No salary increase for nurses in 2020 - DOH
According to the news posted by Philstar on October 27, 2019 - 12:00 am, nurses in the government do not have reason to celebrate yet despite a recent ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) mandating a P30,531 minimum month salary for them.
According to Francisco Duque III, Health Secretary, the salary adjustment was not factored in when the Department of Health (DOH) submitted its proposed budget for 2020. Because of this, it is unlilkely for the increase to be implemented in the coming year.
“I did not really know when the SC was rendering its decision so when we proposed (the) budget – in fact our budget for 2020 was reduced – so quite frankly, we did not include that in the proposed budget of DOH,” said Duque.
“I did not really know when the SC was rendering its decision so when we proposed (the) budget – in fact our budget for 2020 was reduced – so quite frankly, we did not include that in the proposed budget of DOH,” said Duque.
Duque explained that implementing the salary hike is actually the call of Congress which can pass a law to provide funds for the hike.
Duque assured nurses that the DOH will include the approved salary adjustments when they propose the budget for 2021.
Based on the Philippine Nursing Act, the minimum base pay of nurses working in the public health institutions shall not be lower than salary grade (SG) 15. which is equivalent to P30,531 a month. This provision is applicable only to only nurses working in public health facilities.
