After WWII, the United States began to experience nursing shortages, and they began to look abroad for nurses. The Philippines became an obvious and important source of nurses, in part because they were trained in the United States.
This expansion of Filipino nurses to the United States is not new, and it stems from the Philippines’ long history of US colonialism.
Nurses from the Philippines are now employed all over the world.
Catherine Choy, an ethnic studies professor at the University of California Berkeley, describes how the US colonial regime began recruiting Filipino nurses in her book “Empire of Care.”
She claims that the demand for Filipino nurses in the United States stems from the Philippines’ status as a US colony, where the colonial regime instituted an Americanized education system, which included nurse training.
In addition, the United States established the pensionados program in the Philippines, which functions similarly to a study abroad program.
Many Filipino nurses retired; some went on to work elsewhere, while others returned to the Philippines between 1903 and 1940 to help establish nursing schools.
According to Choy, another wave of nursing shortages erupted in the 1960s as a result of the growing women’s movement of the time.
“However, as the movement grew, opportunities in a variety of professions arose, making it difficult to recruit American women into nursing — especially because nursing is a physically demanding profession.”
As a result, women in the United States had more professional opportunities in a variety of fields. “Traditionally, they were often relegated as professionals to professions that were considered appropriate for women, such as nursing, education, or social work,” she says.
Marcos’ survival strategy
Because of the constant demand for nurses, Filipino nurses have continued to migrate to the United States.
This was enhanced even further in the early 1970s, when then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos began to encourage labor migration from the Philippines.
Due to the country’s stagnant economy, there were an increasing number of unemployed young men, and Marcos saw this as an opportunity to send them abroad for work while establishing a system that could easily regulate and support labor outflows.
Marcos also noted that there was a high demand for nurses in the United States, pointing out that American healthcare institutions were actively recruiting Filipino nurses.
Choy claims that “he changed the government’s perspective.” “This could be good,” he reasoned, “because if they want nurses from the Philippines, we’ll produce more nurses.”
His administration’s directive was only meant to be a temporary policy measure to address the country’s immediate concerns, but it turned into a survival strategy as domestic socio-economic problems persisted.
“They are also going abroad for stability and security, not just for social and economic mobility.”
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which oversees the recruitment and deployment of overseas Filipino workers, was established in 1982.
Until now, the Philippines’ labor export system has been described as ‘unparalleled’ in its sophistication.
International hiring
Nonetheless, as a result of this organized labor export, countries other than the United States began looking to the Philippines to fill nursing shortages in their own countries.
Choy also points out that Marcos’ approach, as well as the eventual migration of Filipinos, stemmed from growing economic discontent.
“Nurses from that time period had already begun to witness or observe some of the Philippines’ growing socioeconomic inequalities and political turmoil,” she says.
To stay or not to stay
However, the demand for Filipino nurses to work in other countries has depleted our own supply, putting our already-fragile public health system at risk.
According to records, the health professional to patient ratio in hospitals can be as high as one nurse to 60 patients as a result of an increasing number of Filipino health workers leaving for other countries.
COVID-19 worsens this disproportionate ratio.
As a result, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III issued a temporary ban on medical personnel leaving the country.
“It is of paramount national interest to ensure that the country continues to have, sustain the supply of, and prepare sufficient health personnel to meet any future contingencies,” according to the POEA order.
If nurses are forced to work in the country, Rosie De Leon, the president of the Philippine Nursing Association, has stated that they should be properly compensated.
She also tells me that, even if the pandemic were not present, if we want more Filipino nurses to stay, their salaries must be improved.
Inside The Mysterious Death Of The Famed Gothic Writer Edgar Allan Poe
Hours before his death Edgar Allen Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore. He was incoherent, wearing another man’s clothes, and unable to explain how he got there. The cause of his death is an unsolved mystery.
Medals of Friendship: The Enduring Olympic Story of 1936
At the 1936 Summer Olympics, two Japanese pole vaulters named Sueo Oe and Shuhei Nishida tied for second, but they declined to compete against each other. As a result, Nishida was awarded the silver medal and Oe won a bronze medal. Upon returning to Japan, the athletes had their medals cut in half and spliced together to create new "friendship medals," which were half silver and half bronze.
How Dmitri Mendeleev Developed the periodic table of the elements
1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements
The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.
