Distinguished guests, colleagues of the College of Health Sciences faculty, hospital

chief nurses and supervisors, clinical instructors, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Cor
Jesu College- College of Health Sciences it is my pleasure to welcome you all to the
2017 Curriculum Audit on Nursing and Midwifery curricula. This event aims to explore
the policy frameworks for scaling up nursing and midwifery trends and updates to meet
national and global standards.
This is the 3rd annual curriculum audit hosted by Cor Jesu College. It's a very exciting
endeavor for which I would like to congratulate the College of Health Sciences for your
wholehearted dedication in bringing us together to discuss and improve the foundations
of our profession despite the fact that our population has declined in number
tremendously. Still, this is the perfect time to come together to share, learn and improve
the toil of nurses working in education and those in aid of humanitarian emergencies
and disasters around our community.
Our program for today is designed to facilitate interactive discussions in order to extract
real needs and opportunities toward a new regime of Nursing and Midwifery practice in
our locality.
Let me speak now about the challenges to our profession arising from the rapid decline
of our population.
On May 15, 2013, former President Benigno Aquino III signed K-to-12 into law which is
a promising rescue for our education system. The government not only created
thousands of jobs for the Department of Education but also enticed the citizens for
stable careers in Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection. Yet, the
careers they provide for NDP nurses in the public health sector remain contractual up to
this day. In lieu to this movement, many nurses have shifted their gears to a more stable
employment, and we now call them teachers, policemen, firemen, and non-uniform
personnel. Back then they were nurses. Back in the days when we were still fighting for
nursing positions in hospitals and in the community. But now that we are running out of
workforce the struggle is real.
But the big question is, have they turned their back on us?
Let me tell you a short story about a colleague I encountered in one of the hospitals I
have worked before. He took up an education course in Southeastern College in
Padada in 2013. On weekdays, he worked as a nurse and on weekends he was an
education student. It took him a year to finish the degree and subsequently passed the
Licensure Examination for Teachers in one seating. He eventually landed into a stable
teacher career in a public high school. While receiving high salary from this career, he
took an IELTS exam. It wasnt an easy decision for he was aiming for a high mark for
his dream of coming to New Zealand, and so he took the exam over and over until he

passed. Although the cost of the exam is mere posh, he was able to retake the exam
because he was earning enough to pay every bit of it. After passing the exam, he
loaned a huge amount of money and went abroad to fulfill his dream of working as a
nurse in New Zealand.
Examining once again my previous question, have they turned their back on the nursing
profession? Please hold your answers in your minds.
I know many of them sacrificed so much in order to land in a stable career. It could be a
painful choice to leave something they love, but what else do we expect from our
government, nothing but less than what we deserve. It is no wonder that many searched
for their luck abroad including many of us here today.
Just recently, as I was watching ANC at home, it was announced that Europe was in
need of 22, 000 nurses and all slots are reserved for Filipinos. In an interview made by
reporter Jekki Pascual with Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean Ubial, she remarked that
there were 21,000 lacking nurses in the health sector of the Philippines but if nurses are
to leave the country, she contended that there will still be nurses left in here because we
continue to produce a number of graduates. Without offense meant, I actually find her
statement ironic and lack of intuition. How can she justify the present shortage we face
if she believes that we are still producing thousands alike?
Our profession was taken aback and ignored. Considering the challenging number of
patients we serve in the hospitals and other clinical settings, we are outnumbered. Many
victims of calamities and dreadful diseases who come rushing simultaneously in
emergency rooms are not attended immediately due to the shortage of staff we
currently face. During times such as these, when typhoons strike us unexpectedly, its
the courage, dedication, and compassion of nurses that make all the difference. Nurses
hold a unique position in our society today. They preserve the dignity, and protect the
lives of those in desperate need of care and treatment.
And while these fundamentals remain unchanged, the world around is dramatically
evolving. We are facing unprecedented global health threats, and nurses are braving
even more challenging conditions and large-scale natural disasters, and infectious
diseases.
It is our goal with conferences such as the one we are here for today to maximize
our learning opportunities. We aim to strengthen our networks and collaboration to
improve our work from a local to a national or even to a global level.
With the challenges we face in our declining population, meeting here is more vital than
ever before. It is crucial that you can make the most of this opportunity. We must learn
from one another, and improve with the latest nursing trends.

On behalf of Cor Jesu College - College of Health Sciences, I would like to welcome
you all by wishing you the very best over the next few hours as we work to broaden our
knowledge and share our experiences. With dedication and professionalism, we will
respond together to the many health care reforms that need our attention. And we will
make our profession great once again.
Thank you.