By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
If it hasn’t been emphasized enough, let this corner amplify that all nurses employed in government hospitals and facilities should be earning at least P35,097 a month. This is a shout-out to all public hospitals and health care facilities of both the national and local governments.
In January 2020, President Duterte signed Republic Act 11466 (Salary Standardization Law 5) into law, which upgraded the compensation for Nurse 1 category at Salary Grade 15 from Salary Grade 11.
Following the new law’s compensation schedule, P41,172 (SG 16) must be the monthly pay for Nurse II position occupants; P44,833 (SG 17) for Nurse III; P55,268 (SG 19) for Nurse IV; P61,937 (SG 20) for Nurse V; P77,801 (SG 22) for Nurse VI; and P99,020 (SG 24) for Nurse VII.
While government hospitals, like the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), are compliant with the new SSL 5, Firing Line learned that a few prominent medical centers continue to ignore its implementation as ordered by both Malacanang and the Department of Health (DOH). The same information has reached Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, who named the Veterans Medical Memorial Center (VMMC) on North Avenue, Q.C. as one of them.
I find it a mortal sin to keep our poor nurses, especially those who cope with the conditions in underdeveloped medical facilities in LGUs, to be kept waiting for their mandated share of wages.
It should be mentioned that even after the enactment of the law, there was even a shameful attempt on the part of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to undercut the intention of the law to upgrade the salary of nurses in the country. It held back the promotion of nurses who have already served the government for several years from reaching Nurse II status.
Others already on Nurse II status were reverted to Nurse I by virtue of the DBM Circular 2020-4 issued in July 2020. Under the circular, the DBM even sought to abolish the Nurse VII position, which practically demoted or moved back the status of many nurses in order to retain their pre-SSL 5 pay levels.
To Malacanang’s credit, a memorandum order issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last June reversed the demotions set in motion by the DBM. But here’s the thing: many nurses still have not received their salary adjustments because of budgetary constraints, especially on the LGU levels.
Now that 2022 has begun with new budgets rolling out for the year, it is only fitting and just that all government hospitals and medical facilities in the country comply with the new salary schedule for nurses. And while they’re at it, these nurses who waited this long deserve the salary differential for six months from the time Medialdea’s directive was made effective on June 1, 2021.
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