A party-list lawmaker on Tuesday assured government nurses of getting their much-awaited salary increase by next year.
Rep. Michael Defensor of Anakalusugan, vice chairman of the House Committee on Health, said the Supreme Court-sanctioned P30,531 entry level monthly salary for nurses in the public sector would be implemented either be this year or next year.
Defensor also said Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano had taken up the matter with Senator Christopher Go, and hopeful that the Senate would support the House on the proposed pay hike for government nurses from Salary Grade 11 to 15.
“The House leadership through Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab (chairman of the House appropriations committee) will coordinate with the DBM on this issue so that funds can be released for such purpose,” Defensor said.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, the President had urged Congress to pass a new version of the SSL meant “to increase the salaries of national government workers, including teachers and nurses.”
The Supreme Court recently upheld the validity of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, which bumped up to Salary Grade 15 (P30,531) the minimum pay of nurses retained the national government, mostly in hospitals run by the Department of Health.
At present, their floor pay is pegged at Salary Grade 11 (P20,754).
“Through this you can see how President Duterte is concerned with the welfare of everybody. First, he signed the Universal Health Care Law, then he increased the budget for hospitals. And now, we are going to help our nurses,” he said.
“So, the government’s campaign is not just focused on peace and order, but also in health.”
Defensor ealier said the Senate and the House would pass a joint resolution authorizing the increase in the base pay of government nurses to avert further the mass exodus of these medical professionals who are in demand overseas.
