Philippines’ nurses have lowest salaries in Southeast Asia, group says

Nurses in the Philippines have the lowest salary in Southeast Asia, a study by data aggregator iPrice PH showed.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras,” the average salary of entry-level government nurses in the country ranges from P22,000 to P42,000 per month. 

Nurses at the same level in Vietnam have a monthly salary of P62,000 while nurses in Indonesia have a salary of P79,000. In Thailand, nurses have a salary of P83,000, followed by Malaysia with P97,000, while nurses in Singapore have a monthly salary of P236,400.

"Ang mga nurses ay underpaid, overworked, at ito po ay pinapanawagan namin lalo na po ngayon sa panahon ng pandemya dahil sobrang sakripisyo at sobrang hirap ng trabaho na dinadanas ng ating mga nurses," Filipino Nurses United (FNU) secretary-general Jocelyn Andamo said.

Andamo said that health care has never been prioritized in the country.

“Ito ay sobrang unfair at sobrang miserable ang kalagayan ng mga nurses dahil hindi kami na swe-swelduhan ng sapat,” she said.

Sienna, a government nurse who had tested positive for the virus and has already returned to work, said she felt small due to the treatment they received from the government.

“Pakiramdam ko rito nanliliit ako, eh, despite na isa sa pinaka-mahusay na nurse ang naipro-produce ng Pilipinas, hindi kami binibigyan ng credit ng gobyerno. Iniinsulto pa kami na maging worthy kami,” Sienna said.

“Unfair po talaga kasi napakaliit ng tingin sa amin. Ang hinahangad lang namin is ‘yung nakakabuhay na suweldo. Degree holder din naman po kami,” she added. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News