Lawmaker seeks probe into delay of nurses’ pay
THE House minority leader is seeking an investigation into the long-delayed implementation of Philippine Nursing Act or RA 9173, which provides for the salary grade hike of nurses, two decades the measure was enacted into law.
In a privilege speech late Monday, Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod said he will be filing a resolution to dissect the Department of Budget and Management Budget Circular 2020-4 and to determine whether additional legislation is necessary to fully implement and comply with the pay grade increase of nurses.
In July 2020, the DBM issued Budget Circular 2020-4 for the implementation of Section 32 of RA 9173, which sets the minimum monthly base pay of nurses in public hospitals to Salary Grade 15 amounting to P32,053 to P34,801.
“Let me lay down for you, Mr. Speaker, esteemed colleagues, the chronology of this two-decade-old law that has not been fully implemented. It was in 2002 when the Philippine Nursing Act or RA 9173 was enacted. Section 32 of the said law provides that the minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15,” Paduano recalled.
In October 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of R A 9173 in favor of Ang Nars party-list challenging the validity of the congressional resolution and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Executive Order 811, which reduced the legislated minimum pay from SG 15 to SG 11.
On the other hand, Paduano said Section 32 of RA 9173 provides that in order to enhance the general welfare, commitment to service and professionalism of nurses, the minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade 15 prescribed under Republic Act 6758, otherwise known as the “Compensation and Classification Act of 1989.”
“Aggrieved, the Ang Nars Party-list filed a petition in the Supreme Court questioning the legality of EO 811 in 2015. Eventually, the High Court ruled in favor of the petitioners and ordered the government to implement Section 32 of RA 9173,” he said.
Pursuant to this decision and upon reaching the stage of finality, Paduano said, DBM issued the aforementioned circular to comply with the ruling.
“However, after finding absurdity in the circular, the Department of Health suspended its implementation through Department Memorandum 2020-0466 dated October 21, 2020,” he said.
“If followed through, the circular reclassifies a Nurse 2 to a Nurse 1, making it appear that they have been demoted one rank lower. The same is true with Nurses 3, 4, 5 and 6,” he added.
Unlike members of the Philippine National Police whose salary increase did not affect their positions, Paduano said the nurses cried foul as they claimed otherwise.