The Philippines is the largest exporter of nurses in the world, whereby, for decades, it has supplied nurses to Saudi Arabia and the U.S. The migration of nurses from the Philippines as permanent or temporary started in the 1950s, whereby the objective was to expose them to further training. Upon their return to the Philippines, the experienced nurses would improve their healthcare system’s quality. However, the Philippines is renowned for having few jobs matching its population, increasing the unemployment rates among the citizens. Moreover, one in five employees is underemployed, underpaid, or employed below their full potential. Hence, due to such conditions, the number of Filipinos working abroad continues to rise steadily, with the overseas deployment of workers constituting nurses as the largest group of professional workers. The migration of Filipino labor was originally meant to be a temporary strategy to ease unemployment in the Philippines while stabilizing the country’s balance of payments and the provision of alternative employment (Kumar et al., 2022). Nonetheless, the country’s dependence on labor migration and international services provision has risen to a point where the government is no longer interested in addressing domestic labor problems. Based on the poor pay, working conditions, and the lack of career growth in the Philippines, nurses consider their migration a net positive phenomenon.
Nurses in the Philippines experience low pay and delayed benefits, compelling them to migrate to other countries for better opportunities. In public hospitals, entry-level nurses earn $610 per month at the conversion of 55 PHP to a dollar. However, most nurses work on a short-term contract basis, lowering their monthly salaries to $400, and without benefits (Alibudbud, 2023). Further, in the Philippines’ private hospitals, nurses’ pay can be as low as $145, all of which do not align with the country’s living conditions. For example, the monthly cost of living in Manila is $923 for a single person and worsens with the country’s inflation rates. Consequently, the country’s high cost of living and low earnings increase frustration and the risk of burnout, lowering their commitment to their work. Hence, due to the low earnings that fail to match their living standards, nurses are pushed into economic challenges, leading to them seeking more rewarding opportunities. In contrast, in the U.S, particularly New York, Filipino nurses earn $38 648, approximately 77% more than their average salary in their country. Such a substantial difference in their earnings makes nurses’ migration a positive endeavor. Also, their remittance from working abroad increases the country’s economic stability, promoting long-term benefits.
Additionally, the Philippines’ domestic healthcare system faces multiple challenges whose effects are poor working conditions for nurses. Poor infrastructure, understaffing, and limited education opportunities lead to nurses migrating to developed countries. Nurse shortage in the Philippines has persisted for decades, leading to compromised patient care and workloads that are continually rising (Corpuz et al., 2023). When nurses are minimal in healthcare institutions, they are overworked, leading to demotivation and high turnover rates. Further, healthcare facilities in the Philippines lack important equipment, making it challenging for nurses to accomplish their tasks. For example, rural areas in the Philippines lack healthcare facilities, leading to the residents lacking basic healthcare needs. The available hospitals also lack medical equipment due to an insufficient budget from the healthcare sector, making it impossible to resolve the healthcare crisis. Undoubtedly, nurses in the Philippines with enough academic qualifications cannot meet their patient’s needs due to the lack of technology, leading to them seeking employment in countries where they can apply their knowledge exhaustively. In developed countries, nurses can work in a variety of environments due to the distribution of healthcare facilities, making their work more accessible and manageable. They also gain exposure to cutting-edge medical practices and technologies, equipping them with valuable insights. Besides, nurses continue to face limited educational opportunities because access to quality education in nursing remains a challenge in the Philippines. The lack of education has exacerbated the nursing shortage because of limited knowledge regarding the benefits of nursing. Filipino nurses with education experience migrate to developed countries to allow them to access better learning opportunities to increase their passion for the profession. Hence, the poor working conditions in the Philippines make migration positive.
Markedly, based on the challenges nurses experience in the Philippines, it is challenging to advance in their careers, making migration necessary. While the country has been producing approximately 100, 000 registered nurses yearly, no new positions are created in private and public hospitals at the national level (Buchan & Catton, 2020). Furthermore, healthcare professionals are constantly training new nurses who have freshly graduated. However, after training and nurturing them, they remain stagnant in their positions because the limited healthcare institutions lack new positions the nurses can fill, in addition to a lack of funds to match the new employment status. Thus, when lucrative employment in developed countries arises, Filipino nurses migrate for career advancement. Compared to the Philippines, nurses gain a financial advantage that supports professional growth because they also have access to specialized programs and advanced training that amplifies their expertise, leading to career development and progression. Compared to the Philippines, working in developed countries broadens their ability and knowledge outside of the hospital environment and acquire advanced degrees, evidence-based research in various healthcare facets, and specialist certificates. The global exposure arising from migrating and acquiring more academic experience nurtures the nurses’ adaptability, cultural competence, and resilience, enriching their professional lifestyle. The pursuit of their goals also exposes them to flexibility and professional communication, giving them a global perspective on healthcare procedures. Therefore, migration is a positive endeavor for nurses because career advancement is beneficial for Filipino nurses in the long run.
Overall, nurses’ migration from the Philippines is justified because the country has low pay, poor working conditions, and a lack of career growth in the Philippines, which nurses overcome by moving to developed countries. Nurses in the Philippines are poorly paid, and, with the country’s economic crisis, they cannot sustain themselves in the country’s cities. Nonetheless, moving to developed countries allows them to earn more, supporting their families back home. The poor working conditions in the Philippines are also characterized by a lack of infrastructure, understaffing, and low education opportunities. The Philippines has limited healthcare centers and infrastructure, making it challenging for nurses to practice their career interests. When nurses move to developed countries, they encounter cutting-edge technologies that make their work easier and more successful. Moreover, in developed countries, they can make use of the knowledge and experience they acquired during their college training, a challenging endeavor in the Philippines. Migration also promotes career development because the nurses have funds, exposure, and an environment with the resources to advance in their studies, leading them to qualify for higher employment levels. Migration also makes them more culturally competent, improving their skills and resilience in the healthcare industry.
References
Alibudbud, R. (2023). Addressing the burnout and shortage of nurses in the Philippines. SAGE Open Nursing, 9, 23779608231195737. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23779608231195737
Buchan, J., & Catton, H. (2020). COVID-19 AND THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY OF NURSES. http://www.icn.ch/system/files/documents/2020-07/COVID19_internationalsupplyofnurses_Report_FINAL.pdf
Corpuz, J. C. G. (2023). Advancing Filipino Healthcare: The Plight of Filipino Nurses in a Postpandemic World. SAGE Open Nursing, 9, 23779608231220872. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23779608231220872
Kumar, C., Dempster, H., O’Donnell, M., & Zimmer, C. (2022). Migration and the future of care: supporting older people and care workers. https://odi.cdn.ngo/media/documents/Migration_and_the_future_of_care.pdf
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