NURSING ISSUES AND BREAKTHROUGHS

Continuing Professional Development Program (CPD)

CPD SHOULD NOT BE A BUSINESS!

The unsatisfactory implementation of the CPD Law has left a bad taste in the mouth of Filipino
professionals.

As an active member of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education in the 16th Congress
and as an academician, it is my stance that continuous ethical and professional development of
ALL PROFESSIONALS brought about by modernization and technical advancement in the field
practice must be promoted and protected. Thus, during the congressional hearings and deliberation,
I strongly guarded and pointed out the following:

1. CPD must stop the proliferation of expensive trainings and seminars that have no corresponding
approval / accreditation by the PRC.
2. CPD must be used to strengthen IN-SERVICE trainings given by employers to their workers,
FREE of cost.
3. CPDs should be relevant and benefit the participant and given at a REASONABLE cost.
4. CPD must be a bridge to legally recognize certification or specialty learnings programs
previously taken by the professionals.

In order to guard the faithful implementation of the CPD Law, there have been
many issues that I have brought to the attention of the PRC:

1. We pushed the Board of Nursing to retain the 45 Unit requirement instead of increasing it to 60
Units.
2. We pushed for the equivalency of foreign CME trainings of into CPD units.
3. We pushed that IN-SERVICE Trainings, pursuant to RA9173, be utilized in order for nurses to
get FREE CPD.
4. We explore the possibilities of offering CPD PROGRAMS for FREE.
5. We pioneered the organizing of health missions with FREE CPD units.
6. We offered QUALITY CPD programs with top of line resource speaker at a very low cost to set
the trend to other CPD providers.
As we PRC Memorandum Circular No 07-2017 all government agencies can apply as CPD
providers without paying application fees. That is why during the senate review of the
implementation of the CPD Law, we asked the DOH, LGUs, and the Private Hospital Association
to apply as CPD providers and give FREE CPD trainings to their employees.
However, we are against the PRC’s costly and tedious accreditation process, as well as the
unknown parameters in giving corresponding CPS units for each programs as this may lead to
various forms of abuses, such as expensive CPD Programs.

I have brought to the PRC’s attention the organizations already asking money for their programs
who only “applied for” CPD units instead of waiting to be approved by the PRC.

The battle for proper implementation of the law goes on. For professional HEALTHWORKERS,
CPD MUST ensure SAFE PATIENT CARE & QUALITY HEALTH CARE.

We need to break the culture of "HOTEL SEMINARS” that cost thousands of pesos but only
provide a minimal amount of units.

A call to action on all professionals to know the CPD Law!

Involve yourselves in formal dialogue with the PRC!
Demand for quality and affordable CPD!
LET US FIND SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.

Leah S Paquiz
Representative, ANG NARS Party-list
16th Congress (2013-2016)
ANG NARS HRH Advocates for Plantilla Letter - Appeal to Tatay
Digong for Regularization of the NDPs and Allied Health workers
Through the Creation of Plantilla Positions

After the transition of RNHEAL to NDP when ANG NARS Party-list was in Seated in the 16th
Congress https://www.facebook.com/ANGNARSPartylist/videos/758180054255676/, the DOH-
HRH remained job orders/ contract of service. In 2016 ANG NARS extended legal services to
NDPs in Bulacan to fight out their case.

Just this January 2018, a post in the Registered Nurse of the Philippines by Ronn Carlo Malihan
Pascual and atom about exploitation of nurses, triggered the creation of the ANG NARS HUMAN
RESOURCE for HEALTH when some Nurse netizens asked help from ANG NARS
http://angnarsinc.org/ang-nars-meeting-with-the-braves/.

The ANG NARS HRH Advocates for Plantilla launched a signature campaign on 05 January 2018
to APPEAL to Tatay Digong for Regularization of the the NDPs and allied Healthworkers under
DOH-Human Resource for Health Programs Through the Creation of Plantilla
PositionsTatay Digong. PIRMA MO PAPUNTA KAY TATAY DIGONG! PIRMA NA PARA
SA PAGBABAGO!
Link for Signature Campaign:
On 06January2018, a letter-appeal was sent to the Tatay Digong in Malacanang through
pcc@malacanang.gov.ph. The letter-appeal will be personally delivered next in the Office of the
President.

