12,000 nurses may lose their jobs this year – Ang Nars

An estimated 12,000 nurses might lose their job this year because of lack of budget, while 5,000 already got unemployed last year, a party-list group in Congress disclosed yesterday.

“(An estimated) 12,000 of 24,000 nurses under the DOH (Department of Health) nurse deployment program will lose their jobs this year because of lack of budget. Last year, 5,000 nawalan ng trabaho (lost their jobs),” Ang Nars Party-list Representative Leah Paquiz said.

“Half of the nurses will lose their jobs. We wrote a letter addressed to the President. We wrote a letter addressed to Sec. Duque last week. And we brought it to the Office of the President because we believe that he can bring change,” said Paquiz in broken English and Filipino.

In the letter dated last January 5 and addressed to President Duterte, the nurses appealed for an end to contractualization.

“We, registered nurses and the human resource for health under Development Program of the Department of Health, believe that change is coming. As a means of eradicating poverty and contributing to economic growth, we fervently hold onto your development plan to stop endo [and] stop contractualization,” the letter stated.

“Our current status is categorized as ‘without employer-employee relationship’ under various rhetoric such as job order, contract of service, or contractual workers. Our contract for DOH is for one year, subject to evaluation every six months based on the following health indicators accomplishment: Safe Motherhood Program, National Immunization Program, Nutrition and Integrated Health Control Program, Adolescent Health Program, Family Planning Program, National Tuberculosis Contol Program, National HIV/ AIDS/STI Prevention and Control, Rabies Prevention and Control Program, Health Emergency Preparedness Program, Lifestyle Related Diseases, Health Wellness Program, National Tobacco Control Program, National Voluntary Blood Services Program, Primary Eye Care Program, Local Health Systems Development, and Philippine Health Agenda Implementation,” they further stated.

Despite the struggles, the nurses said their trust in Duterte and his promise to institute change remains.

“We are hopeless to secure permanent positions. We don’t know where to seek refuge anymore… Naniniwala, sumusuporta, at kaisa n’yo po kami sa inyong adhikain na mapabuti ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino! Asahan n’yo po, Tatay Digong, na kami ay magiging malakas ninyong katuwang sa pagbuo ng isang matatag at malusog na bayan (We are hopeless to secure permanent positions. We don’t know where to seek refuge anymore…. We believe in you and we are one with your goal to improve the life and health of the Filipinos! We assure you, Tatay Digong, that we will be your strong ally towards building a strong and healthy nation),” they said.

Paquiz said they do not want to resort to protests, but expect plantilla positions.