MANILA—Entry-level nurses working in national government hospitals are set to receive a more than 20 percent salary increase over the next four years, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo announced on Sunday.
The pay hike, which will benefit nurses employed at Department of Health (DOH) hospitals, stems from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 64.
The order updates the salaries of civilian government personnel, including nurses.
“Right now, entry-level nurses at DOH hospitals are already being paid PHP 38,413 monthly, which is 4.9 percent higher than the PHP 36,619 that they received in 2023,” said Rillo, a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.
The salary will continue to increase, reaching PHP 40,208 in 2025, PHP 42,178 in 2026, and finally PHP 44,148 by January 1, 2027.
These adjustments represent an average annual increase of 4.8 percent, amounting to a cumulative 20.5 percent pay raise over four years.
Rillo’s announcement comes ahead of the national observance of Nurses’ Week, which highlights the critical role of nurses in public health.
The country marks the last week of October every year as Nurses’ Week to raise awareness of the importance of the nursing profession.
As a strong advocate for nurses, Rillo is also pushing for further salary improvements through House Bill No. 5276.
The bill seeks to elevate the pay of entry-level nurses to Salary Grade 21, or PHP 67,005 per month, in an effort to reduce the migration of nurses to other countries.
Owing to low pay, thousands of Filipino nurses leave the country every year to seek better opportunities abroad, particularly in the United States.
According to the World Health Organization, the Philippines faces a shortage of 127,000 nurses, a number that could rise to 250,000 by 2030 if current trends continue.
The salary adjustments outlined in Executive Order No. 64 aim to provide better compensation for nurses and retain more healthcare workers within the country, addressing a critical issue in the public health system.
