President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the Philippines should at least have an exchange training program for nurses with other countries as Filipino nurses continue to seek greener pastures abroad.

Marcos said this following reports that Filipino nurses who have passed the board exams are being offered a $25,000 signing bonus to work in Switzerland.

In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, the President said the least the government could do was have an agreement with foreign countries if the Philippines could not keep its qualified talents.

"If we can't keep our qualified personnel from seeking greener pastures abroad, the least we can do is work out an arrangement with that country so there's some exchange program of training," he said.

"They implicitly recognize the value of the training we give our nurses, so let's have them sending their candidates for nursing to be taking courses here," he added.

Marcos had a similar conversation with US Senator Tammy Duckworth during their meeting in Malacañang on Aug. 8. During their meeting, the US legislator proposed to enter into an agreement with the Philippines to boost the nursing industry in both countries.

According to the President, he did not see any problem with the proposal but said the government had to study it first, especially since the country is facing a shortage of nurses as some choose to work overseas.

"We do have a problem with our nurses leaving and going abroad and finding good jobs abroad. And we certainly encourage that; we're not about to hold them back," Marcos told Duckworth.

"But we need to find these new schemes so that the brain drain is not quite severe as it is now... But certainly, we should examine that," he added," he said.

During their meeting, Senator Duckworth said that the US government was looking into sending American nursing students to study in the Philippines as Filipino nurses are able to pass the nursing licensure examinations in the US.

This is also because the US has more nursing students than nursing educators.  

Last year, President Marcos admitted that the benefits given to Filipino nurses are not enough but said the government could not do much because of the lack of funds.

Early this year, he said the Philippines has become the victim of its own success. He ordered the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to develop concrete steps to keep Filipino nurses in the country, reiterating an earlier sentiment that every world leader he has spoken with is asking for them.