Last week, I was watching ANC (the ABS-CBN News Channel) on TV. The show was “Crossroads” with Tony Velasquez. Crossroads is a weekly news show that goes in depth and talks to guests about topics in the news. Something similar to what you might see on Sunday Morning TV in the United States. Crossroads airs on a weeknight here, though. It is generally a good show, though, in my opinion.
When I watched the show last week, the subject that was being discussed was whether foreign doctors should be allowed to practice medicine in the Philippines. I was under the impression that foreign doctors could practice medicine here, as you often see foreign medical groups coming to the Philippines to give charity medical assistance here. Apparently, though, according to this show, this is not the norm. Such charitable events are only allowed from time to time with special permission. An individual doctor from abroad cannot legally practice medicine here.
I must say that this has suprised me, because we are constantly hearing about the shortage of medical experts here in the Philippines. Not enough Nurses, because they are all going overseas to make bigger money. Doctors are downgrading their degrees to become nurses so that they can also go abroad. Perhaps after being a nurse they will be able to become a doctor overseas, but even if they can only remain as nurses, that is a better life for them than being a doctor in the Philippines, or so they say. So, if the country is having a shortage of doctors, why can’t foreigners practice medicine here if they are so qualified?
As I saw this, I got thinking about the medical situation in the Philippines. In major cities like Davao, Manila or Cebu, there does not seem to be any shortage of medical professionals. No matter what the specialty, it seems easy to find a good doctor here. But, what I hear a lot is that if you go out into more rural areas, doctors have become few and far between. If this is the case, and there are foreign doctors who want to fill the gap, why not?
Here is another thing that came to mind. Think about it… who makes the laws in the Philippines? Of course, the laws are made by the elected representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and they are implemented by the President. Now, I think we can all agree that these people are generally wealthy. You don’t get elected to those positions if you have no money. When wealthy people in the Philippines get sick, in most cases, they go abroad for treatment. They go to the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore or other places. Some go to London. Others go to Germany or somewhere else. So, in other words, these wealthy people want treatment from foreign doctors, yet these are the same people who say that the poor people who cannot afford to travel should not be allowed access to foreign doctors. Does that sound fair?
Personally, I believe that excellent medical care from www.health-canada-pharmacy.com is available here in the Philippines. I have had need for medical services in the time that I’ve lived here, and I’ve never had a complaint about the care I have received, nor the level of expertise of the doctors here. I just feel that if there is a shortage of doctors, and a deeper shortage is predicted in years to come, why not take advantage of any foreign doctors who care to practice here.
In all honesty, I doubt that the number of foreign doctors who would choose to practice here in the event that they could legally do so would be very high anyway.
Maayong Buntag Bob
I was under the impression that the Philippine medical society considered it a bit of an insult that doctors from other countries come over to take care of people in the RP. There is a social organization that takes donations and repairs clef lips on children. They will send these children to Cebu city from all over the world to have this clef lip repaired. With the cheap hospital rates in Cebu they are able to help more children by having these operations in Cebu. I have talked with friends that work in this hospital and they are very proud that there hospital was selected for these operations.
Hi Larry – Perhaps they do consider it an insult. However, there are literally millions here who need medical attention and cannot afford it. When the poor go to the hospital here they are not treated until they pay first. Now, that is an insult to the Philippine people, and it is not the foreign doctors who are perpetrating that insult.
Bob
You make a good point. Problem is with there society structure as it is the rich people in the RP seem to have an attitude to the poor as being lower class. I have experienced people being sick and needing medical attention but had been denied the treatment needed until the down payment was received or guarantee of payment. There are many people that die every year because they could not afford a doctor or treatment. To the Filipino it is just the way it has always been.
🙁
Hi Larry – I agree…. to people here, they know of no different method, so they don't realize that it is not necessarily a good method! 🙂
Currently under Philippine law only citizens of the Philippines can apply for licensure to practice medicine in the Philippines. The Philippines has sufficient competent doctors whose skill is at par or above par than first world doctors. You just have to go to the right place. Like food in the Philippines you get what you can afford. Health care is not a right or an entitlement like what is known in the US Health care system which is not perfect. The Philippine goverment is just too poor or pretending to be too poor to afford subsidized health care. There are dedicated and competent doctors who have chosen remain in the Philippines inspite of the lure of better pay overseases. Bless their heart.
Hi bobby – I don't have a huge argument with what you say, but I see no reason why people from other countries should not be able to practice medicine in the Philippines. Of course, they should pass the required exams and such, just as any Filipino would. I don't think that Filipino doctors should worry about the competition… after all, I doubt that there would be a stampede of doctors beating a path to practice in the Philippines.
