Filtered By: Topstories
News

Palace submits to CGFNS decision for voluntary retake


Malacanang has yielded to the decision of the Philadelphia-based Commission on Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) International requiring passers of the June 2006 Philippine nursing licensure exam to retake portions of the leakage-tainted test. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Tuesday there is nothing more that the Philippine government can do to change the stand of the CGFNS after a four-man task force failed to convince them Monday evening (Manila time) to reconsider its February 14 decision for a retake to be eligible for VisaScreen certification. “It’s an action of a US agency," Ermita said, clarifying that only those bent on working as nurses in the United States would have to retake and pass the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 of the June 2006 licensure exam. The VisaScreen certification from CGFNS is an immigration requirement to obtain work visa in the US. “Sariling katawan iyan e. Kung ayaw nila, huwag mag-retake. (This is voluntary. If they don’t want to re-take, it’s up to them). Practice nursing anywhere else except within the ambit of the CGFNS," Ermita explained. “What has to be corrected is the impression created abroad especially in CGFNS na questionable ang pagkapasa nung mga gustong pumunta sa Amerika who took the 2006 examination. (What has to be corrected is the impression created abroad, especially in CGFNS that the passing of those who took the 2006 exam was questionable)," Ermita said. “To cure that I suppose we may just have to allow them to have a validation if they want to go to the US for them to be accepted under the aegis of the CGFNS," he said. Other options Meantime, Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella, who led a four-man task force that appealed to the CGFNS in Philadelphia for reconsideration, said there may be other options the government could explore so that the June 2006 exam passers need not retake the leakage-tainted portions of the test. The congressman said those desiring to go to the US soon and work as nurses would have to retake the test, but those who were not hurrying to leave the Philippines could probably wait a little longer until other options are explored that would not require them to retake and pass the test again. “Everything on federal law can be negotiated either through (Philippine) Congress to (US) Congress, Senate to Congress or through President Arroyo to President Bush," Puentevella said when interviewed on dzBB early evening on Tuesday. “They love the Philippines," he said, referring to the American government. He said he had talked to President Arroyo about the CGFNS denial of the appeal of the task force. But when he returns to Manila on Friday, Puentevella said he would report more details of the talks to the President and it would be up to her to decide whether to explore other options or order a retake of the test. In the event the decision is for a retake, Puentevella said he would suggest that those in the provinces be allowed to take the exam in designated testing centers in the regional centers like Bacolod City or Iloilo City in order to save on transportation costs on the part of the examinees. Just a joke In a related development, Puentevella telephoned GMANews.TV Tuesday evening to clarify that he was just joking when he “insinuated" to the American executives of CGFNS that US citizens who would break the law in the Philippines would have a hard time dealing with government and its laws. “I did not mean to threaten the Americans. We parted ways in a very amicable note and our discussion was very cordial," he said. Puentevella said he just meant to “remind" the CGFNS officials of the long history of the Philippine-American relations. He said he hoped the CGFNS would “bend even just a little" to accommodate the Philippine government’s plea against a retake. The lawmaker said he spent his own money for the trip because he sincerely wanted to help the 17,000 passers of the June 2006 exam. When told that the news article was based on his interview with dzBB earlier in the evening, Puentevella said it was just on radio and should not have been written about. In the interview, Puentevella said if the CGFNS could not bend a little to accommodate the appeal for reconsideration of its February 14 decision, there would come a time when Americans would have to come begging to the Philippines. “Laws are laws, but sometimes you have to bend a little to make a better world. I told them, some day when you need our help, you will remember us when we have to be strict in enforcing our laws," Puentevella said. “I told them, ‘why will you burn the whole house if you’re only going to kill one rotten rat. Isang daga lang papatayin mo bakit mo papatayin buong bahay," he said. “Someday they will also come to us begging. They say they are just following their mandate. I told them we will also follow our laws. Someday, you will also have problems," said Puentevella, a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The lawmaker said he did not mention about the case involving US Marines Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, convicted recently for raping a 22-year-old woman in Subic, Zambales in November 2005, but stressed he gave “insinuations" to the American officials of the CGFNS. “They asked, ‘what do you mean?’ I told them, you know, we have many American citizens also and sometimes they go out of the line, but sometimes we bend a little even with our laws just to accommodate our friendship. We are allies," Puentevella said. “Weather weather lang ito (Everything has its own season)," the lawmaker quipped. In the overseas call to GMANews.TV later in the evening, Puentevella said all these were said in jest, and that he did not mean to threaten anyone. “I don’t want them to think that I said a mouthful after we turned our back," he said. - GMANews.TV

LOADING CONTENT