Mother who spent entire life savings for daughter’s cancer treatment won the lottery
A mother won $2 million from a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket after she spent all of her entire life savings to pay her daughter’s cancer treatment. She bought the winning ticket after her daughter’s last cancer treatment.
The Amazing Truth About The German U-Boat That Was Sunk By A Toilet
During WWII, a German captain and an engineer flushed the submarine's high-tech toilet incorrectly, causing the vessel to rapidly fill with water. British planes patrolling the sea attacked them as the submarine was brought to the surface. While many members of the crew were killed in the attack, the captain escaped!
What exactly was the US's 'Ghost Army' during WWII?
During WW2, there was a special unit of men dubbed the ‘Ghost Army’. The unit was made of artists, creative and engineers and their job was to create deception about the enemy. From inflatable tanks to phony convoys to scripted conversations in bars intended to spread disinformation, they used all possible tricks to fool the enemy.
Nuclear bomb accidentally dropped on North Carolina in 196
4 January 1961: The 4241st Strategic Wing's Boeing B-52G-95-BW Stratofortress, serial number 58-0187, was on a 24-hour airborne alert mission off the United States' Atlantic Coast.
Reason Behind The Suicide Of Christine Chubbuck Live On Air
Actor Rebecca Hall had serious reservations about tackling the macabre story around why Chubbuck killed herself in 1974. So what changed her mind?
Tunnels Dug by ancient giant sloths, A South American Megafauna
For years, scientists didn’t know what caused mysterious cave networks in South America. In 2010, they learned that the caves were actually tunnels dug by ancient giant sloths
Sylvan Goldman: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Shopping with the Cart
The inventor of shopping carts, Sylvan Goldman, had to hire several male and female models to push carts around in his store, demonstrate their utility, and explain their use to other customers, due to not catching on initially.
The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!
The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.
Graves holding hands over wall, A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband grave
A protestant man and a Catholic woman who weren't allowed from being buried together in a graveyard in 19th-century Holland turned their graves into a monument showing them holding hands across the wall separating them.
The incredible story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill and her legacy
American environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days to prevent it from being cut down by the Pacific Lumber Company. The Simpson’s episode “Lisa the Tree Hugger” was inspired by Hill’s story.
Story of Kathrine Switzer: the first woman to run in Boston Marathon
Before women were allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer participated. A race official attempted to forcefully remove her from the race in 1967, but her boyfriend pushed him down. She was the first female finisher who had a numbered entry in the race.
Hedy Lamarr, A Hollywood actress who also a mathematician and inventor
Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr was also a mathematician and the inventor of frequency hopping spread spectrum, a technology still used for bluetooth and wifi
Terry Fox, a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 143 days before dying
Terry Fox was a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 3,339 miles across Canada in 143 days before dying.
Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.
Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery
On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.
Albert Einstein’s brain after it was stolen from his body
Albert Einstein's brain was taken by the opportunistic pathologist who performed his autopsy hours after he died and kept in two jars for 30 years. The stolen brain of Albert Einstein was preserved in a cookie jar for 30 years until being discovered by a journalist.
Shizo Kanakuri’s 1912 Olympic Marathon Finished 54 Years
At the 1912 Olympics, a marathon runner quit and went home to Japan without telling officials and was considered a missing person in Sweden for 50 years. In 1966, he was invited to complete the marathon. His time: 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.379 seconds.
Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident: Enemy became friends
During WWII, a German pilot spotted an American pilot’s crippled plane in the sky. Tailing it, he noticed that gunner was dead, crew injured, and they posed no threat. Instead of destroying the plane, he led it to safety. 40 years later, the two pilots reunited.
Medieval Medicine: A 1,000-year-old onion and garlic salve kills modern bacterial superbugs
Scientists recreated an Anglo-Saxon manuscript-based 9th century onion and garlic eye remedy and discovered that it killed 90% of antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria (MRSA).
Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy
A 2,000-year-old mummy of a Chinese woman, Xin Zhui, also known as “Lady Dai,” was preserved in 21 gallons of an “unknown liquid.” With her original hair, organs, eyebrows, and eyelashes intact, the mummy still has blood in her veins. Her skin and ligaments are soft and as flexible as that of a living person.
