The history of nursing in the Philippines stems from the
caregiving
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
provided by
women
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...
, priests, and herb doctors during precolonial
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Even though women did not have much opportunity to be formally educated in schools because only a limited number of
Filipino women
The role of women in the Philippines ( fil, Kababaihan sa Pilipinas) is explained based on the context of Filipino culture, standards, and mindsets. The Philippines is described to be a nation of strong women, who directly and indirectly run the ...
received primary education in charitable institutions established by Spaniards, this trend continued during the Spanish colonial era. During the Philippine revolution, Filipino women also became the providers of care for wounded revolutionaries. During the American period in the Philippines, Filipino women were given the chance to become educated as nurses, guided by their American nurse and missionary mentors, until nursing became a full-pledged profession in the Philippines, a professional career not only for modern-day women in the country but also for
men in the Philippines
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
(as
male nurses
Nursing is a profession which is staffed disproportionately by women in most parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2020 ''State of the World's Nursing,'' approximately 10% of the worldwide nursing workforce is ma ...
).
The advance of nursing in the Philippines as a career was pioneered by a culture of care which was intrinsic in the Filipino people. This was also the case even before Spanish colonization in communities. The way the health system was delivered also evolved.
History
Early Philippines
Early beliefs of health and illness in the Philippines were in conjunction with beliefs of mysticism and superstitions.
[Nursing Portal Philippines . Retrieved 2012-06-07.] The cause of a disease was believed to be either another person, who was an enemy, or a witch, or evil spirits.
Filipinos
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...
were careful not to upset other people or the evil spirits for the good of their health. These evil spirits could be driven away by people with the power to banish demons: priests or herb doctors. Filipinos who became sick were usually cared for by their female family members or friends in the home.
[Choy, Catherine Ceniza. (2003)..''Empire of Care'' . Google e-book preview. Retrieved 2012-06-07.]
People thought health was directly related to many superstitions and legends. Back then, there were no medical professionals but men known to practice magic and the supernatural. These herb men were known as “herbicheros.” Victims who suffered from unidentified illnesses were thought to be cursed by witches and wizards known as “mangkukulam/mangagaway.” Dangerous birthing and “pamao” were thought to come from “nunos”. While in labor, the “mabuting hilot” (good midwife) was usually present. If the birth became too dangerous, bad omens and evil sorcerers were thought to be the cause. Exploding gunpowder from a bamboo cane near the head of the person going through the suffering would usually get rid of the bad omen.
Spanish colonial rule
During Spain's colonial rule (1521-1898) the Philippine education system offered distinct and unequal opportunities for Filipinos based on gender. An example of this
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primari ...
was allowing only limited numbers of women to receive primary education in Spanish charitable institutions.
Without an education women were unable to gain much knowledge or power. The knowledge of caring for others came from family members and personal experience with the sick. Nursing other individuals was seen as a task, not a job or a profession. During the Spanish regime many specialized hospitals were established to care for the Spanish king’s soldiers and civilians.
To many elite Filipinos, the Spanish colonial hospitals were places where those who were not so fortunate to have homes, spent their last days until death.
Philippine Revolution
At the time of the
Philippine Revolution many women transformed their homes into quarters to nurse Filipino soldiers and revolutionaries.
One of these women was
Melchora Aquino
Melchora Aquino de Ramos (January 6, 1812 – February 19, 1919) was a Filipino revolutionary. She became known as "Tandang Sora" because of her age during the Philippine Revolution.
She was known as the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" and ...
, also known as the "mother of the Philippine Revolution". In her old age of about 80, Aquino was a supporter of the revolution by providing food and shelter to the revolutionists. She provided care for those who became sick or wounded. However, a few days after the revolution began, she was arrested by the Spaniards for providing care to the rebels. Because she did not reveal any information to the Spanish about the location of the rebel leader, Aquino was deported to Guam in the Marianas. After six years of exile, she was able to return in 1903, when the Philippines finally gained independence from the Americans. Aquino’s work caring for the ill and the wounded during the revolution has brought comparisons to the British
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...
. Both these women cared for soldiers during war and paved the way for nursing practice.
American colonial rule
![Loreto D](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Loreto_D._Tupaz_Hall.jpg)
Although the Philippines had gained independence from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
began to instill their power upon the islands, and a conflict broke out between the
Filipinos
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...
and the Americans. This was the start of the
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
. The presence of Americans played a vital role in influencing the development of nursing into a profession. Nurses and missionaries from the United States came to act as nurse mentors for the Filipina women. Nursing education, like teaching and missionary work in the Philippines, provided white American women with a sense of purpose in the colony.
This influence then continued with the building of many hospitals where American nurses took charge and Filipino women began to learn under careful eyes.
