A Quezon City lawmaker has introduced two separate measures in the House of Representatives aimed at addressing longstanding labor concerns in the Philippine health sector.
Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas of the 5th district filed House Bill 3520, which proposes raising the starting salary of government physicians from P73,303 to P91,306 — an increase of P18,003. Vargas said the pay hike is intended to reverse the steady outflow of medical professionals leaving the country for better-paying positions abroad, a pattern that has left public health facilities chronically understaffed.
The second measure, House Bill 3398 or the “Care for Nurses’ Welfare Act,” takes aim at excessive working hours in medical facilities. The bill would prohibit hospitals and other healthcare institutions from compelling nurses to render more than eight consecutive hours of work or exceed 40 hours per week.
“A well-rested nurse is an attentive nurse,” Vargas said.
The two bills reflect mounting legislative attention to workforce conditions in a sector that has long struggled to retain trained personnel amid persistent demand from overseas employers.
