Filipino Nurses Official Petition: Unconditional Public Apology

The recent statement of Senatorial Candidate Cynthia Villar on the February 23 episode of GMA News TV's "Pagsubok ng mga Kandidato” about the Filipino Nurse is completely unacceptable and a blatant disrespect to the profession.

The commentary made on the said program is a direct insult to the Filipino Nurse. It clearly demonstrates her lack of knowledge, perception and information on one of the most respected profession. It is insensitive and conduct unbecoming of an aspiring public servant who in the early days of her political career has already displayed a character and a mental distortion not worthy of public service.

May we remind Mrs. Villar that in the United Kingdom, there are more than 25,000 Filipino Nurses employed by the National Health Service alone, not counting the Filipino Nurses who have decided to become naturalized British Citizens. The National Health Service is the largest employer in the UK with a good percentage of its employees being Filipino Nurses. If you might recall, the UK did a massive recruitment of Filipino Nurses in the early 2000 due to the fact that Filipino Nurses are considered the most professional, educated and well skilled nurses. The recruitment campaign continued within the last decade with Filipino Nurses usually topping the list of preferable candidates due to the same high standards of care provided by the Filipino Nurses. Our BSN degree alone has been instrumental to the Filipino Nurses’ global recognition.

Financially, it can be surmised that the Filipino Nurse together with other Oversea Filipino Migrant Workers, the Philippine GDP is kept afloat by the remittances sent monthly. In a report by the Banko Sentral Ng Pilipinas (BSP), the first half of 2009 showed a, 8.5 Billion USD remittance from OFWs with the highest remittance being made in 2008 with a total of 16.4 Billion USD. In the same study from the Department of Economic Statistics 2009, Filipinos in the Europe, mainly from the UK and Italy grossed a staggering USD 660,354 in remittance.

We need not further elaborate the significant contribution of Filipino Overseas Workers, of which a large percentage of them are Filipino Nurses. It follows that developing countries prefer to employ Filipino Nurses due to their background, education, skills and excellent attitude. The Filipino Nurses’ contribution to the economy is unequalled and unparalleled.

Filipino Nurses are not simply “room nurses who are confined to menial tasks such as caring for the sick" as said by Mrs. Villar.

Filipino Nurses are highly educated, highly skilled, professionally registered and recognized by the Philippine Regulations Commission, a member of the International Council of Nurses and so far the most comprehensive profession in the labor market 24-hours, 7-days a week, 365-days a year.

Filipino Nurses do what no other professions can do, we save lives and we care for the sick and dying with our very own unique Tender, Loving, Care.