Hi Bob
I didn't realise that this was the case and I also cannot imagine any foreign doctors wanting to come to Philippines to earn a better living. Especially given the large number of the local medical fraternity leaving the country because of the comparitavely low standard of living they receive here.
I would say that the majority of those that stay behind is because of their dedication to their profession and as mentioned above, I take my hat off to those people. I know our local Doctor sometimes gets paid with chickens , fish, rice and such because thats all that is available as payment and sometimes this is not even affordable.
But I'm sure if foreign medical staff were allowed to practice here at will, obviously with the proper permits, proof of medical background documentation etc being in place but made easier to get, you would find a lot of also dedicated doctors and nurses around the world coming here for purely humaniterian reasons.
I certainly think it would be in everyone's interest, including the Government's to have this law changed.
Jack
Hi Jack – I also know doctors here who get paid with livestock, or sometimes don't get paid at all, and like you, I take my hat off to them. I really am a supporter of medical care in the Philippines. Like you, as well, I just believe that allowing foreigners to practice medicine would be in the best interest of the country, and the people of the Philippines.
Well in the US you can be banned from practicing medicine in some states while still eligible to practice in other states. Maybe they are afraid of getting the rejects.
Hi Dan Mihaliak – I'm not advocating just letting anybody with a medical license be able to practice. Make them pass exams and such, just like any doctor would. That should weed out the unqualified.
Hi Bob
If doctors do go to the Philippines it is usually for charity work like operation smile. If a individual does it and have to take exams, it wil be to much of a hassle. They did a show on PBS on operation smile years ago in Dava, at the time there was only one plastic surgeon in Mindanao. I believe there are only enough doctors in the big cities and not in the smaller and less populated provinces. In Isabela province in Luzon there are only 3 government doctors. I think to most Filipinos they would not understand why a foreign doctor would want to practice medicine in the Philippines and that there must be something suspicious if they did.
I know some politicians are talking about requiring doctors to stay a couple of years practicing in the Philippines before they are allowed to work overseas, but that idea will never go anywhere.
Bob,
Under the Philippine Constitution, a foreigner CAN NOT pratice any professional job such as doctor, nurse,lawyer, engineer etc. Basically, any profession that allows a certification or license process.Is it fair? Of course not but in the USA a foreign doctor can not practice until a period of years has passed and a process of "re-education" and certification is accomplished.
I am a lawyer by trade and I can not practice law at any level in the Philippines. If I was caught I would be deported and black-listed forever.
Hi Neil – Yes, the places where doctors are needed are the provinces – areas outside of major population centers.
Hi John Adams – I didn't realize that no professionals could practice under Philippine law, but now that you mentioned it, I am not surprised by that. The fact is, though, in an area where doctors are needed, it just seems a shame to ban people who are qualified.
Bob,
A follow-up to the discussion:
I have been here since 1994 and have had the experience and sometimes pleasure of meeting and making friends with the "rich and famous" here in the Philippines. I will let you in on a little secret; most of these "A/B Class" people (especially high ranking politicans and tipans of business) go to the USA because they want to keep their life private especially their medical problems. I have gotten that from many of them. Here individual privacy is not respected but abraod it is different. Many of our entertainers go abraod to get "nose jobs,breast lifts etc" because they are basically "nobody" when they are there. They are treated 1st class there because they pay in cash not because they are who they are here. If you want to keep your life private…leave the country.
Hi John Adams – Interesting point regarding privacy. I completely agree with you too.
Mr Adams is correct … he pointed up somehting many Westerners just never think of … and it's true in most other countries as well … not only is it illegal for a foreign profesional to practice here, it is illegal for a foreigner to take on work _even unpaid_ … this means volunteer work … on a tourist visa (that's why there are special Philippine visas for visiting medical workers, misisonaries, etc. or performing artists, paid or unpaid, or teachers/lecturers, paid or volunteer.
This may sound crazy … anyone been reading my 'limits of government' series? … and perhaps it is crazy. But it's an aspect of the law that nearly any visitor can run afoul of … what could be more public spirited than (as an example) volunteering in a local school. Be very careful … you may, in fact, be 'working' even without any money changing hands under the law.
Also, if you have any freinds visiting the US … the law is basically exactly the same in the US on a standard tourist visa. Accepting work _even unpaid_ is immigration fraud and can result in deportation and a lifetime ban.
Can you imagine what life would be like if there were not all these petty rules that hinder people from trying to help others? Oh, wait, a guy wrote a song about that and got executed for his crime … nevermind ….
Hi Dave Starr – I am sorry… don't mean to be argumentative, but you are not correct. I am a foreigner, and I can legally work here, because I have a visa that allows me to work. If you have a resident visa, that includes a work permit. Yes, you did point out that you cannot work on a tourist visa, but legally, if you are going to live here, you should really get a visa that allows full time living here, and that includes the ability to take on work – paid or volunteer.
