Government Nurses Shortchanged by 114,000.00 Each

NEWS RELEASE/14 September 2004

For Reference: REP. LIZA LARGOZA MAZA <lizamaza@tri-isys.com>
0920-9134540Tels: 9316268, 9315001 loc7230;
Jang Monte (Public Information Officer) 0917-8226635

GABRIELA Women's Partylist Liza Largoza Maza sought today the investigation of the national government's non-implementation of a salary hike due government nurses since the implementation of the RA 9173 or the Nursing Act of 2002. This, as government nurses, health workers and employees intensified their call for the immediate legislation of a P3,000 across the board salary hike.

According to Maza, "The Nursing Act of 2002 provides for an increase in the basic pay of government nurses from P8,000 or Salary Grade 10 to P14,000 or Salary Grade 15. This means that government nurses have been shortchanged by P6,000 monthly by the national government for almost two years now."The lady solon said, "President Arroyo signed the Nursing Act into law last October 2002. This means that an increase in the government nurses' salaries should have been incorporated in the 2003 budget. At the minimum, nurses should have enjoyed this increase in wages since 2003. Thus, the national government now owes every single nurse in government service since January 2003 as much as P114,000."

Maza is set to file today a resolution calling on the House of Representatives to investigate the non-implementation of the nurses' salary adjustment as provided for in the Nursing Act of 2002. "We cannot just legislate and fall short on implementation to the detriment of our nurses and the delivery of health services."

The Philippine Nurses Association earlier said they have been lobbying for the longest time at the Department of Budget and Management as well as Congress and the Senate for the salary adjustment. But Maza notes, "they shouldn't have had to lobby because it is already provided for in the law."Maza further said, "Our nurses work hard to give patients quality health care and services. They most certainly deserve an increase in their basic pay. Moreover, their present salaries are simply not enough to cope with the skyrocketing prices. It is not surprising that over 13,000 nurses leave the country annually to serve either as nurses or even caregivers and domestic helpers abroad."

"If the national government wants to avert a health crisis of epidemic proportions resulting from the lack of government health workers, then this adjustment in wages is most urgent and necessary," Maza concluded. #