Philippines

Background Information

Introduction
Philippines, Republic of the, is a republic in the western Pacific Ocean, made up of the Philippine Islands and forming in physical geography a part of the Malay Archipelago. Situated about 1,210 km east of the coast of Vietnam, the Philippines are separated from Taiwan on the north by the Bashi Channel. The country comprises about 7,100 islands, of which only eleven islands are large and contain the bulk of the population. These islands are Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate. The total area of the Philippines is about 300,000 sq km (115,830 sq mi). Manila is the capital and largest city of the Philippines.The Philippines has a population of about 82,663,560.

Health System
The Department of Health is responsible for specialty hospitals, regional hospitals and medical centres.

Registration Status

Registration - Legislation
Regulatory process is mandated by the Philippine Nursing Act of 1991 (Republic Act 7164). A written nursing licensure examination is required; registry of nurses (RN) is maintained.

Responsibility for Registration
Board of Nursing.

Licensing and Renewal
Licensing is required every three years. Continuing education is not mandatory.

Eligibility Requirements for Registration

Categories of Nurses and Midwives

Workforce Planning

Barriers to Movement within Country
No barriers.

Mutual Recognition
Reciprocity under specific regulatory provisions of nursing law, i.e. registration or licensing of nurses from other countries are substantially the same as those prescribed in the Philippine Nursing Act: the laws of such foreign country grant the same privileges to registered nurses of the Philippines on the same basis as the subjects or citizens of such foreign country.

Regulation of Foreign-Qualified Nurses
Applicants are assessed by the Board of Nursing under regulatory provisions on reciprocity as described above.

Educational Standards-Nursing

Education Standard Required to Enter Pre-Registration Programs
High school graduate

Accrediting Pre-Registration Programs
Regulatory body

Basic Qualification for Practice
Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Programs Provided by Education or Health Systems
Education system.

Length of Pre-Registration Program
Four years.

Involvement of regulatory body with curriculum development
Commission on higher education (CHED)

Measurement of nurse education standards and quality

Educational Standards-Midwifery

Education Standard Required to Enter Midwifery Programs
High school graduate

Basic Qualification for Midwifery Practice

Accrediting Midwifery Programs
Regulatory body

Programs Provided by Education or Health Systems

Length of Pre-Registration Program

Involvement of regulatory body with curriculum development

Measurement of nurse education standards and quality

Professional Standards

Ensuring Standards of Professional Conduct
Provisions of the Nursing Act and Code of Ethics for Nurses.

Mechanisms for Complaint about Nurses' Practice
A formal complaint may be filed by an aggrieved party with the Board of Nursing. Board action can be, non-issuance of certificate of registration, revocation or suspension of certificate of registration on grounds as specified in the Nursing Act.

Sanctions for Unprofessional Conduct
Sanctions may be applied in the form of warning, written reprimand, or curtailment of certain privileges.

Unregulated Care Workers and Scope of Nursing Practice

Unregulated Care Workers

Scope of Practice
The Nursing Practice Act, Section 27 defines the scope of nursing: "A person shall be deemed to be practising nursing within the meaning of this Act when he, for a fee, salary or other reward or compensation, singly or in collaboration with another, initiates and performs nursing services to individuals, families and communities in various stages of development towards the promotion of health, prevention of illness, restoration of health, and alleviation of suffering through -" A detailed list of measures follows, which may be summarised as: clinical and medical measures; linkages with community resources and coordination of the health care team; motivation of individuals, families and communities; nursing education, administration and consultancy; and nursing management and research.

Contact Information

Ms Frances Cuevas
National Center for Disease Prevention and Control
Department of Health, 3rd Floor, Building 13, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz
Manila, PHILIPPINES
Tel:632 732 2493
Fax:632 732-2493
Email: prescyncd@gmail.com; prescyncd@yahoo.com

Country Updates