Manila, Philippines – PROMDI party presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday, January 10 that he will push for the P50,000 minimum wage for nurses, medical technologists and other healthcare professionals to keep them serving the country instead of going abroad for better opportunities.
Pacquiao is convinced that the COVID-19 pandemic may slow down but it continues to threaten public health around the world, hence, demanding the services of Filipino health professionals abroad.
Pacquiao said providing competitive salaries and benefits to health professionals is the best option the country has in keeping them in local hospitals.
Despite the threat to their own safety by COVID-19, nurses working in both private and public hospitals are paid less than P20,000 per month.
Pacquiao said health care professionals such as nurses, pharmacists and medical technologists should receive a minimum of P50,000 monthly pay in addition to other perks such as Special Risk Allowances provided by the government.
He mentioned that although this amount is hardly enough to compensate for their sacrifices, it is already within the acceptable income standard of P42,000 per month declared by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
“This P50,000 per month minimum wage is still very low if we compare it with the salaries offered by other countries but it might be enough to convince some of them not to leave their families behind,” said the presidential aspirant.
