Task force to appeal US nurse ban

A special task force composed of nursing groups, educators, and government representatives is scheduled to leave for the United States on Feb. 26 to appeal the employment restriction on Filipino nurses who took the scandal-tainted licensure examination in June 2006.

Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) chairman Leonor Rosero said the task force will ask the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools or CGFNS to reconsider its ruling against the issuance of Visa Screen certificates to Filipino nurses who belonged to the controversial batch. CGFNS said its ruling does not cover those who retake and pass the exam.

Rosero said the creation of the task force was hatched during a consultative meeting with the Board of Nursing, the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine Nurses Association, and board passers belonging to the Alliance of New Nurses.

"We decided to form a task force that will go to the US to appeal to the CGFNS to change its mind," she told The STAR.

But Rosero said the task force would still have to present its plan to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion who in turn would submit it to Malacañang for approval. Brion is known to advocate a retake.

Asked if the task force would only duplicate the functions of Brion and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) chairman Dante Ang, Rosero said it would actually help the two officials.

"We’ll also coordinate with them. And it does not mean that only one group will work on this. We can also help," she added.

Another group is working to have the CGFNS ruling reversed. Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella leads a group that meets with US embassy officials today to request the US government’s intervention in the case.

Puentevella said his group is composed of Renato Aquino, ANN president; Myrna Nathaniel, a consultant to the Commission on Higher Education; and Dr. Eufemia Octaviano, former head of BON. He said Brion and Ang were not doing enough to help the students who had nothing to do with the scandal.

"That’s how it looks. And I think we have not exhausted all means to convince the CGFNS," he said.

"They can request the US Senate and Congress to help us. Nothing is impossible. There are so many ways to persuade the CGFNS," he added.

Brion, for his part, said CGFNS is actually open to a flexible implementation of its ruling.

He did not give details but he said the Philippine government and CGNFS have discussed options to accommodate last year’s nursing graduates or at least some of them to the US.

"In our meeting (Sunday) I asked (the CGFNS representatives) if they have flexibilities about the retake for those who want to work in America... They said ‘we can talk.’ We talked about some options, which I cannot make public yet," Brion said.

Brion said he would discuss those "options" with PRC.

"I think these options could solve our problem," Brion said.

The labor chief added that CGFNS plans to put up a "public bulletin" to explain its policies and clarify the "retake" requirement for the June 2006 passers.

Brion also said a formal appeal as ordered by President Arroyo has a slim chance of success.

"I don’t see any chance of success with a formal appeal. I have asked our lawyers to look into the matter but so far they are not too happy about a formal appeal," he said. "There is not much we can do about a US law," Brion said.

Muddling the issue

Ang meanwhile warned that some individuals involved in last year’s nursing licensure examinations leakage are trying to muddle the controversy over the CGFNS ruling.

Ang said there have been conflicting and even false statements coming out in the media regarding the CGFNS decision. – With Mayen Jaymalin and Paolo Romero