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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, _ 7851

Introduced by
BAYAN MUNA Representatives FERDINAND R. GAITE,
CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT,
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative FRANCE L. CASTRO,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Representative ARLENE D. BROSAS
and KABATAAN Party-List Representative SARAH JANE I. ELAGO.

AN ACT
INCREASING THE MINIMUM SALARY OF NURSES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

They are the most numerous professionals in most hospitals. On duty for 8-12 hours, they care
for the sick 24/7, at the risk of their very own lives. They are considered “heroes” in the fight
against the COVID-19 pandemic. Their commitment to service and the nursing profession have
cost them their very own lives. Yet, our Filipino nurses are among the least paid compared to
their counterparts in other countries.

Filipino registered nurses earn the least compared to their peers in the Southeast Asian region
based on a recent study by iPrice Group. Filipino nurses only earn around P40,381 per month,
57% less than their peers in Vietnam, where nurses are paid P62,200 per month.

Based on data from Economic Research Institute-Powered Company Salary Expert, nurses in
other countries earn much more. Nurses earn a monthly pay of 236,000 in Singapore,
97,000 in Malaysia, and P83,000 in Thailand.

Actually, salaries are even less in the Philippines. According to the Department of Labor and
Employment Bureau of Local Employment, the entry-level registered nurse receives a monthly
salary of P8,000 to P13,500, while hospital-hired nurses eam only P9,757.

Some private sector nurses are even paid only P5,000 to P10,000 per month, with salaries
pegged at the minimum daily wage in the region. These are far below the P537/day minimum
wage or P11,000/month for workers in the National Capital Region.

Such amounts are significantly less than the family living wage of P1,022/day or
P31,089/month needed by a family of five in the National Capital Region to live decently.
‘Nurses could not even afford to provide for their own basic needs, much more their families”
basic needs.

The government has been oblivious to the situation of nurses. Calls and demands of nurses for


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higher salaries and salary upgrading fell on deaf ears and was even openly opposed by the
Department of Budget and Management despite clear provisions in Republic Act 9173 or
Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. Save for minimal salary increases in the Salary
Standardization Laws which are only for the public sector, no program or law from the past
and present administration ever increased the salary of nurses. Worse, in 2016, former
President Benigno Aquino III vetoed the Comprehensive Nursing Bill because of the provision
for Salary Grade 15 for public sector nurses. Nurses in the public sector previously earned
P22,316/month (Salary Grade 11) before finally being upgraded to P32,053/month (Salary
Grade 15) effective January 2020 through a Supreme Court ruling, after 18 long years of
struggle by our health workers.

While nurses in the public and private sector perform the same tasks and are exposed to the
same risks, private sector nurses ironically are in a worse situation, Private sector nurses receive
lower wages, are not given benefits such as hazard pay, subsistence pay and other benefits.
Even during this pandemic, very few private facilities provide hazard pay to the nurses and
other health workers. It was only when many health workers including nurses started dying
that some benefits like special risk allowance and COVID-19 hazard pay were belatedly
extended to the private sector nurses through the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or
Bayanihan 2.

No wonder most Filipino nurses would rather work abroad despite the risks and hazards, and
despite the deployment ban.

It is simply unreasonable for the government to expect nurses to stay and serve yet refuse to
provide them with adequate salaries, benefits, job security and protection. It is not right for
government to demand that nurses stay in our country and render service when it could not
fulfill its basic responsibility to provide security of tenure, humane working conditions and a
living wage to workers including the nurses as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

It is high time we truly and concretely recognize the role and contribution of our nurses who
are providing care and saving lives not only during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have to care
for and protect our nurses and health workers, so they can provide care and services to the
Filipino people.

This bill aims to increase the salary for nurses in the private sector to the same level as that of
the public sector nurses, regardless of employment status.

The urgent passage of this bill, thus, is earnestly sought.

Approved,

REPZFERDINAND R. GAITE
Bayan Muna Partylist


REP. Raw ISA

;ANI T. ZARATE REP. EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT

Bayan Muna Partylist Bayan Muna Partylist

REP.

D. BROSAS

ACT Teadflers Partylist rABRIEMA Women’s Party

REP. SARAHANE I. ELAGO
Kabataan Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7851

Introduced by
BAYAN MUNA Representatives FERDINAND R. GAITE,
CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and EUFEMIA C, CULLAMAT,
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative FRANCE L. CASTRO,
GABRIELA Women’s Party Representative ARLENE D. BROSAS
and KABATAAN Party-List Representative SARAH JANE I. ELAGO

AN ACT
INCREASING THE MINIMUM SALARY OF NURSES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

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

SECTION I. Short Title. This Act shall be known as “The Salary Increase for Private Sector
‘Nurses Act of 2020.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the Government's concer and responsibility to
provide adequate remuneration and benefits of health workers to enhance general welfare and
to attract and retain its rightful share of talents with the end in view of fulfilling the state policy
of providing essential health services to all Filipinos.

SECTION 3. Coverage. The minimum salary shall cover all nurses in private health facilities,
whether regular, or non-regular, including contractual, contract of service, job-order, casual,
and project-based.

SECTION 4. Minimum Salary for Nurses in the Private Sector. The present minimum
monthly salary for nurses shall be equivalent to P32,000 per month or equivalent to salary
grade (SG) "15" of the Salary Standardization Law as amended.

Provided that, the minimum salary shall be increased and adjusted accordingly as their Nurse
1 counterparts in the public sector.

Provided further, that, salaries of those occupying higher positions shall be adjusted
accordingly.

SECTION 5. Sanctions. A fine of not less than five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000,000)
and/or imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor more than two (2) years shall be imposed
upon violation of any of the provisions hereof.

Provided that, for violations committed by agencies, juridical persons, or any other entity, the
head of the agency and Board of Directors or executive officials of the agency shall assume


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full responsibility,

SECTION 6. Refund and Compensation. Any nurse found to have been a victim of violation
of any section of this Act shall be entitled to backwages and full payment of unpaid benefits.
In addition, he/she shall be entitled to refund of interest and attorney's fees to be paid by the
agency if he/she is forced to litigate.

SECTION 7. Rules and Regulations. The Department of Health and the Department of Labor
shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations of the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 8. Constitutionality. Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the validity or constitutionality of the other provisions shall not be affected
thereby.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, letters of instructions, resolutions, orders,
ordinances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the
Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,