An example of this was the development of the
Iloilo Mission Hospital
The Iloilo Mission Hospital (also known as Central Philippine University–Iloilo Mission Hospital or CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital), commonly referred to as Mission Hospital, Mission, CPU–IMH or IMH, is a private tertiary, academic and teachin ...
. In 1901, through the efforts of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Hall, missionaries of the
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
Foreign Mission Board from the United States, a temporary bamboo clinic was erected at Calle Amparo (now Ledesma Street),
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of t ...
, to serve as a venue for the treatment of health care to the very poor. This was made possible because Joseph Hall was a doctor and his wife was a nurse. Like other professions, nursing in the Philippines evolved only from the apprenticeship system.
This system laid the foundation upon which the Union Mission Hospital Training School for Nurses (now
Central Philippine University College of Nursing
The Central Philippine University (also referred to as Central or CPU) is a private research university in Iloilo City, Philippines. Established in 1905 through a benevolent grant of the American industrialist and philanthropist, John D. Roc ...
) was built in 1906. Between the time that this school was built and the time that the Philippines gained their independence from
US colonial rule in 1946, the nursing profession continued to grow with the development of more nursing schools and more Filipina women seeking to become nurses.
While taking advantage of these learning opportunities Filipinos began to learn more about the United States and the opportunities that the country could hold for them, such as extending their education and increased pay. This began the migration of nurses to the US. As individuals began travelling to and from the US, the stories they brought home began to spark the interest of others to follow.
Post-colonial Philippines
After World War II, when Manuel Roxas assumed the presidency of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946, it officially marked the end of the colonialism between the US and the Philippines. Like much of the rest of the world, the Philippine islands were in ruins and Roxas was determined to rebuild his country. He made it clear to his constituents that the new government was still going to rely heavily on US financial support in order to rehabilitate its national economy. Roxas’ first attempts to balance the Philippines' budget included collecting unpaid taxes, reducing expenses and promoting foreign trade, which would include the exportation of Filipino nurses. Already trained by Americans, Filipino nurses were the perfect candidates to assist the US and other countries experiencing post-World War II shortages. At the time in the Philippines there were also rumors of a nursing shortage; however, this was questionable, due to the expanding health programs, inefficient use of nurses' time and skills, and loss of qualified nurses to other countries. By the mid-1960s, Filipino nurses were entering the US by the thousands.
[Brush, Barbara. ( 2010). ''The Potent Lever of Toil: Nursing Development and Exportation in the Post colonial Philippines'']
The benefit to the travelling nurses was that they were able to make nearly 20 times as much as they had earned back home. Part of this money would be sent back to their families as remittance, which would boost the Philippine economy. A negative effect of the high exportation rate was that the nurses were adding to their own country's nursing shortage problem. The Philippines also faced losing one of its greatest sources of social capital: educated workers. The negative effects were also seen in the US, as American salaries decreased because Philippine nurses who newly arrive would work the same job at a lower wage.
Early 1900s
Many US states passed reforms in licensure for nurses. Decreased training mandates were created, as well as stricter adequacies for getting into a nursing institution. For instance, one prerequisite was at least one year of high school education. The idea of having students work in a more active role prior to seeing patients was a new idea that was beginning to pay off.
In the Philippines, it was also the early 1900s when the first school for nursing was established. The program of study was still shattered and unclear. Only a few students were enrolled informally in this kind of education. A legislation or law was needed at the time, contributing to the establishment of the "First True Nursing Law" in 1919. The Filipino Nurses Association was founded on September 2, 1922, which was later renamed to Filipino Nurses Association in 1966.
Today
The Philippines is the leader in exporting nurses to meet the demands of the United States and other developed nations. It has been argued, however, that the Philippines' persistent production of nurses for the global market is a state strategy to develop an export industry for economic development. Things such as immigration services and nursing licensing authorities encourage the production of nurses for export.
[
]
Brief profile of healthcare
Of all registered health practitioners, nurses are among the largest group, even though there are very few nursing positions or jobs available to them. Only 15-25% of jobs in the Philippines are provided for the nursing population. The remainder of the work force go on to seek out other professional career opportunities outside the country. Per year, the national government has approximately 18,000 nursing positions with an eventual turnover of 1,000 careers. The increase of Filipino nurses overseas has attracted the curiosity of other countries to better understand nursing in the Philippines and what makes Filipino nurses accommodating.
Education
The first two years of general education is grounded on liberal arts that strengthen the values and character of the person as a caregiver. The language of instruction in all local institutions is English. This prepares the student for licensure both locally and internationally. This also gives the nurses access to ever-growing literature in the health sciences. The community skills, competence and confidence in the use of English certainly contribute to healthcare in any setting. The curriculum also strengthens the students' capabilities to participate in research in nursing and other health sciences, provides flexibility in the openness to the use of new teaching approaches, and encourages active involvement in extension work that reaches out to the other sectors.
