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Changing The Face of Nursing in The Philippines
Changing The Face of Nursing in The Philippines
Changing The Face of Nursing in The Philippines
The idea that nurses could engage in the independent practice of Pineda said the program will be pilot-tested in Davao, adding that the
nursing is allowed in both Republics Acts 7164 and 9173 which regulate provincial and local government units in Region 11 (Davao Region) have
the practice of nursing, but somehow, something got lost in the openly answered the call of the DoLE to engage its nurses in the project.
translation and all our nurses were encouraged to achieve their dreams by
working abroad. Project Entreprenurse, an initiative of the Department of
Labor and Employment piloted in Davao, aims to change the outlook of She said some 500 nurses in the region have initially banded into
nurses in the country and help them recognize that nurse cooperative and are currently complying with the requirements for
entrepreneurship is a viable option for them. Faced with bleak prospects registration with the Cooperative Development Authority as a
of formal employment in the local jobs market and dwindling cooperative.
opportunities abroad, the nurses of Davao have answered the call of the
DOLE to engage in nursing-related businesses for themselves, such as The DoLE, she said, will provide the start-up capital for the cooperatives.
home health care, outsourced health service delivery, lying-in clinics, etc.
The DOLE will provide the start-up capital for the cooperatives.
According to Pineda, the nurses will be assisted in putting together their
business plans so they can ask for grants from government and non-
government sources.
Governor Cora Malanyaon of Davao Oriental and Secretary Esperanza Among the potential sources of revenues for the cooperatives are the
Cabral signing the manifesto of support for the initiative local government units, PhilHealth’s capitalization fund, foreign donors
and migrant Filipino organizations abroad, she said.
Nearly 500 nurses in Region 11 have now banded together to
form nurses cooperatives and are busy complying with the requirements Pineda lamented that the growing concern on the lack of formal
for registration with the Cooperative Development Authority as a employment in the local job market and dwindling opportunities abroad
cooperative. After registration, they will be assisted by MASICAP to put has inspired the department to come up with new projects for nurses.
together business plans that they can use to ask for grants from
government and non-government sources. Among the potential sources
SEVERAL national agencies on Thursday launched a program that
of revenues for the cooperatives are the local government units,
would generate jobs for nurses in the country.
Philhealth’s capitation fund, foreign donors and migrant Filipino
organizations abroad. The DOH will be a critical partner as source of
data on the status of health services delivery in poor rural communities. The program dubbed "Project EntrepreNurse" will make way for the
Even before CDA registration, the Davao del Norte group, buoyed by the creation of nurses' cooperatives within localities to introduce a whole
expression of total support by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, have new home health care industry in the country.
already started negotiating with local chief executives, with successful
results. Click here for stories and updates on the Sinulog 2010 Festival.
“I believe that the significant impact of these newly-formed Initated by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), Board of
nurses’ cooperatives will be in public health, where they are expected to Nursing-Professional Regulation Commission (BON-PRC), Department
contribute to the achievement of our Millennium Development Goals on of Health (DOH), and Philippine Health Corporation (Philhealth), among
maternal and child mortality,” explained Undersecretary Carmelita others, the program will grant nurses' cooperatives with as much as
Pineda who is one of the prime movers of the initiative. USEC Pineda P500,000 worth of grant for their operation.
was the focal person of the DOLE for the hugely successful Project
NARS, which deployed freshly graduated nurses to the poorest
Davao Region will be the pilot area for the program wherein there will be
municipalities in the country for six months.
one nurses' cooperative for each of the five provinces and one for Davao
City, Dole secretary Marianito Roque said at Apo View Hotel.
Roque said Davao Region is chosen as the pilot area because the idea for The Davao Region will be the pilot area for the program wherein there
the program was conceptualized by Dole regional Director Jalilo dela will be one nurses’ cooperative for each of the five provinces and one for
Torre. Davao City. It is chosen as the pilot area because the idea for the program
was conceptualized by Dole regional Director Jalilo dela Torre.
