Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:

 This is in reaction to the February 26, 2013 Freeman editorial titled "Nurses deserve second look by Senate bets"

I agree that the plight of nurses in this country is "an issue that the government has chosen to ignore and neglect." However, I wish to correct the statement that "of the 30-plus candidates for senator, not one has spoken up for the plight of nurses in this country."

In my nine years in the House of Representatives as Bayan Muna Party-list representative, I have worked closely with health workers, nurses included, on measures upholding their right to sufficient compensation, regular jobs, among others.

Recognizing the important role of our nurses as frontliners in health service provision, I believe that they should be provided adequate salaries, plantilla positions, benefits and humane working conditions. In this regard, I have authored House Bill 5230 upgrading the salaries of government nurses from Salary Grade 11 to salary grade 15. Likewise in response to the various concerns of nurses and health workers, I filed House Resolution (HR) 2312 to conduct an inquiry on subsistence and laundry allowances and hazard pay of public health workers, HR 2820 inquiry on the dismissal of 46 Taguig Nurses, and HR 2926 inquiry on the conditions of nurses under RNHEALS project.

The plight of the nurses and our health workers is one of the issues I would like to continually address in my legislative agenda for the Senate. Foremost is the allotment of adequate budget for health and public hospitals so that additional plantilla positions can be created. It is also high time that funds in the national budget be allocated for the full mandated benefits of health workers. This is to encourage our nurses to stay and provide better and quality services to our people.

The nurses and health workers working tirelessly to serve our countrymen must be accorded = respect and dignity by providing them what is rightfully theirs.

Teddy Casiño

Makabayan Party

#20 Marunong St., Brgy. Central, Quezon City