All registered nurses in the Philippines are required to have a bachelor's degree in nursing.
The first pursuit to constitute the nursing practice was made by the Director of Health in 1913, but was not officially enacted upon by the Filipino legislature. In 1915, Act No. 2493 was made known; this amended Gov Ph Act 310 so nursing could be practiced. This law allowed "for the registration of graduate nurses under the Bureau of Health" (Philippines). Pre-qualifications were not mandatory in order to become an RN since nurses simply signed up. Each candidate, however, needed to be at least 20 years of age at the time of sign up, and be of adequate health and upstanding character. A law that allowed the practice of nursing was reformed in April 1919. Act 2808, also known as "the First True Nursing Law", established the Board of Examiners for Nurses. The first board exam for nurses was given in 1920.
Today, nurses must acquire their degrees through a combination of competency-based and community-oriented courses. The Philippine curriculum has several advantages compared with those of other Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) institutions. This kind of education offers much more than a solely skill-based curriculum can (Rogado 229). The four-year requirement to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing meets the minimum entry requirement for professional nursing practice.
Legal regulation
The Professional Regulation Commission
The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...
(PRC) oversees the licensing of registered nurses as authorized by the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.
The Professional Regulatory Nursing Board implements and enforces the Nursing Act. The board is composed of a chairperson and six additional members, all of whom are nurses with at least a master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. and ten years of nursing experience. The board inspects nursing schools, conducts licensure examinations, issues and monitors certificates of licensure, promulgates a code of ethics, participates in recognizing nursing specialty organizations, and prescribes guidelines and regulations governing the profession under the Nursing Act.
In 2009, the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines released a report showing the top 20 nursing schools in the country, based on the average passing rates on nursing board examinations. The top 20 nursing schools in the Philippines with 1000 or more examinees are the following:
# Silliman University
Silliman University (also referred to as Silliman or SU) is a private university, private Research institute, research university in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, the Philippines. Established in 1901 as Silliman Institute by the Presbyte ...
, 96.57%
# Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
, 95.42%
# Trinity University of Asia
Trinity University of Asia (formerly Trinity College of Quezon City), also known as TUA or simply Trinity, is a non-sectarian private university located in Quezon City, Philippines. Formally established in 1963 as an elementary, high school and co ...
, 95.06%
# University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...
, 95.06%
# Cebu Doctors' University
Cebu Doctors' University, also referred to by its acronym CDU and colloquially Cebu Doc, is a private nonsectarian coeducational higher education institution located in Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines. It was founded in 1973 at Cebu City as Cebu ...
, 91.89%
# Saint Paul University, 89.79%
# Central Philippine University
The Central Philippine University (also referred to as Central or CPU) is a private research university in Iloilo City, Philippines. Established in 1905 through a benevolent grant of the American industrialist and philanthropist, John D. Rock ...
, 86.72%
# De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
- Health Sciences campus, 85.26%
# Saint Mary’s University, 84.10%
# San Pedro College
San Pedro College is a private, Catholic, research, coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Dominican Order, Dominican Sisters of the Trinity in Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines. It was founded in 1956.
It began as ...
, 83. 10%
# Manila Doctors College
Manila Tytana Colleges (MTC), or just simply Tytana ( ), the educational arm of the Metrobank group, has carried on since 1975.
In 2010, Manila Doctors College transformed into Manila Tytana Colleges. The same year, the new name was registere ...
, 82.56%
# Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University ( tl, Pamantasang Centro Escolar) also referred to by its acronym CEU is a private non-sectarian higher education institution in San Miguel Manila, Philippines
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of ...
-Manila, 81.50%
# Angeles University Foundation
The Angeles University Foundation ( fil, Pundasyong Pamantasan ng Angeles) also referred to by its acronym AUF, is a Private university, private Roman Catholic non-stock, a non-profit educational institution run by lay persons in Angeles City. ...
, 76.37%
# Mariano Marcos University, 75.55%
# University of San Agustin
The University of San Agustin – Iloilo, also referred to by its acronym (USAI or as San Ag), is a private, Roman Catholic, research, coeducational, non-profit basic and higher education institution run by the Augustinian Province of Santo Ni ...
, 73.25%
# University of Cebu
The University of Cebu (UC) ( ceb, Unibersidad sa Sugbo; fil, Pamantasan ng Cebu) is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational basic and higher education institution in Cebu City, Philippines. It was founded in 1964 offering preschool, grade schoo ...
