Filipino nurse Marciana Erispe tends to a mother inside the maternity ward of the government-run Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Manila, Philippines, September 18, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
MANILA, Philippines — A salary increase scheme for government nurses next year is being pushed in the House of Representatives.
During the plenary deliberations on the proposed budget of the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday night, Deputy Speaker Henry Oaminal pushed for the inclusion of a special provision in the 2021 budget that will adjust the salary grade of government nurses in the country.
Under Oaminal’s proposal, the following adjustments on government nurses’ salary grade will be implemented once approved:
- Nurse 1 – from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15
- Nurse 2 – from Salary Grade 15 to Salary Grade 17
- Nurse 3- from Salary Grade 17 to Salary Grade 19
- Nurse 4- from Salary Grade 19 to Salary Grade 20
- Nurse 5- from Salary Grade 20 to Salary Grade 22
- Nurse 6- from Salary Grade 22 to Salary Grade 24
- Nurse 7- from Salary Grade 24 to Salary Grade 25
A look at the second tranche of the Salary Standardization Law of 2019, which will be effective January 2021, shows that if Oaminal’s proposal will be approved, an entry-level nurse’s (Nurse 1) monthly pay will rise from P23,877 to P33,575 while a Nurse 2 will have a salary increase from P33,575 to P39,986.
Salaries could go up to P98,886 for Nurse 7, based on the Salary Standardization Law.
“The spirit of the law that is the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 is not only to upgrade the entry level salary of Nurse 1, but it should affect the salary of higher positions such as Nurse 2 to Nurse 7 and in your discussion you agreed that in order to implement the full spirit of the law, there is a need of a lesgislation as also opened by the Department of Budget and Management,” Oaminal said, speaking to House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chair Rep. Micaela Violago, who was defending the budget of the DOH.
According to Oaminal, while the salary increase could also be passed through legislation, this may take time.
“We have to place a special provision of the General Appropriations Act of 2021, because if we’re going to file for a legislation, pretty sure it will take time and it would probably take the next Congress to act favorably considering the lack of material time,” Oaminal said.
Violago backed Oaminal’s proposal.
“The DOH and I will support this proposal for the special provision for compensation adjustment of nurses pursuant to Nursing Law,” Violago said.
The national budget for 2021 is expected to be approved on final reading on Friday at the House of Representatives.
Once approved, it will be transmitted to the Senate for further scrutiny.