QUEZON City Rep. Marvin Rillo on Sunday confirmed that a total of 28,258 Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates from the Philippines took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time in 2024, in hopes of finding lucrative employment in America

“The number of Philippine-educated nurses seeking to practice their profession in America remains very high, mainly on account of insufficient pay here at home,” said Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education.

“We are effectively pushing our nurses away due to low pay here at home,” Rillo stated.

The lawmaker said there are about 54 percent of BSN graduates from the Philippines who take the U.S. licensure examination pass it on their first attempt, while 36 percent of repeat test-takers make the grade.

Based on the data from the U.S. National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc., Rillo said a total of 5,869 nursing graduates from India also took their first U.S. licensure examination in 2024, along with 3,740 graduates from Kenya, 2,662 graduates from Nepal, and 2,636 graduates from South Korea.

Rillo authored House Bill No. 5276, which seeks to boost the basic monthly pay of entry-level government nurses by 74 percent, or to P70,013 or Salary Grade 21.

These nurses currently receive a basic pay of P40,208 or Salary Grade 15.

In the Senate, Sen. Raffy Tulfo has also been advocating for the passage of his Senate Bill No. 2694, which seeks to increase the basic pay of entry-level public nurses by 40 percent, or to P56,390 or Salary Grade 19.

Both bills seek to amend the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

“Higher pay is still the best strategy for us to retain some of our nurses in the local health sector,” Rillo said.

The Philippines now faces a shortage of 127,000 nurses – a number that is expected to swell to 250,000 by 2030, according to the World Health Organization.