MANILA -- The overseas deployment of Filipino nurses continue to go on an upward trend as the recent number of rehires and new hires increased by over a 100 percent.

According to figures from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), overseas deployment of land-based nursing professionals reached 81,213 in 2023 - more than double the 38,457 tallied in 2022. 

The trend is expected to continue as 15,328 Filipino nursing professionals have been deployed in the first two months of 2024.

With the demand for healthcare professionals rising globally, the DMW said it is more important than ever to produce bilateral labor agreements that work for the interest of the Philippines, by making sure that its own healthcare staffing is not affected.

"‘Yung pagpaparami ng nurses hindi lamang para sa buong mundo, pinaka-focus natin yung para sa bansa natin. Dapat tulungan din tayo ng mga bansa kung saan nagse-serve yung mga nurse natin…During our negotiations with these countries, in-emphasize natin yung tinatawag nating 'brain gain initiative'…Nung nabubuhay si Secretary Toots (Ople) na-mention niya na po yan, yung may scholarship, yung capacity building ng faculty, upgrading of training facilities, upgrading of healthcare facilities," DMW Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan said.

So far, the DMW has signed bilateral labor agreements with Vienna, Austria and Alberta, Canada. 

Talks have also started with Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Qatar.

A US-based nurse staffing and recruiting firm meanwhile initiated its own scholarship program for Filipino nursing students entering the last year of their BS Nursing course. 

Avant Healthcare Professinals’ “Dream. Become. Inspire” Nursing Scholarship requires proof of Filipino citizenship, enrollment in a nursing school, good academic performance and financial need, along with a commitment to work as a registered nurse for at least a year in the Philippines after graduation. Interested applicants may check the website avanthealthcare.com for details or email queries about the process to scholarships@avanthealthcare.com.

It must be noted however, that the scholarship is a separate program from Avant Healthcare Professionals’ recruitment activities.

“There are no strings attached to the scholarship and we do not require recipients to commit to working for Avant post graduation….Our scholarship program is an independent initiative of Avant's recruitment of nurses in the Philippines, and it reflects our unwavering commitment to giving back to the Filipino community. Our goal is simply to make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of nursing in the Philippines,” said Avant Healthcare President Marisa Zaharoff, MSN, RN.

According to its website, Avant Healthcare Professionals is based in Florida and have been engaged in recruitment of internationally educated healthcare professionals since 2003. It is a member of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies and deploys to healthcare facilities across the United States.

Zaharoff said Filipino nurses with at least a year of practice have an opportunity to work in the US, due to healthcare staffing shortage.

“The gap is really dependent on the source of information, whether that be from a journal article, whether that be from a website or the news, that gap can range anywhere from a couple hundred thousand to well over a million nurses needed in the US over the next five to six years. That's a huge gap to fill…the pandemic was a contributing factor…We have an aging workforce, the average age of a nurse is somewhere between 44 and 45 years of age,” Zaharoff explained.

The DMW said it welcomes such initiatives from foreign private sector, as it negotiates for government to government agreements.

“We want to recognize them, the effort of the ethical and fair recruiters. Yung mga licensed recruiters sa Pilipinas, mga employers. Alam niyo, pag nakakarinig tayo ng inisyatibo naman from the private sector recognize din natin kasi they are going beyong recruitment, yun yung tema at yung mensahe natin. Wag lang kayong mag-recruit, tulungan niyo rin yung OFWs,” Caunan said.

Caunan however reiterated the DMW’s reminder for overseas job applicants to make sure that they are only dealing with licensed recruitment agencies and accredited employers - information which can be validated through the DMW website. Caunan adds, one clear indication of illegal recruitment activities is the exhorbitant charging of fees.

"Pag pinapabayaran kayo ng daan-daang libo para mag-work abroad automatic scam na po yon. Kahit Europe. Kasi 'employer pay principle' po tayo diyan…Ano pong ibig sabihin non? Yun pong gastos po ay dapat yung employer niyo po ang magbayad," Caunan said.

The DMW has already ordered the closure of at least 4 illegal recruitment agencies since the start of the year.