Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza wants the government to come up with a  system wherein fresh graduates of nursing would stay in the Philippines for at least four years before they could pursue greener pastures abroad.

Daza, a senior deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives, made this suggestion amid the shortage of nurses that the country is experiencing.

“It’s time for comprehensive solutions, including reforms in the licensure system, if we want to solve our shortage of nurses. Of course, it’s an economic issue—salaries abroad are definitely higher—but our nurses will stay for the right reasons,” he said in a statement.

“There’s a need for system ‘overhaul.’ We need to also deepen motivation for graduates to stay and serve the country. This can be done through initiatives similar to the 'Doctors to the Barrios Program'," the solon added.

Daza said that while people's right to pursue their dreams must be respected, he believes that Filipinos will choose to stay home "with the right motivation".

"It’s innate in us to prefer staying with our families. If we can come up with programs where graduates can be encouraged to serve the country even just for four to five years after graduation, then the yearly exodus will not likely lead to shortage in our own backyard,” he noted.

“At the heart of the problem is really the search for a better life for their families. However, the solutions should be all-encompassing. For one, nurses will prefer staying here in the Philippines with the right motivations, outside of higher salaries,” he claimed.

But Daza has deeper concerns about the nursing profession: in a privilege speech last March 22, he pushed for the review and possibly revamp of board exam policies which are seen as anti-student, anti-poor, and arbitrary.

“A 50 to 60 percent passing rate shows a lot. This means the system is not inclusive. It leaves half of the examinees feeling dejected, depriving them of the chance to practice their profession in a timelier manner,” he said.

The veteran solon called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and its Board of Nursing to review the curricula of BS Nursing as well as the continuing education and retooling programs.

“The review should include the high cost of completing a degree and flaws in the licensure framework with its complicated, almost ‘archaic’ regulations,” Daza stressed.

Based on practice, a nursing student is required to undergo an “on-the-job training” (OJT) program, wherein participation is shouldered by the student.

“This practice excludes deserving students from completing their studies because the system makes it economically impossible to do so,” he said.