When you say "accepting work is immigration fraud" that is simply not 100% correct. Whether going to the US or to the Philippines, visas can be gotten that allow work.
Bob and Dave,
You are both right and both wrong! 😉
Yes, you can legally work if you have permanent residence BUT you must get a work permit from DOLE.
I came here in 1994 on a Business Visa which allowed me to conduct business. What I posted before about professionals not being allow to work sticks EVEN if you are in permanent status. I married in 1997 got my perm. status and to this day can not work as a lawyer or in anything related to law. It is consiidered a professional career area. THat will take a change in the Philippine Constitution. Yes, it evens covers volunteer work. You must have a permit from DOLE. I have given seminars to college/university students in the past and I have requested permission from DOLE to cover my butt.
It is very sad when even you received your education and training here. The fact of the matter is Filipinos fear competition and allowing foreigners/professionals in their work force is a big threat to them.Foreigners in general are aggressive to work than the relaxed attitudes of local workers all across.
Look at how they sit and wait for customers to ask for help. Most foreigners will approach the customers instead.The working attitude is very poor and these laws are just to protect the locals and these same laws will keep the country crawling forward.
If every country made their immigration laws concerning professionals like the Philippines,tell me if Filipinos will be working in every corner of the world bringing money home for their families. In a nutshell is mere greediness and stupidity. Too sad for the poor. The funny thing is they will allow you if your services are free or on mission purpose. Too cheap,they only think of gaining,look at all those married,you can’t do jack without your Filipino wife.
Hi John Adams – On my comment, I was not talking about professionals like doctors or lawyers. I was talking about more regular employment. If you have a visa that allows for a work permit, gaining employment is perfectly legal for a foreigner.
Bob, the problem you're describing is universal. Even in the states, rural areas have difficulty attracting sufficent numbers of qualified medical practioners. The problem with importing medical professionals from other countries is that most of them don't want to work in rural areas, they prefer to live where there are better amenities available.
I once herad it put this way: At a social gathering an African government employee mentioned his country had a program in place to attract more doctors. The listener asked if they were building more hospitals. The african replied, "No, more golf courses".
I am a Filipino-American, now retired and lived six months in PI and 6 months in US. I live in rural Marinduque, where medical equipments/hospital facilities are the barest minimum. So, when I get sick in Marinduque, I go to Manila, where medical facilities are comparable to US. I am lucky that I have medical insurance honored only at the Makati Medical Center.
There is a new law being proposed that will allow balikbayan professionals ( doctors, nurses, dentists, engineers, etc) to practice in the Philippines. Any one knows of the bill number.? I heard this through our organization, PAASE, Philippine American Academy of Science & Engineering.
Hello All: I just remember the House bill is # 1498 proposed by Representative Jaime Lopez. I seeks to allow expatriate pinoys to practice their profession in the Philippines :
Hi David S. – That African is a smart man!
Hi David B Katague – Yes, you are quite lucky with that medical coverage that you have!
Hi David B Katague – Thanks for sharing about the new proposed bill.
Bob, have you been to Marinduque? If not, I like to invite you and your wife if you have time to visit us in Marinduque. We will be there from Decemeber, 2008 to March 2009. Hopefully air transportation services from Manila should be fully operational. Otherwise, it is quite a hustle and time consuming, taking a bus from Manila to Lucena, then take a ferry to Marinduque. I just started blogging last May and discovered your site by accident. Excellent blog and contain good information for americans, filipino-balikbayans who want to retire in the Philippines. Incidentally, I just commented in your June blog regarding being " bored" or is there any thing to do there question from your readers.
Hi David B Katague – Thank you for your kind words and the invitation to visit you in Marinduque. I appreciate the offer very much. Unfortunately, in our line of business, the busiest times of the year are Christmas and Valentine's day, so we could not get away at those times.
I am married to a nurse. She was born in the Philippines and is a U.S. citizen. She works in the states and makes far more money that the highest paid medical doctor in the Philippines. We would gladly live full time in the Philippines but for the huge gap in pay for the nursing profession. As for foreign doctors, there is little incentive for them to practice in the Philippines. (And by the way the law states that no professional may work with out going through a lot of red tape if they are not citizens.) Some exceptions do occur. Aside from legality issues, who wants to take a 90% pay cut to work in the Philippines. Unless you are already wealthy and don't need the income to live, it is not a feasible decision. You can't fault the nationals for wanting to work abroad. That is how they lift their family out of the poverty that is so evident across the country.
Hi Kent – I understand what you are saying. I will only add that for me… there are things more important than money. And, there are certainly ways to make very good money here in the Philippines too.
Thanks for your comment!