Dela Torre said other than City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the program has
received the support from Governors Corazon Malanyaon, Rodolfo del Nearly 500 nurses in Region 11 have now banded together to form nurses
Rosario, and Douglas Cagas. cooperatives and are busy complying with the requirements for
registration with the Cooperative Development Authority as a
"We believe that the local chief executives here are very passionate cooperative. After registration, they will be assisted by MASICAP to put
advocates for health reforms," dela Torre said on the program's together business plans that they can use to ask for grants from
effectivity in the region. government and non-government sources. Among the potential sources
of revenues for the cooperatives are the local government units,
Philhealth’s capitation fund, foreign donors and migrant Filipino
A total of P16 million will be required for the entire country in the organizations abroad. The DOH will be a critical partner as source of
program's full implementation. An allotment of P1.2 million will be data on the status of health services delivery in poor rural communities.
granted for the region with P300,000 per cooperative however Dole Even before CDA registration, the Davao del Norte group, buoyed by the
regional director Jalilo dela Torre said during the press conference it expression of total support by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, have
could go as much as P500,000 per cooperative. already started negotiating with local chief executives, with successful
results.
Roque said the program would utilize the high unemployment nursing
rate of the country. "There are continous employment opportunities both The program’s strategy is to encourage nurses to form cooperatives with
here and abroad but the situation is that we graduate so much na sobra ito a minimum number of nurse members of 500 and manage nurses’ clinic,
sa absorbtive capacity and overseas employment na available," Roque under the supervision of trained and experienced nurses, which will
said. deploy newly licensed nurses to poor rural communities with little or no
access to basic health care.
"Every year for the last 3 years we have about 70,000 new board.
Question is if the employment absorption capacity of the Philippines can Project EntrepreNurse is an initiative of the Department of Labor
take that in? Annually 2,500 to 3,500 lang ang nakakapasok sa local and Employment (DOLE) piloted in Davao. This project aims to
employment. Although we have the overseas program na naga-absorb change the outlook of nurses in the country and help them recognize that
somewhere from 10,000 to 20,000 of our nurses. You add these two it nurse entrepreneurship is a viable option for them.
still isn't enough for the number of graduates," Roques said.
Project Description:
The program's strategy is to encourage nurses to form cooperatives with An initiative of DOLE, in collaboration with BON-PRC, DOH, PNA,
a minimum number of nurse members of 500 and manage nurses' clinic, UPCN, OHNAP and other government and non-government entities to
under the supervision of trained and experienced nurses, which will promote nurse entrepreneurship by introducing a home health care
deploy newly licensed nurses to poor rural communities with little or no industry in the Philippines:
access to basic health care, Roque said.
1) to reduce the cost of health care for the country’s indigent population
The nurses' services will be compensated by the local government unit by bringing primary health care services to poor rural communities,
(LGU), Philhealth, HMOs, by the patients themselves on per visit basis,
or from grants from local and foreign donors. Congressmen and Senator's
Priority Development Funds shall be tapped also, Roque said. 2) to maximize employment opportunities for the country’s unemployed
nurses and
Roque said nurses working under the cooperative may have other work
as hospital nurses. "The nurses can do it part time but they cannot serve 3) to utilize the country’s unemployed human resources for health for the
homes and the hospital at the same time. It could be that their home delivery of public health services and the achievement of the country’s
service would be for one or two hours then go back to the hospital," Millennium Development Goals on maternal and child health, consistent
Roque said. with the Fourmula One for Health framework of the Department of
Health.
Doctor Josefina Tuazon, Dean of the University of the Philippines
College of Nursing (UP-CN), however, clarified that the program is still Here’s the Audio Visual Presentation (AVP) of the Project
at the planning stage. "It's stll in the process of really determining the EntrepreNurse of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
exact form in which it will take," Tuazon said. Region XI:
First Project