BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco and Southern Leyte Gov. Damian Mercado said the salaries of physicians working in government should be higher than wage levels set for government workers.

Zayco and Mercado pushed for higher salaries for doctors serving government hospitals to retain their services.

They noted that fewer doctors have been willing to work for government facilities because of the low wages. Negros Oriental government facilities have been losing their doctors because of this, Zayco noted.

Zayco and Mercado said they would raise the need to exempt doctors from government wage levels before the President and seek legislative action on the matter.

Mercado, Vice Governor Mike Maamo and a delegation from Leyte were in Negros Occidental for a Lakbay Aral (Education Tour) trip to observe how the provincial government has been operating its hospitals and its nursing school in Cadiz City. They will also visit the Mambukal Resort in Murcia.

The Leyte officials would look into how to create economic enterprises for their province, Zayco said.

“We want to observe the economic enterprise ventures of the Negros Occidental provincial government, especially in its hospitals,” Mercado said. INQUIRER