Philippines expands the nursing pipeline so hospitals have the staff patients need

A hospital bed is only as good as the nurse beside it. Speaking at the Philippine Nurses Association national convention in Pasay City, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr said the government is working to improve nurse-to-patient ratios, fill vacant posts and widen training pathways with the Department of Health, the Commission on Higher Education and TESDA. The numbers show a system investing: funding for the Health Emergency Allowance has risen from ₱6.8 billion (about $117 million) in 2022 to more than ₱110 billion (about $1.9 billion) in 2026, and since a freeze on new nursing programmes was lifted in 2022, institutions offering nursing courses have grown from 354 to about 425.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: policy reform