Filipino nurses who left jobs in the Middle East form the earliest wave of registrants in a newly launched government effort to bring overseas health workers back into the domestic workforce.
The program, “Sa Pinas Ikaw ang Nurse ng Bayan” (SPIB), was introduced Tuesday by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to help returning Filipino nurses and health workers secure employment at home. Alongside job placement, it establishes an evaluation and monitoring system for policymakers and provides psychosocial support to ease workers through the transition back to the Philippines.
DMW Assistant Secretary Francis de Guzman said those recently displaced by unrest in the Middle East account for much of the initial sign-up. “Du’n po sa nanggaling sa Middle East, ‘yung latest namin na nakapag-sign up. We have profiled 312. Ito ‘yung nakapag-Middle East na kakabalik lamang,” he said.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac cited a DMW inbound profile survey indicating that between 60% and 70% of OFWs who came home from the Middle East did so out of concern for their safety. Of roughly 10,000 repatriated Filipinos, about 2,000 — or 20% — are children of OFWs.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa pushed back on reports of a nursing shortage, noting that some returning workers had simply completed their contracts and opted against renewing abroad. “Hindi naman tayo nauubusan ng nurses contrary to what is being reported in media,” he said. He added that wages and social benefits in both private and public healthcare continue to climb.
Cacdac likened SPIB to “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir” (SPIMS), a parallel scheme for licensed OFW teachers. “Licensed school teachers who worked as OFWs, and now through the Department of Education and DMW, they have now been hired under the Philippine public school system, so they are back to teach,” he said.
The launch coincided with the 2026 Migrant Workers Health Summit at the Occupational Safety and Health Center in Quezon City. Running through Wednesday, the summit offers free medical services including hypertension and diabetes risk assessments, tuberculosis screening, cervical and breast cancer testing, measles and rubella vaccinations for OFWs and their children, and sessions on mental health and nutrition. PhilHealth, the Social Security System, the Professional Regulation Commission, and other agencies joined in delivering services, with the DOH estimating about 1,000 attendees across the two-day event.
