THE Cebu Provincial Government is looking into increasing the salaries of nurses and doctors across 16 Capitol-operated hospitals. This strategic move aims to fill vacant regular positions and tackle the persistent shortage of medical personnel.
This initiative is part of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro’s broader plan to upgrade provincial hospitals in terms of infrastructure, equipment and staffing.
Provincial Administrator Joseph “Ace” Durano, in an interview on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, said that filling these vacant “plantilla” positions, especially for nurses and doctors, is crucial for the Department of Health’s recommended hospital upgrades.
These upgrades would elevate infirmaries to Level 1 hospitals, Level 1 to Level 2, and Level 2 to Level 3. This impacts 12 district hospitals and four provincial hospitals located in Balamban and the cities of Carcar, Danao and Bogo.
“We really need to fill these positions, especially for nurses and doctors. So, that’s really part of the requirements,” Durano said.
“Stepping stone” challenge
However, Durano acknowledged a significant challenge: many medical school graduates often take job order (JO) positions in local hospitals primarily as a stepping stone to work abroad. He noted that the lengthy turnover process for regular employees makes JO hires more convenient for hospitals, despite the lack of job security for the medical professionals.
“Because there are many nurses who don’t intend to stay long, but just use it as a stepping stone to go abroad or whatever, so they just get hired as JOs,” he explained.
This reality has prompted the Provincial Government to consider salary adjustments.
“Perhaps we’ll see if increasing salaries will help,” Durano said, recognizing that competitive compensation might incentivize more healthcare workers to stay in Cebu.
While there are many nursing graduates, Durano pointed out that not all are able to leave the country. He stressed the need for further study to understand all factors impacting the province’s health sector. “But that, we still really need to study,” he added.
Commitment to healthcare
Meanwhile, Governor Baricuatro, in a Facebook post, indicated that the Province is actively seeking medical practitioners with the specific qualifications of being “Cebuanos who have the heart to help and the passion to serve.”
However, the comment section of her post reflected public sentiment, with one individual highlighting the need for transparent details on “other requirements, salary, incentives and benefits, whether a recommendation from a politician is needed, and the needed number of months to be regularized.” The comment critically added, “Perhaps you’re looking for nurses with a heart to help, but you yourselves have no heart to pay and respect nurses.”
Healthcare services have been a consistent top priority for Governor Baricuatro since her campaign.
On her first full day in office on Tuesday, July 1, she signed 12 executive orders, notably including the immediate release of a P5 million budget for emergency procurement for each of the 16 Capitol-operated hospitals.
In her inaugural speech, Baricuatro announced that her administration has initiated conversations with health organizations for partnerships and will explore scholarships to develop dedicated healthcare professionals for the province. / JPS