Marcos: PH to study strengthening nursing industry ties with US

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the government would study the proposal to strengthen the nursing industry between the Philippines and the United States.

The Presidential Communications Office on Wednesday said Marcos had made the remark during his meeting with United States Senator Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday.

The American lawmaker had told him about the possibility of sending American students to Philippine nursing schools.

Malacañang said Duckworth mentioned that Filipinos in the US were recognized for being well-educated and fluent in English.

She acknowledged the service of Filipino nurses in the US and the quality of service they provided.

Marcos, for his part, is not seeing any problem with strengthening the partnership of the two countries when it comes to the nursing industry. However, he said this should still be studied to avoid brain drain.

“We do have a problem with our nurses leaving and going abroad and finding good jobs abroad. And we certainly encourage that; we’re not about to hold them back,” Marcos said.

“But we need to find these new schemes so that the brain drain is not quite severe as it is now. We have a shortage, I think, at every level in our healthcare system and much of the reason behind that is the talent leaving the Philippines to find better positions. But certainly, we should examine that,” he added.

Duckworth told the President that in the US, they have more nursing students than nursing educators. She also mentioned that the US does not have enough nursing programs.

“You know, it would be really interesting to see if we could send American students to nursing schools in the Philippines because, obviously, you’re teaching to a standard that they can meet licensure in the US. But we don’t have enough nursing programs in the United States,” Duckworth said.

“So, we don’t have enough nursing educators in the United States because we just don’t have enough of them, and we have students who want to enter nursing schools but there are not enough space for them,” she added.

Aside from improving the nursing industry, the two countries also vowed to collaborate in the production of electronic vehicle batteries. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News