The Philippines has banned medical staff from working in other countries, sparking tensions as the island nation struggles to battle the coronavirus.
The order, signed by the Labor Secretary on April 2, prohibits physicians, nurses, medical technicians and other medical staff from working abroad while the country remains under a state of emergency.
The order says the Philippines sends 13,000 medical workers abroad every year — yet faces a shortage of 290,000 health workers at home.
A lot of Filipinos go abroad to work in medicine. It can be much more lucrative in North America or Europe, with the average salary for a registered nurse under $200 a month in the Philippines, according to the country’s Department of Labor.
More than 17% of registered nurses in California are Filipino, a 2017 report found. And in the UK, a 2019 government report found there are more than 18,000 Filipinos working in the NHS.
That is why they are not happy with the new ban. An online petition has already gained 10,000 signatures, protesting the lost economic opportunities for Filipino nurses.
The petition urged the government to reassess the ban, arguing that the government’s compensation of $10 a day for volunteers is not enough to replace wages earned abroad.
