Tinio files comprehensive nursing law to address crisis, raise salaries to P50,000, raise nurse-to-patient ratio to 1:6 in general ward

June 9, 2026

Tinio files comprehensive nursing law to address crisis, raise salaries to P50,000, raise nurse-to-patient ratio to 1:6 in general ward

ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, together with Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co, today filed House Bill 9841, the Comprehensive Nursing Law of 2026, seeking to overhaul the nation’s nursing sector by addressing systemic exploitation, mandating a P50,000 entry-level salary, and ensuring safe nurse-to-patient ratios to protect both healthcare workers and the public.

“The current system is built on the exploitation of our nurses. We export some of the world’s best healthcare professionals while our own hospitals are severely understaffed and our communities lack basic care. This bill is a decisive step towards correcting this injustice and building a health system that truly serves the Filipino people,” Tinio stated.

The proposed law seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 9173, the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 directly addresses the core issues driving the nursing crisis: poverty-level wages, precarious employment, and dangerous working conditions.

“There is no place for contractualization and job insecurity in our hospitals. This bill mandates direct hiring and security of tenure for all nurses, in both the public and private sectors,” Tinio explained, emphasizing the bill’s prohibition on all forms of contractualization in healthcare.

A cornerstone of the bill is the substantial increase in nurses’ compensation. It mandates a minimum entry-level salary of P50,000 (Salary Grade 15) for nurses in the public sector, with a corresponding increase required in the private sector. The measure also guarantees all legally mandated benefits, including overtime and hazard pay.

Perhaps most critically for patient safety, the bill establishes enforceable safe nurse-to-patient ratios, such as 1:6 for stable patients in general wards and 1:1 for intensive care units, ending the current practice where a single nurse may be forced to care for 40 to 60 patients.

Tinio highlighted the grim statistics underscoring the need for the law: over 316,000 Filipino nurses have migrated abroad, while at least 124,999 are unemployed, underemployed, or have left the profession. Of those employed locally, 106,694 work in private hospitals often for minimum wage.

“It is unjust that the nurses who cared for us during the pandemic continue to be paid wages that cannot sustain a family. It is time to recognize their sacrifice and provide true justice,” Tinio asserted.

The Comprehensive Nursing Law also includes provisions for a strengthened Board of Nursing, improved nursing education focused on local needs, and mechanisms for career progression and professional development.

Tinio called for the urgent passage of the bill, noting it had been previously filed in four successive Congresses. “The crisis has worsened with each passing year. We cannot afford further delay. The health of our nation depends on the well-being of our nurses. We call on our colleagues in Congress to prioritize this measure and finally enact a law that values those who care for us all,” he concluded. ###