Labor dept says CGFNS will disregard appeal of nurses

The Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday ruled out any chance for some 15,000 nursing graduates to get certificates to work in the United States, unless they retake and pass portions of the board exam they took in 2006. Labor Secretary Arturo Brion told radio dzBB Sunday that the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) talked to him and to Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) head Leonor Rosero recently, telling them that no appeal will work in favor of the nursing graduates. “Hindi ako puwedeng pumunta doon. Kausap ko ang CGFNS, maliwanag ang sinabi nila…kung bibigyan ninyo ng retake itong mga nurses na ito, titingnan naming ang kanilang eligibility…Kinausap din nila si Chairman Rosero at sinabi nila na pinal na itong desisyon nila (I cannot go to the US. I talked to the CGFNS, what they said was clear…If the nurses will retake the exam, we will look into their eligibility. The CGFNS also talked to Chairman Rosero, they told her that their decision is final)," said Brion. Brion said the CGFNS further told him that the commission is just a private organization tasked to implement federal laws and there is no process under US laws that would cater to the appeal of the nursing graduates. Rosero earlier said a Philippine delegation will go to the US to appeal the case of nursing graduates to the CGFNS. . After talking to CGFNS, Brion said he drafted an executive order and a memorandum addressed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recommending that the DOLE take the initiative of having the graduates retake the exam. He said the retake would still be given by the Philippine Nursing Board, but it will be under the watch of the DOLE instead of the PRC. He said this will be made to ensure that nobody would construe that the retake would be another leakage-marred exam. “Sa ganang akin ay hindi maganda na yung ating mga lisensya ay magkakaroon ng bahid… Dole ang magbabantay- sa aming plano, ang resulta ay hinding hindi papasok sa PRC (For me, it will not be good if the license would be marred with deceit. In our plan, DOLE will be the proctor and the results of the exam will not be coursed through the PRC)," said Brion. He clarified that the retake will be voluntary. Brion said the exam will only be taken by nurses to “enhance (their) employability" and will not mean that they will do this to get another license. “Wala tayong pipilitin. Ito ay para sa lahat ng may gustong pumunta sa Amerika na mabigyan ng pagkakataon para sa eligibility. (We will not force anybody to retake the exam. This is for everybody who wants to get eligibility to be able to work in the US)," he said.-GMANews.TV