdrawing all cases against the 43.

“We will not tire on knocking on the doors of the President’s office until he hears our plea.  Every day that the health workers spend in jail is a day of injustice,” Dr. Julie P. Caguiat said.

Being a Filipino Nurse is NOT for the sake of money...

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Ano na ang kalagayan ng mga nurses ngayon? Parang walang pinagbago at lalo pang naging lugmok. Ang kasagutan ay hindi nasa iisang tao lamang - ito'y nasa pagtutulungan ng bawat isa at pagpapalawig ng ating mga boses upang tayo'y marinig.
- KatipuNurse IsangDiwa

STOP 12, 16, 24, 32 DUTY HOURS - TONDO MEDICAL CENTER-AHW

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Bigyan pugay ang mga nars ng Tondo Medical Center dahil sila ay naninindigan sa kanilang mga karapatan! Hindi tama na pagtrabahuin ang isang nars ng mahigit sa 8 oras na labag sa kanyang gusto. Maging halimbawa sana ang mga nars sa TMC sa iba pang mga nars ng bansa. Kami sa KN ay sumasaludo at lubos na sumusuporta sa inyo. Magkikita-kita din tayo sa susunod.

- KatipuNurse IsangDiwa

Ang Buhay ng Batang Nars sa Pilipinas

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by: KatipuNurse Magdiwang

Isa akong bagong nurse na nakapagtapos sa isang malaking Unibersidad dito sa Pilipinas. Ang pagtatapos ko bilang isang nurse ay siyang tanging pinangarap ko sa loob ng apat na taong pag-aaral. Sa wakas ang lahat ng aking mga paghihirap, mga gabing walang tulog, kasabay ng pagsusumikap ng aking mga magulang, mabayaran lamang ang aking tuwisyon sa paaralan: lahat ng ito’y matatapos na pagkat natapos ko na ang Nursing. Ito and aking pagkakaalam noon………