On International Nurse Day, a group renewed its appeal for just compensation and benefits for Filipino nurses.

Maristela Abenojar, President of Filipino Nurses United, said in an interview with Teleradyo on Tuesday, May 12, nurses in public hospitals have yet to receive a starting wage of Salary Grade 15 or 32,000.
Contractual or job order nurses, meanwhile, are only paid 22,000 per month. Nurses in private hospitals earn the minimum, said Abenojar.
"Ang pasahod sa ating bansa ay hindi sumasapat sa pangangailangan ng ating nurses at ng kanilang mga pamilya (Wages in our country do not meet the needs of our nurses and their families)," she added.
"Bukod sa matinding kapaguran na dinarana ng ating mga nurses, sila rin po ay demoraloized na. Kaya po ang iba ay nakakaisip mag-resign, ang iba ay lumipat ng trabaho kasi hindi nila nararamdaman na mahalaga sila sa ating pamahalaan at sila ay binibigyan ng sapat na pagkalinga o suporta (Apart from the exhaustion our nurses experience, they also feel demoralized. That's why some think of resigning, others, think of changing jobs because they do not feel valued and they are not given enough care or support)," Abenojar lamented.
Nurses lead the most number of health workers hit with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at over 6,000 out of 17,000 medical frontliners in the Philippines.
READ MORE: International Nurses Day