, 70.99%
# Metropolitan Hospital College of Nursing
The Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts, Science and Technology or (MMC-CAST) is a school of nursing located in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippin ...
, 70.54%
# Ateneo de Davao University
, mottoeng = Strong in Faith
, type = Private Catholic Research Non-profit Coeducational Basic and Higher education institution
, established =
, founder = Society of Jesus
, religious ...
, 70.20%
# San Juan De Dios Education Foundation, 69.91%
# University of St. La Salle
The University of St. La Salle (USLS) is a Roman Catholic Church, Catholic private university, private research university run by the De La Salle Brothers Philippines, De La Salle Brothers, located in La Salle Avenue, Bacolod, Negros Occidental, ...
, 67.55%
For schools with 100 to 999 exam takers, the following are the top 20 nursing schools in the Philippines
# University of the Philippines Manila
The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) is a state-funded medical and research university located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is known for being the country's center of excellence in the health sciences, including health professio ...
, 99.41%
# Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, born ...
, 97.82%
# West Visayas State University
West Visayas State University (WVSU, referred to colloquially by locals as West; fil, Pamantasang Pampamahalaan ng Kanlurang Bisayas) is a public normal research university located in La Paz, Iloilo City, Western Visayas region of the Philipp ...
, 96.75%
# St. Paul University-Iloilo, 96.16%
# University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, 95.80%
# Cebu Normal University
Cebu Normal University ( ceb, Unibersidad Normal sa Sugbo), also referred to by its acronym CNU, is a state research university in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines established in 1902.
CNU is designated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ...
, 94.64%
# Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (from 'University of the City of Manila', abbreviated as PLM) is a city-government-funded local university situated inside the historic walled area of Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. It was established on ...
, 93.14%
# St. Paul University-Dumaguete, 92.29%
# Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University, commonly referred to as MSU Main, is a regional state, coeducational, research higher education institution in the city of Marawi, Philippines. Founded in 1961, it is the flagship and the largest campus of the Mindana ...
, 92.15%
# Palawan State University
The Palawan State University also referred to by its acronym PSU is a public government-funded higher education institution in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It was established
History
The Palawan State University, the first state unive ...
, 92.05%
# Philippine Christian University
The Philippine Christian University (PCU) is a private, Protestant coeducational basic and higher education institution located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1946 through the initiatives of the laymen of the Evangelical Assoc ...
, 91.35%
# Velez College, 90.92%
# Colegio de Sta. Lourdes of Leyte Foundation, 88.55%
# Chinese General Hospital College of Nursing and Liberal Arts, 87.60%
# St. Paul University-Manila, 85.31%
# Easter College, 85.26%
# Southville International School and Colleges
Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) is a private, non-sectarian school.
Historical background
Southville International School and Colleges was founded in 1990 as Southville International School. The school started by offering pr ...
, 84.77%
# St. Paul University-Quezon City, 83.87%
# Adamson University
Adamson University ( fil, links=no, Pamantasang Adamson) also referred to by its acronym AdU is a private, Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Congregation of the Mission in Manila, Philippines. The univers ...
, 83.57%
# University of Makati
The University of Makati ( fil, Unibersidad ng Makati Pamantasan ng Makati), commonly referred to as UMak, is a public, nonsectarian LGU funded higher education institution in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1972 as the Mak ...
, 82.20%
Only three schools had a 100% passing rate (with 10 or more examinees) from November 2009 to July 2011: University of the Philippines Manila
The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) is a state-funded medical and research university located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is known for being the country's center of excellence in the health sciences, including health professio ...
, Philippine Christian University
The Philippine Christian University (PCU) is a private, Protestant coeducational basic and higher education institution located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1946 through the initiatives of the laymen of the Evangelical Assoc ...
, and Negros Oriental State University
Negros Oriental State University is a public/state nonsectarian higher education institution in Dumaguete, Philippines. It was founded in 2004 by virtue of RA 9299. It is
the only state university in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. ...
.
See also
*History of medicine in the Philippines
The history of medicine in the Philippines discusses the folk medicinal practices and the medical applications used in Philippine society from the prehistoric times before the Spaniards were able to set a firm foothold on the islands of the Philipp ...
*Philippine Nurses Association
The Philippine Nurses Association is a professional organization in the Philippines established to promote the holistic welfare of nurses and to prepare them to be globally-competitive. It used to be known as Filipino Nurses Association (FNA). It ...
*Philippine Nurses Association of United Kingdom
The Philippine Nurses Association of United Kingdom (PNA-UK) is the only professional nursing organization of Filipino nurses in the United Kingdom, accredited by the Philippine Nurses Association National Head Office in Manila, Philippines.
T ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nursing In The Philippines