Marcos: Healthcare, IT scholars should work in PH for 2-3 years

To ease the country's brain-drain problem, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Friday that healthcare and information technology scholars should stay and work in the country for two to three years after graduation.

“If they find jobs abroad, that’s good for them. But the problem is... we lose the talent that we train… that we took through the certification system," said Marcos during the fifth meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council-Jobs Sector Group (PSAC-Jobs) in Malacañang.

"We have to come up with some kind of strategy wherein, let’s say, you provide scholarships and then the scholarship agreement includes that you stay three years. After that then they’re free to go.” 

During the event, PSAC officials admitted that the local labor market for healthcare and IT sectors could not match the lucrative pay being offered by companies and healthcare facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Europe. 

So, requiring mandatory service for a limited time was a good middle ground.

“I think what we can do is to continue to offer certificate programs and train their skills. I think we can do that. There’s no way for us to retain them,” said SM Investments Corporation's Teresita Sy-Coson, who presented the proposals on behalf of the PSAC Jobs sector.

“Even in the digital [sector], if we train them in cybersecurity or in whatever advanced technology, they’ll also leave. If only we can get them for two years, that would be good enough," added Coson.

PSAC-Jobs also suggested the prioritization of a coordinated game plan in which the Department of Health (DOH), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Migrant Workers, and the Department of Foreign Affairs could negotiate with other countries on hiring Filipino workers.

The President previously directed the DOH, CHED, DMW, and DFA to work together in negotiating a position of strength with the foreign governments regarding the issue. The PSAC said this was a step in the right direction.

The advisory body also said that the DOH’s human resources for healthcare master plan must be supported by the government, including requiring them to adopt a hospital or a school, and then invest in them so that they can participate in the country’s labor force. — DVM, GMA Integrated News