The letter reads in part:

“Tatay Digong, ayaw na namin ng ENDO sa HRH (kami pong lahat na manggagawa ng kalusugan)
ng DOH. Taon-taon hindi kami makapag celebrate ng Christmas at New Year dahil nakabitin ang
isang paa namin sa hukay tuwing panahon ng December hanggang January, dahil termination po
ng kontrata namin at application ng bago, at kung wala kaming “backer” tiyak na wala na din
kaming tranaho.

Tatay Digong, ayaw na po namin na tuwing pagkatapos ng isang taong tapat na pagseserbisyo ay
para na lang kaming basura na itatapon sa kawalan. Maawa naman po kayo kahit huwag na po sa
amin, para na lang po sa mga pamilya, anak at matatandang magulang namin na sa amin lang
umaasa. Ngayon pong 2018 napakalaki po ng bawas sa HRH at almost 40% po ang wala ng
trabaho.

Tatay Digong, hindi namin maintindihan kung bakit ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno ang numero
unong taga sulong ng ENDO at ang protector ng KONTRAKTUALISASYON. Nauubos na po
ang mga nars sa ating bansa. Napipilitan pong makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa upang magkaroon
lang ng disenteng trabaho at suweldo. Tandaan po nating “WALANG KALUSUGANG
PANGKALAHATAN KUNG WALANG MANGANGALAGA SA KALUSUGAN NG
BAYAN”.
Tatay Digong, gusto po namin ng permanenteng trabaho sa HRH-DOH! Gusto po naming
makapag bigay ng de-kalidad na serbisyong pangkalusugan; pero paano naman po naming
magagampanan iyon kung kahit kaming mga healthworkers ay nagkakasakit dahil wala kaming
makain at kung nagkasakit ay walang maipambili ng gamot at pampa-ospital. Tatay Digong
maasahan nyo po kami sa pagsulong ng ating bansa tungo sa pagbabago, kung mapapagkalooban
nyo lang po kami ng pagkakataon na mabuhay ng matiwasay at may dignidad sa pamamagitan ng
pagkakaroon ng permanenteng trabaho, patas na pagkilala at sapat na benepisyo.

Lubos po kaming naniniwala at nabubuhayan ng loob sa development plan mo na “STOP ENDO!

Stop Contractualization!” at ito lang po ang aming tanging pag-asa.

Tatay Digong, ituloy nyo po ang pag-asang aming pinanghahawakan bilang mabuting mga
mamayan ng ating bansa. Nagtratrabaho po kami ng marangal at may pagmamahal sa bayan at sa
kapwa sa kabila ng lahat ng pang-aabusong aming tinatanggap. Sana po ay mabigyan ninyo kami
ng pagkakataon at kaunting panahon na kayo ay makapulong o makausap man lamang upang
inyong maging katuwang sa pag resolba ng problema sa HRH-DOH, na tila ay hindi binibigyang
pansin ng nasabing kagawaran.

Sustainable human development through decent and permanent jobs toward economic growth.
Bilang marangal na mga health workers ng ating bayan, tanging ito lang po ang aming kailangan
at hinihiling. At sa pagkakataon po na ito ay maipagkaloob sa amin ang plantilla positions.

Naniniwala, sumusuporta, at kaisa nyo po kami sa inyong adhikain na mapabuti ang buhay at
kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino! Asahan nyo po Tatay Digong, na kami ay magiging malakas ninyong
katuwang sa pagbuo ng isang matatag at malusog na bayan.”

TAMANG TRABAHO!
TAMANG SUWELDO!
TAMANG SOLUSYON!

This is the start of our VICTORY OVER THE EXPLOITATION of nurses and health
workers!