The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) on Monday expressed gratitude to Filipino nurses here and abroad for their services, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The OPS made the statement on its official Facebook page as the country celebrates Nurses’ Week this October.
“Taos-pusong nagpapasalamat ang Office of the Press Secretary sa ating mga nars sa bansa at sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo (The Office of the Press Secretary sincerely thanks our nurses in the country and in different parts of the world),” the OPS said.
“‘Di mapapantayan ang husay at malasakit na kanilang ipinamalas lalo na nang dumating ang Covid-19 pandemic (The skill and compassion they showed is incomparable, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic came),” it added.
The OPS also enjoined the public to show appreciation to Filipino nurses for their sacrifices.
Nurses’ Week is observed every last week of October by virtue of Proclamation No. 539 signed on Oct. 17, 1958 by then President Carlos Garcia.
Last Sept. 1, President Ferdinand R. Marcos vowed to raise the profile and improve the working conditions of nurses here and abroad in a speech during his attendance at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Nurses Association, Inc. at The Manila Hotel.
He acknowledged that the current salaries and benefits of nurses in the Philippines are not enough, but noted that the government may not have available funds to cover this yet.
Marcos also promised to open more slots for the deployment of nurses abroad while striving to improve domestic opportunities.
He also backed the passage of House Bill 9389 or the New Philippine Nursing Practice Act which mandates additional protection and development of the nursing profession in the country.
Speaking from his own experience after contracting Covid-19 twice, Marcos said he witnessed how Filipino nurses risked their lives to care for the sick and even opted not to return to their homes to avoid spreading the virus to their families.
He said Filipino nurses stood out from others not just for their competence and dedication, but for their “compassion and kindness.” (PNA)
