Letter to the Editor of the Philippine Inquirer
Filipino Nurses Support Group

Letter to the Editor: Viewpoints

May 28, 2005
Re: Nurses leave also for professional growth, May 25
Doctors abuse nurses in the Philippines, May 27
The good life for Filipino nurses in US, May 27

Dear Philippine Daily Inquirer Editor:

The sought after greener pastures is not the case for Filipino nurses migrating to Canada. Due to mounting costs and discriminatory immigration and accreditation requirements, their only option to enter Canada is through the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). The LCP recruits nurses and other trained professionals, mostly (93%) from the Philippines to work as domestic workers in Canada, oftentimes for less than minimum wage, since they are required to live in their employers’ homes and are “on call” 24 hours a day.

This can amount to as little as $2.00 per hour since they must live in their employers’ homes and can be expected to work anytime during the day and night. Many perform unregulated nursing duties for the elderly, sick, and people with disabilities of Canadian families who can afford to pay for private, around-the-clock health care and housekeeping.

The exploitative situation of Filipino nurses trapped under the LCP in Canada is a clear example of systemic racism that allows affluent Canadian women to play at being liberated at the expense of Filipino nurses’ cheap labour. The LCP further privatizes Canada’s health care system, providing a cheap substitute to affordable and accessible health care for all.

Unfortunately, the Philippine government encourages this exploitative situation as it facilitates the out-migration of Filipinos through its Labour Export Policy. Currently, over eight million Filipino migrant workers are scattered in over 186 countries worldwide, representing 10% of the national population. Filipinos are commodified as highly skilled, but cheap labour on the global market. Together, this exported Filipino labour remits an average of $7 billion U.S. into the ailing Philippine economy every year. Nurses make up a growing share of the rising numbers of Filipinos sold to countries around the world by its own government. More and more Filipino doctors are even taking up nursing courses as their ticket out of the country.

While nice to hear examples of success stories of immigrant Filipino nurses in the U.S., the collective struggle of Filipino nurses doing domestic and 24-hour home support work in Canada needs to be known by the Philippine government and the Professional Regulation Commission, Board of Nursing since they can also play a role in ensuring the professional growth, instead of de-skilling, of Filipino nurses in Canada.

Sincerely,

Sheila Farrales

Filipino Nurses Support Group

Vancouver, Canada\

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