In 2019, the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling in Ang Nars Partylist vs. Executive Secretary, stating that “the Court cannot compel Congress to fund Section 32 of R.A. No. 9173 as the power to appropriate public funds is lodged solely in Congress. Unless Congress makes the necessary appropriation through a law, Section 32 of R.A. No. 9173 will remain an unfunded law, a situation that applies to many other laws.” This ruling underscores a crucial legal limitation: despite the existence of a law designed to enhance the compensation of Philippine nurses, this law cannot compel the government or private hospitals to increase nurses’ salaries without the necessary legislative appropriation.
At present, the monthly salary for an entry-level nurse in the Philippines hovers around 36,000 to 37,000 pesos. In stark contrast, nurses working abroad can earn between 150,000 and 500,000 pesos per month, depending on the country and the employing institution. While it might be tempting to view financial compensation as the sole factor in these decisions, many nurses opt to work internationally not just for higher salaries but also for enhanced professional growth and better overall quality of work and life.
Given that nurses are unable to leverage existing laws to compel Congress to allocate additional funds, where does this leave them? The recent passage of the Universal Health Care Act, while well-intentioned, fails to address the crucial role of nurses in ensuring accessible and comprehensive healthcare for all Filipinos. The Act’s admirable goals could risk joining the ranks of other unfunded and unmet legislation if the necessary financial resources are not allocated. As the saying goes, our country may have excellent laws, but we often falter in their implementation.
Addressing this issue requires treating nurses as a distinct class or sui generis of health workers, particularly given the current state of our healthcare system. The prevailing conditions demand that we afford nurses the consideration they deserve. While we may not be able to match the compensation offered by other countries, the government should at least develop a strategic plan to elevate the standards of the nursing profession. If Congress can legislate mandates for Local Government Units to allocate budget percentages for non-health-related activities like gender and development, DRRM, child protection, expanded programs for senior citizens, among others, it should similarly legislate for the better financial support of nurses. This does not need to be achieved within a single year; a phased approach to improving the financing of our frontline healthcare workers could result in substantial benefits.
We cannot expect nurses to fully support the goals of universal health care without addressing their own needs. Extending greater compassion to this vital profession is not merely a gesture of goodwill but a necessary step, as nurses are often the last individuals to provide care in our final moments.
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