"Jose Pidal" Bill bars registered professionals to leave country

RANT: Arrogance does run in the family

The Philippines' First Family is at it again. One of their family members, Congressman Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo has filed House Bill 4580 which mandates registered Filipino professionals to render at least two (2) years domestic service before seeking foreign employment. Arroyo seeks to address the exodus of health workers abroad which he said could lead to a "possible paralysis" of the country's health system.

Under the proposed measure, medical professionals are required to render a two-year compulsory service in the country prior to working overseas.

Covered by HB 4580 are doctors, nurses, pharmacists, midwives, medical technologists, physical therapists, engineers, teachers, sailors, accountants, interior designers, nutritionists and criminologists and even librarians, guidance counselors and master plumbers.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Secretary-General Ernesto Herrera has spoken on behalf of registered professionals that this bill is "unfair' and "discriminatory" He questioned the wisdom of Rep. Arroyo's proposal, considering the large surplus of professionals in many sectors of the labor market.

"We have a huge glut of professionals in many sectors. In the case of nurses, the main reason they are leaving the country is because wages here are grossly inadequate. And the pay is meager precisely because of the massive surplus of nurses. This is the law of supply and demand at work," the former senator noted.

Annually, around 21,000 nurses leave the country to seek employment in the United States and Europe, which are considered the highest paying market for nurses globally.

To recall, the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) earlier reported that the country has over supply of nurses because of the dwindling demand in the nurses abroad. The Philippines has been producing more than 132,000 nurses every year.

It is but apt that this news came out when 64,459 new nurses will take their oath as registered professionals before the Board of Nursing (BON) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) today.

I AM A REGISTERED NURSE and it has raised so many questions in my mind that I'd like to address to the Honorable Congressman from Negros Occidental who publicly admitted to be "Jose Pidal":

Is "Jose Pidal" aware of the sacrifices that we, registered nurses and families, have gone through in order to finish our nursing degrees and pass local and international licensure examinations?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware of the costs of nursing education and training?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware how difficult it is to seek nursing jobs in hospitals today?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware that nurses have to pay a fee for some hospitals in order to render "volunteer" work?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware of the stress that nurses face everyday because of greater workloads?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware of how poorly motivated nurses are due to low pay?

Is "Jose Pidal" aware that it is a human right for every man to earn his keep and, if he sees it necessary, seek greener pastures in a foreign land for his family because he cannot secure his future in this God-forsaken country?

Does "Jose Pidal" know what he is talking about?

Indeed, arrogance does run in the family.