Palace hopes for “nationalism” from healthcare workers amid call to lift deployment ban abroad

August 20, 2020

Malacanang expressed hope on Thursday that "nationalism" will prevail among healthcare workers and they will continue to serve their fellow Filipinos here instead of seeking jobs abroad.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the remarks amid calls by the health workers, particularly nurses, to lift the deployment ban against their sector.

"We see that in this time of pandemic, nationalism will prevail in the heart and feelings of our nurses," he said in a virtual press briefing.

He also hoped that the Filipino health professionals will think that they have also relatives who will be left behind and may need medical help.

"Even if our health workers go abroad, they their love ones are here and we hope that the health professionals will think that no one will attend to their families once they need health workers. From there, we hope that their feelings will prevail," Roque added.

Vergeire echoed Duterte's statement.

"Like Secretary Harry Roque, we are appealing to our healthcare workers that we hope that nationalism will prevail in this time of pandemic so that they can help the government," she said in the same press briefing.

Roque also said that in the proposed Bayanihan 2, which was approved by the bicameral conference committee of Congress, the government has earmarked additional budget for the benefits not only of the public health workers but also for private hospital workers, such as incentives, free housing and free COVID-19 testing.

But the official said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease will discuss the concern of the healthcare workers regarding the deployment ban overseas.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration earlier issued a memorandum imposing the ban in the deployment of healthcare workers abroad. The IATF reiterated recently the enforcement of the prohibition amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Celerina Monte/DMS