“Sense of nation, sense of people and sense of service.

” an appeal by the government to the Filipino

nurses during the pandemic. But in times of crisis where your life and loved ones are at stake would you
choose to serve your country whom you feel unprotected and unvalued? Could you still be true to your
oath to serve your own people?

The COVID 19 pandemic highlighted the plight of the Filipino nurses in the Philippines. Most nurses
work as contractual and underpaid. They oftentimes overworked due to understaffing. Even though they
are risking their lives for others they don't have enough protected gears and medical supplies for
themselves. The scarcity of personal protective equipment, alcohol, and surgical mask supplies and the
fear of being infected and bringing the virus to their family hit hard to the already despondent medical
frontliners.

Exhaustion, monetary problems, and lack of support pushed them to their edge to make painful
decisions to leave their family and their country in the course of a crisis.

Since this pandemic is worldwide. First world countries seek Filipino Nurses to serve their countries with
a high salary and hazard pay. The Philippine government was alarmed and announced its travel ban on
Nurses during COVID pandemic crisis. Most Filipino Nurses Groups angered by this Political move by the
government to keep its local nurses in their homeland. Yet, they didn't alleviate their situation as they
prevented them to leave. No proper planning and finding solutions on solving the issues.

Filipino nurses are called "Heroes" but the treatment they encounter in their work and by the
government was way too much for other nurses to handle. Ever since nurses in the Philippines were
underpaid, with no hazard pays and lacking regular contracts. If only the government created
permanent positions under the Department of Health, with enough medical supplies, they will not seek
jobs abroad that pay higher than they can earn here.

Though in this kind of situation they are still passionate nurses who are willing to serve their country to
the fullest. I do hope one day the government will find a way to give what the nurses truly deserve and
lift their morale in this homeland. It's ironic that Filipino nurses felt more appreciated and loved by other
countries than their own.