Marcos honors Filipino nurses, vows to improve working conditions of medical workers

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognized the contribution of Filipino nurses locally and globally as he vowed to continue improving the working conditions of medical frontliners and the entire healthcare system in the country.

Marcos Jr. served as a guest of honor at the 2026 National Annual Convention of the Philippine Nurses Association in Pasay City on Monday, October 19.

At the beginning of his speech, Marcos Jr. assured PNA president Gian Carlo Torres who earlier called for advancing nursing profession and welfare through fair compensation, meaningful career advancement opportunities and safe and supportive workplaces.

“Mr. President, investing in nurses is investing in health,” Torres said.  

“Lahat ng sinabi mo I took note of, babalikan natin lahat ‘yan. We will have a look and to see what we can do,” the chief executive responded.

Marcos Jr. took pride in the Filipino nurses’ widely regarded professionalism and skill, recalling a conversation with a world leader who emphasized how Filipino nurses play a vital part in their own healthcare system.

“One of the countries that I went to, it’s a very rich country, and pag-upo namin sabi niya kaagad, ‘Do you realize that in our — all our ICU hospitals in my country, 60 percent of the nurses and the doctors are Filipinos’,” he stated.

“So, sabi niya sa akin, ‘This is a king.’ Sabi niya sa akin, ‘Kaya you, always please look kindly on us because you have the switch. If you stop sending us your healthcare workers, then the whole healthcare system in my country will stop,’” Marcos Jr. added. 

Marcos Jr. vowed that his administration is working “very, very hard” to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.

“We must also work towards improving nurse-to-patient ratios, filling vacant positions, [and] providing more opportunities for our Filipino nurses’ growth,” he said. 

“All of this is necessary so that our nurses can carry out responsibilities more efficiently and ensure that our healthcare institutions better serve our people,” the President noted. 

He further added that his administration continues to work with the Department of Health to “strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve the working conditions of our medical frontliners.”

“We are working with CHED and TESDA to expand opportunities for healthcare training through the development of Alternative Pathways for Nurses,” he said. “Our goal is to help more qualified Filipinos enter the profession, strengthen the capabilities and protect the welfare of our nurses to ensure that our healthcare institutions have the workforce that they need to serve our communities.”

The chief executive took note of several measures to support nurses in previous years including increased allocation for the Health Emergency Allowance from P6.8 billion in 2022 to over P110 billion in 2026, extended employment opportunities and review assistance to nursing graduates through the Clinical Care Associates Program and the lifting of moratorium on new Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in 2022.

“Consequently, the number of higher education institutions offering nursing programs increased from 354 in July 2022 to an estimated 425 now in June 2026,” he said, adding that the country has developed an enhanced one-year master’s degree program in nursing to help produce more qualified clinical instructors and educators. 

“With these initiatives, we address important parts of the challenge, but we also acknowledge that building a resilient healthcare system requires sustained effort,” Marcos Jr. stressed. 

“This calls for the cooperation of government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions, professional organizations, and the communities that we all serve,” he added.