Solon also wants pay hike for private sector nurses

In a news forum, Defensor pointed out that while the recent SC decision has paved the way for an increase in public nurses’ salaries to at least Salary Grade 15, many nurses in the private sector are in a pitiful state. (Shutterstock Photo)

MANILA — Following a Supreme Court ruling that raised the minimum base pay for government nurses, Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Michael Defensor on Tuesday said he will also push for an increase in the salary of nurses working in the private sector.

In a news forum, Defensor pointed out that while the recent SC decision has paved the way for an increase in public nurses’ salaries to at least Salary Grade 15, many nurses in the private sector are in a pitiful state.

“Marami hong kawawa pa sa private sector, kasi sa private sector meron pa ho diyan PHP9,000 ang mga salaries (A lot of nurses in the private sector are languishing because there are even those who get PHP9,000 in salaries),” he said.

“We hope that we’ll be able to increase also the salaries of everyone including those in the private sector,” Defensor said.

Meanwhile, Defensor said the House of Representatives is now looking for possible sources of funding to implement the Supreme Court decision.

He said he had discussed the matter with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, including his proposal to source the pay hike for government nurses from the military personnel benefits fund.

“Pero siyempre nandiyan din naman yung binanggit ng ating Pangulo na pwede nang itaas under the Salary Standardization Law, gusto niyang itaas yung sweldo ng teachers and nurses (There is also what President Rodrigo Duterte said that it could be increased under the SSL, he wants to raise the salaries of teachers and nurses),” Defensor said.

He assured that whether through SSL or any other modes, Congress will push to implement the pay hike at the earliest time.

“We will be pushing for the increase. So it will be either this year or next year. Pero definite na ho yan (The increase is already definite),” Defensor said.