They have also suffered delayed payment of a diminished hazard pay. Now the budget department says the government has no funds to pay salary differentials government nurses are entitled to. It was finally decided last Dec. 21, 2019 by the Supreme Court, which upheld the provision on nurses’ pay under Section 32 of RA 9173. Why can’t Duterte use some of the billions he has in his discretionary funds (that incidentally require no auditing) to provide funding for the nurses if only to show some appreciation for their heroic work during this pandemic? He expressed appreciation for our nurses working in UK:“To these wonderfully selfless people, I wanted to offer my most heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding care and comfort you give to your patients.

Source: Philippine Star June 13, 2021 16:00 UTC