03/19/2008 | 03:17 PM
MANILA, Philippines – Newly-licensed nurses are warned against promises of good pay and stable jobs outside the country.
Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, senior vice chairman of the House committee on health, said the competition among recruiters sending nurses abroad has become stiff in view of the huge demand and the big number of graduates wanting to work overseas.
Dr. Leah Samaco-Paquiz, president of the Philippine Nurses Association, earlier estimated that roughly 80 percent of the latest batch of 28, 924 nurses licensed by the Philippine Regulation Commission were interested in working abroad.
Biron, a doctor of medicine, said the Philippines has been ‘overproducing’ nurses, triggering a stiff competition for overseas employment.
“Actually the output of nurses that we produce every year is beyond our normal requirements. Therefore, these nurses have to be employed somewhere else since there is little opportunity here (Philippine). But they should be very careful in dealing with their recruiters, and (should) study the (employment) contract very carefully," Biron advised.
Paquiz said economic reasons, such as the lack or absence of better job opportunities in the country and the low salary rates have been cited as primary factors for overseas migration.
"They want to earn more (while) they are young. They consider working abroad an adventure," Paquiz added.
Paquiz shared Biron’s advice to the new nurses. “Be very cautious in dealing with recruiters because of the numerous cases involving nurses working abroad who became victims of exploitation."
“Huwag silang magmadali. Pag-aralan nilang mabuti ang contract nila at magsagawa ng background check sa lugar na pupuntahan nila," Paquiz stressed.
In New Zealand, Dennis Maga, project coordinator of Employment Relation Education (ERE), said his group has been receiving reports about Filipino professionals, particularly nurses falling victims to switching or substitution of contracts and collection of exorbitant recruitment or placement fees.
Paquiz said the new nurses should learn from the experiences of the so-called “Sentosa 27++," a group of Filipino nurses and a physical therapist who are facing trial in a New York district court for endangering the condition of their patients.
The Filipino nurses, hired by Makati-based Sentosa Recruitment Agency
to work in the US, resigned en masse and walked out of the Avalon Gardens Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in April 2006 on complaints of unjust working conditions and labor malpractices by their NY employer.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, a member of the House committee on health, urged the nurses who will work abroad to give their best in rendering service to their patients.
“Do their best and show our Filipino hospitality, how we take care of our patients. They should establish goodwill para marami pang Filipino ang maha-hire," she said. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV
Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, senior vice chairman of the House committee on health, said the competition among recruiters sending nurses abroad has become stiff in view of the huge demand and the big number of graduates wanting to work overseas.
Dr. Leah Samaco-Paquiz, president of the Philippine Nurses Association, earlier estimated that roughly 80 percent of the latest batch of 28, 924 nurses licensed by the Philippine Regulation Commission were interested in working abroad.
Biron, a doctor of medicine, said the Philippines has been ‘overproducing’ nurses, triggering a stiff competition for overseas employment.
“Actually the output of nurses that we produce every year is beyond our normal requirements. Therefore, these nurses have to be employed somewhere else since there is little opportunity here (Philippine). But they should be very careful in dealing with their recruiters, and (should) study the (employment) contract very carefully," Biron advised.
Paquiz said economic reasons, such as the lack or absence of better job opportunities in the country and the low salary rates have been cited as primary factors for overseas migration.
"They want to earn more (while) they are young. They consider working abroad an adventure," Paquiz added.
Paquiz shared Biron’s advice to the new nurses. “Be very cautious in dealing with recruiters because of the numerous cases involving nurses working abroad who became victims of exploitation."
“Huwag silang magmadali. Pag-aralan nilang mabuti ang contract nila at magsagawa ng background check sa lugar na pupuntahan nila," Paquiz stressed.
In New Zealand, Dennis Maga, project coordinator of Employment Relation Education (ERE), said his group has been receiving reports about Filipino professionals, particularly nurses falling victims to switching or substitution of contracts and collection of exorbitant recruitment or placement fees.
Paquiz said the new nurses should learn from the experiences of the so-called “Sentosa 27++," a group of Filipino nurses and a physical therapist who are facing trial in a New York district court for endangering the condition of their patients.
The Filipino nurses, hired by Makati-based Sentosa Recruitment Agency
to work in the US, resigned en masse and walked out of the Avalon Gardens Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in April 2006 on complaints of unjust working conditions and labor malpractices by their NY employer.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, a member of the House committee on health, urged the nurses who will work abroad to give their best in rendering service to their patients.
“Do their best and show our Filipino hospitality, how we take care of our patients. They should establish goodwill para marami pang Filipino ang maha-hire," she said. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV
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