Philippine Information Agency
by Lilibeth A. French
Posted on 28 February 2011

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA) Some 281 Ilonggo registered nurses were hired under the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement And Local Service (RN Heals) project of the government, according to the provincial office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

DOLE-Iloilo Focal Person for RN Heals Nelia Mabilog said these nurses have already been deployed last February 14 to the different municipalities of Iloilo and Guimaras identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), giving priority to those municipalities where the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT)program is being implemented.

For Iloilo, the 246 nurses were assigned in the municipalities of Batad, Calinog, Duenas, Carles, San Dioniso, Leon, Dingle, Badiangan, San Rafael, Lambunao, Sara, Maasin, Ajuy, Igbaras, San Joaquin, Lemery, Balasan, Miag-ao, San Enrique, Tubungan, Bingawan, Alimodian, Janiuay, Anilao, Barotac Viejo, and Banate including the cities of Passi and Iloilo.

Of the 35 nurses deployed in Guimaras, 11 are in San Lorenzo, 10 in Sibunag, and 7 each in Buenavista and Nueva Valencia.

Mabilog said the nurses will render one-year service under the program which is a collaborative project of DOLE with the Department of Health (DOH), DSWD, Philippine Regulations Commission (PRC)-Board of Nursing, and the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA).

Mabilog added that these nurses will receive each a monthly allowance of P8,000 from the DOH as they augment health providers in their assigned areas to make essential health services available to residents. Local government units where these nurses will be assigned were also encouraged to provide additional allowances and benefits to these nurses.

Nurses who have satisfactorily completed the requirement will receive a certificate of competency and employment from the DOH, DSWD and the PRC.

RN HEALS is expected to address the shortage of skilled and experienced nurses in 1,221 rural and unserved or underserved communities in the country.

In a DOH press report, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that “the new DOH program is a move to free our people from the shackles of poverty and assure a healthy citizenry towards nation building”. (JCM/LAF/PIA-Iloilo)

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