The House of Representatives through the Committee on Labor and Employment conducted a deliberation last 05 December 2018 at the House of Representatives on House Bill No. 8011 entitled “An Act Institutionalizing Certain Working Incentives of On-The-Job Trainee Nurses in Public and Private Hospitals, Prohibiting the Collection of Experience Fees and Providing Penalties Therefor”. The bill is authored by Rep. Virgilio S. Lacson.
The bill seeks to provide certain working incentives for trainee nurses to ensure their welfare while rendering experiential service to any hospital in the Philippines and aims to penalize hospitals, both public and private, that demand payment from trainee nurses in exchange for actual nursing experience gained while working in a particular hospital.
In its position paper, ECOP manifested that it is inclined to support the bill since there have been several reports from various media outfits that show that some hospitals demand fees from nurse trainees in exchange for work experience.
However, ECOP sought clarification regarding the applicability of the bill, particularly, if the bill applies to nursing students, graduate students of nursing schools, or those who are already certified nurses. ECOP further stated that each of these three categories will have its own separate laws and different incentives applicable.
Initially, Congressman Lacson replied that the bill applies only to nursing students. After additional discussions, it was discovered that the bill will be more effective if it is applied to certified nurses. Lacson then mentioned that he is amenable for the bill to be applied to certified nurses. Before a consensus was reached on the applicability of the bill, Committee Chairman Randolph S. Ting moved to create a technical working group (TWG) to discuss unsettled issues. The motion was seconded by Congressman Mark Go and the hearing was adjourned thereafter.