Group of private hospitals: 5,000 cap for healthcare workers per year enough
By Jel Santos
The deployment cap for healthcare workers must be set at 5,000 per year, the president of a group of private hospitals said on Thursday, June 16.

This is lower than the current 7,500 cap set by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in February.
“Sa palagay ko po ay dapat i-restrict po natin iyan. Siguro iyong dating 5,000 a year will be enough (In my opinion, we should still restrict it. Maybe the forme 5,000 cap a year will be enough),” Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPi) president, Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, during a “Laging Handa” briefing.
He noted that only 11,000 nursing graduates have passed the nursing board examination.
“This may, around 6,000 passed put of the 9,000 who took the examination,” De Grano added.
According to the PHAPi president, the number of nurses who will be allowed to work abroad must be gauged by the government to ensure that there will still be nurses left to serve in the country.
The POEA has recently guaranteed that there is enough supply of nurses in the country.
Bernard Olalia, POEA chief, said the 7,500 cap is still far from reach based on the agency’s data.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have been very in demand worldwide.