Ateneo de Manila University research reveals a grim reality for Filipino medical graduates. Many struggle to find stable jobs, fair pay, and meaningful roles. This is despite a critical shortage of healthcare professionals. The Philippines has fewer than eight doctors per 10,000 people. This falls below the international standard of 10 per 10,000. Over 127,000 nursing vacancies exist, mostly in rural areas and private facilities.
New graduates feel unsupported entering the workforce. A municipal health officer, assigned to a remote area, shared, “I finished my MD from one of the best schools in the country. But when I worked here, it was an entirely different ballgame. We weren’t trained how to deal with the local administration and procurement, how to talk to local chief executives. I wasn’t prepared nor trained for this—but this is how we make things happen.”
The research points to a flawed education system. It focuses too heavily on hospital care. This leaves graduates unprepared for community work, government systems, and health programs. Restrictive hiring rules and budget ceilings further complicate matters. Local government units (LGUs) can only allocate 45% of their annual budget to salaries.
A provincial health official explained, “The 45% cap on personnel services really prevents us from hiring. You see a ward nurse being assigned as the public health nurse… and also as a records officer. That’s extra work, no extra compensation.”
This creates a difficult situation for new graduates. Many want public sector jobs, but lack the qualifications or face short-term contracts. Private facilities struggle to compete with government pay. Both sectors lose workers to better-paying opportunities abroad. One hospital administrator sadly stated, “The nurses we lost are our best nurses. It is painful that the trained ones are the ones who leave. The ones left with us are either the new ones or the very old.”
Training is another hurdle. Facilities need to meet Universal Health Care (UHC) Law standards. Some clinics pay for training and accreditation out-of-pocket. They spend over ₱50,000, receiving only ₱2,000 in government reimbursements.
The researchers believe a healthcare career remains worthwhile. Key changes are needed. These include scholarships with return-service agreements. Better community health integration in school curricula is also vital. Less restrictive hiring policies and stronger support for new health workers are essential. The study, “Health Workforce Issues and Recommended Practices in the Implementation of Universal Health Coverage in the Philippines,” highlights these challenges and solutions. Authors include Veincent Christian F. Pepito, Arianna Maever Loreche, Ruth Shane Legaspi, Ryan Camado Guinaran, Theo Prudencio Juhani Z. Capeding, Madeline Mae A. Ong, and Manuel M. Dayrit.
