The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is working on its plan to provide additional healthcare subsidy, housing and education programs to Filipino nurses serving locally despite many opportunities abroad.

In a press briefing at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said they are collaborating with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the funding of the nurses’ health insurance.

Herbosa said the insurance will boost the benefits of Filipino nurses.

“Not all people leave because of money. That’s what I realized because iyong iba nag-nurse talaga kasi gusto nilang mag-nurse at mag-alaga ng tao,” Secretary Herbosa told reporters.

“Some of them will stay, and very soon i-announce namin na we’re actually allocating with DBM money to get health insurance. So may subsidy na ibibigay, maliit lang pero it will allow them to get health insurance for themselves and even their family,” he added.

Herbosa said the administration also wants to provide housing units to Filipino nurses.

He said he has already talked to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on ways to provide housing to Filipino nurses, which will be another benefit.

“The other one thing I’m doing is trying to provide the housing for our healthcare nurses because not everything is really salary. So ang kausap ko dito is DHSUD about developing a housing project,” Herbosa said.

For public nurses, Herbosa said they can actually file for a Housing Loan at Pag-IBIG.

The DOH is also studying providing nurses other benefits like education programs where nurses can choose either to pursue master’s degree or seek scholarships, among other options. PND