Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

4226

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA.

AN ACT
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETURNING OVERSEAS FILIPINO
WORKER (OFW) NURSES TO TRAIN LOCAL NURSES, ESTABLISHING A
NATIONAL NURSE MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAM, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

‘The Philippines has long been known as one of the world’s primary exporters of nurses.
As early as the 1960s, Filipino nurses began serving in hospitals abroad, building a reputation
for skill, compassion, and resilience. Today, hundreds of thousands of Filipino nurses are
employed overseas, particularly in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. They are
among our country’s most trusted ambassadors, contributing billions of pesos annually through
remittances while representing the highest standards of professionalism in global healthcare.

However, the departure of nurses has also left a strain on the domestic health system,
Many hospitals, especially in rural areas, face chronic shortages. Newly graduated nurses often
find themselves inadequately prepared for the realities of modern hospital care, lacking
exposure to advanced technologies and specialized techniques that are now the global standard.

‘At the same time, many nurses eventually return home—either permanently after years
abroad, or temporarily during career transitions. These returning overseas Filipino worker
(OFW) nurses bring with them valuable knowledge, advanced skills, and international best
practices that are not widely available in the Philippines. Unfortunately, there is currently no
systematic program to hamess this expertise for the benefit of the local nursing profession and
the health system as a whole.

This bill seeks to address that gap by establishing a National Nurse Mentorship and
‘Training Program. The program will create structured opportunities for returning OFW nurses
to serve as mentors and trainers for local nurses. Under the coordination of the Department of
Health (DOH), in partnership with the Professional Regulation Commission ~ Board of
Nursing (PRC-BON), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of


Migrant Workers (DMW), returning OFW nurses will be accredited as mentors and deployed
in hospitals, rural health units, community health centers, and higher education institutions
offering nursing programs.

The mentorship program will focus on the transfer of knowledge and skills. Returning
OFW nurses will share international practices in critical areas such as intensive care,
emergency medicine, geriatrics, oncology, maternal and child health, mental health, and
disaster response. They will also introduce innovations in infection control, patient safety,
hospital information systems, and interdisciplinary teamwork that they encountered in foreign
institutions. This exposure will better prepare local nurses to meet both domestic and
international standards of patient care.

The bill also ensures that participation is properly recognized and incentivized.
Local nurses who undergo mentorship will receive Continuing Professional Development
(CPD) credits required for license renewal, while returning OFW nurses who serve as mentors
will be given honoraria, tax incentives, and opportunities for postgraduate scholarships or
training.

Importantly, this measure also serves as a strategic response to the brain drain in the
nursing sector. By creating meaningful opportunities for returning OFW nurses to reintegrate
into the Philippine health system, the program encourages nurses to view their intemational
careers not as a permanent loss to the country, but as an investment in skills that can eventually
benefit their homeland. Rather than being treated solely as labor for export, Filipino nurses are
repositioned as a global workforce whose expertise strengthens the Philippines upon their
return. This not only uplifts local healthcare standards but also fosters retention, loyalty, and
national reinvestment of human capital.

The proposed National Nurse Mentorship and Training Program represents a win-win
strategy: local nurses gain world-class training at home, patients receive better care, hospitals
raise their service standards, and returning OFW nurses are honored with opportunities to
contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development. Over time, this measure will help reverse
the cycle of brain drain and transform it into a brain gain, where the skills and sacrifices of
our nurses abroad return home to build a stronger and healthier Philippines.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

RAY! MAN E. SALCEDA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

4226

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETURNING OVERSEAS FILIPINO
WORKER (OFW) NURSES TO TRAIN LOCAL NURSES, ESTABLISHING A
NATIONAL NURSE MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAM, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “National Nurse Mentorship
and Training Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. Itis the policy of the State to recognize the invaluable
contribution of Filipino nurses working overseas, and to hamess their acquired knowledge,
skills, and experience for national development. The State shall provide opportunities for
returning OFW nurses to contribute to the upgrading of nursing education, hospital training,
and health service delivery in the Philippines.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

(a) “Retuming OFW Nurse” refers to a licensed Filipino nurse who has worked abroad
and is returning to the Philippines either temporarily or permanently.

(b) “Local Nurse” refers to any licensed nurse practicing in the Philippines, whether
employed in public or private institutions, or newly graduated and undergoing hospital
or community training.

(©) “Mentorship Program” refers to the structured system of training and skills transfer
provided by returning OFW nurses to local nurses.

SEC. 4. Establishment of the National Nurse Mentorship and Training Program. A
National Nurse Mentorship and Training Program is hereby established under the Department
of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Professional Regulation Commission — Board of


Nursing (PRC-BON), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of
Migrant Workers (DMW).

SEC. 5. Components of the Program. The Program shall include:

(a) Mentorship Assignments. Returning OFW nurses may serve as mentors in
accredited hospitals, rural health units, community health centers, and higher education
institutions offering nursing programs.

(b) Knowledge and Skills Transfer. The training shall cover specialized skills, updated
international standards, advanced nursing practices, and innovations in patient care
acquired abroad.

(c) Capacity Building. Returning OFW nurses shall assist in training local nurses for
critical areas such as intensive care, emergency medicine, geriatrics, maternal and child
care, and public health.

(@ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Credits. Participation by both
returning OFW nurses and local nurses shall be credited as CPD units by the PRC-
BON.

(©) Incentives. Retuming OFW nurses who participate shall receive appropriate
honoraria, tax incentives, and eligibility for government scholarships or grants for
postgraduate studies.

SEC. 6. Implementing Agencies.
(a) The DOH shall accredit hospitals and facilities as host training sites.
(b) The PRC-BON shall accredit returning OF W nurses as mentors/trainers.

(©) The CHED shall integrate mentorship programs into nursing curricula where
feasible.

(4) The DMW shall coordinate with foreign employers to facilitate return programs and
encourage skills sharing upon reintegration.

SEC. 7. Funding. The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this
‘Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the DOH. Thereafter, such sums as
may be necessary shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The DOH, in coordination with the PRC,
CHED, and DMW, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. If any part or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining portions not affected thereby shall remain in full
force and effect.


SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, and regulations inconsistent with
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,