Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
Healthcare workers in the Philippines - statistics & facts
Filipino healthcare workers and professionals are well-known for their skills and expertise not only in the Philippines, but also abroad. The contribution of medical workers was particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals grappled with overcrowded facilities and burnt-out staff. Although the situation in most health facilities has since improved, residents living in rural areas in the Philippines still struggle with inconsistent health supervision, as some nursing professionals choose to leave the country for better opportunities abroad.
Healthcare workers and professionals are necessary in improving the state of health in the Philippines. Despite the number of professionals getting their licenses each year, the number of medical workers choosing to stay in the country to work can be expected to decline in the following years, until better working conditions and higher wages are provided.
Availability of healthcare workers and professionals
The first point of contact for Filipinos seeking medical support is through health workers stationed at barangay or village health stations. These are trained volunteers who provide basic health education and primary health care services to their communities, such as maternal and child health, as well as first aid services. Meanwhile, for more specialized medical support, there are thousands of highly skilled healthcare professionals available in public and private hospitals and primary care facilities. In 2022, most medical professionals working in the Philippines were nurses, followed by midwives, and doctors. While the number of medical workers between public and private hospitals are almost equal, variations across regions exist. In 2022, the highest number of doctors were employed in the National Capital Region (NCR), resulting in a ratio of one doctor serving 14,000 people. Meanwhile, the ratio for midwives in the NCR stood at one to 5,000 people, compared to one nurse serving nearly 5,900 inhabitants in the rest of the country.A closer look at Filipino nurses
Nurses provided extensive medical support, including administering medications, assisting in performing medical procedures, and fulfilling administrative duties such as managing the records of patients. Registered nurses in the country must have a four-year bachelor's degree in nursing and pass the bi-annual Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) which is administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Between 2017 and 2024, the lowest passing rate during the NLE was in November 2018 at 40 percent. However, among the number of registered nurses with a valid professional license, just 19 percent of nurses are employed in healthcare facilities in the Philippines. In addition, there is regional variation in the number of nurses serving across the country.Exodus of Filipino nurses
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of nurses had left the Philippines to work abroad, exposing a shortage in the workforce. Despite the deployment cap imposed in 2021, the Department of Health recently reported that it will take around 12 years to solve the shortage of nurses. In 2023 alone, 13,000 nurses left the country to work in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Disparity in wages and better working conditions were among the motivations identified by nursing professionals for choosing to work abroad. Entry-level nurses in the United Kingdom can earn an average of about 23,000 British pounds annually, which is significantly higher than the average wages of nursing professionals in the Philippines.Healthcare workers and professionals are necessary in improving the state of health in the Philippines. Despite the number of professionals getting their licenses each year, the number of medical workers choosing to stay in the country to work can be expected to decline in the following years, until better working conditions and higher wages are provided.
