Asean nurses accord great boost to RP

By Ronnel DomingoInquirerLast updated 10:53am (Mla time) 12/10/2006

THE Philippines “won big” in the special meeting of economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the 10-member bloc signed late Saturday night a Mutual Recognition Agreement on nurses, according to a senior trade official.

Ramon Vicente L. Kabigting, director of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of International Trade Relations, said in an interview the signing of an MRA would translate to the deployment of more Filipino nurses—one of the country’s biggest human resource exports—within the region.

Meeting an hour before midnight last Friday, the economic ministers also signed five documents that are expected to push forward the establishment of an Asean Economic Community as well as pave the way toward free trade with China.

The documents signed require only the ministers’ signatures to be validated.
Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Kabigting, who represented the Philippines in the senior economic officials meetings held in preparation for the abruptly postponed 12th Asean Summit, said the MRA would boost the country’s drive to strengthen the “Philippine brand of nursing professionals.”

Reconcile various standards

He explained that the MRA would help reconcile differing standards and regulations of the profession among the 10 countries and help ease the entry of Filipino nurses to the more developed members where demand is expected to outstrip local supply in the coming years.
The final draft of the Asean MRA on Nursing Services states that the pact “would strengthen professional capabilities by promoting the flow of relevant information and exchange of expertise, experience and best practices suited to the specific needs of” members.