Senators on Sunday welcomed the government’s decision to finally implement Section 32 of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, which seeks to raise the monthly base pay of government nurses.

“This is a welcome development. Matagal nang batas ang Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, ngunit inabot ng 18 taon para maimplement ang pagtaas ng kanilang sahod (The Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 has long been passed into law, but it took the government 18 years before they raised their salary),” Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said in a statement.

“Isa sa mga pinakamahalagang frontliners natin ang ating mga nurses at isa lamang ito sa maraming paraan na pinapakita natin ang suporta sa kanila ngayong pandemya. (Our frontliners like our nurses are very important to us, and this is just one way of showing our support to them during this time of a pandemic),” Pangilinan said.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson also welcomed the government’s move as “no amount of money is enough to show our appreciation for the sacrifices and hard work of our nurses, especially those in the front lines.”

"As all of us are now dealing with the 'new normal' due to the pandemic, the pay increase should hopefully make a difference for them,” Lacson earlier said in a separate statement.

From Salary Grade (SG) 11, government nurses will now receive a pay amounting to Salary Grade (SG) 15, increasing their income by as much as P10,000 per month under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said he hopes that the SG 15 entry level position of nurses be recognized as the new benchmark for compensation for all licensed health professionals in the government.

“If done, it would make the current monthly base pay of P32,053 of an SG-15 nurse as their new minimum wage,” Recto said, also in a statement.

Recto also said he hopes that the salary increase be also extended to medical technologists, dietitians, radiologists and other medical personnel.

“The ‘sana all’ principle must be applied to the salaries of health workers in government because a pay raise for one should cause a raise for all,” he pointed out.

“The pandemic has shown the bravery of other white coats in the trenches battling the virus and saving lives—and who deserve a pay raise,” he said.

For one, Recto said many medical technologists—those in hazmat suits who take samples and test them for COVID 19—are still holding SG-11 items, with a monthly base pay of P22,316.

“Many radiologists and dietitian-nutritionists, PRC test passers like nurses, have also been marooned in SG-11. Mga stranded individuals din sila, denied of a ticket to a pay hike. Buti pa ang rookie na Patrolman, P30,000 kaagad ang base pay,” he lamented.

“We must not valorize our frontliners with platitudes. They are best honored by providing them with PPEs, better pay and support services, which they have earned for themselves with their sacrifices and selflessness. Making such a grant is the duty of the government, not merely a prerogative,” Recto emphasized.