A group of Filipino nurses has appealed to the government to increase the 5,000 temporary cap on the deployment of nurses aboard amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said the 5,000 cap is "so small," considering that 13,000 to 19,000 nurses leave for aboard on average yearly.

"It should be increased because many nurses will be affected and many of our Filipino nurses want to go aboard so that they can help their families," FNU Secretary General Jocelyn Andamo told ANC Thursday.

Andamo sought for an adjustment in the cap, stating that many nurses want to go board due to poor working conditions here.
According to the FNU secretary general, there remains to be "many issues" in the nursing profession in the country, among them non-payment or delayed payment of salaries, inadequate benefits, nonpayment of hazard pay, and the problem with the security of tenure.

Andamo added that many nurses who are serving in the frontlines are also not receiving proper protection, resulting in COVID-19 infections.

So far, Andamo said at least 4,000 nurses have been infected by COVID-19.

"Nurses are not encouraged or enticed to work and stay here in the Philippines," Andamo said, saying the only way nurses will be encouraged to work in the country is if the government "adequately and immediately" resolve their issues.

"How could we encourage them to work when they are taking the risk, putting their lives a risk while serving in this COVID-19 pandemic but then we are left on our own," she said.

Andamo also said the deployment ban is "unnecessary, irrational, and unjust" because the Philippines have enough nurses who can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We think that the deployment ban of nurses is unnecessary if not irrational because it's also totally unfair because we have around more than 200,000 nurses in the Philippines and they are just waiting to be tapped," she said.

"We can respond to this COVID-19 pandemic if we do systematic ways and approaches to the COVID-19 response. We hope that the policies would ensure to take care of the labor rights of nurses with regard to the wages, benefits, and security of tenure and work load," she added.

Andamo called on the government to be clear with their deployment policies as it creates anxiety and uncertainty among nurses who wish to go board.

"Sobrang anxious na nila sa nagyayari sa kanila, especially those who have expiring documents. Very uncertain ang situation nila di nila alam kung makakaalis ba sila. Kailangang maging clear and rational ang policy ng government with regards to this deployment ban (Our nurses are getting anxious, especially those with expiring documents. They are put in a very uncertain situation where they are not sure whether they can leave the country or not. The government needs to be clear and rational with their policy with regard to this deployment ban)," she said.