The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has good news for all Filipino nurses that are currently employed in the Health Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

According to the POEA chief, Rosalinda Baldoz, effective March 19, 2008, the salaries of nurses’ working in the Health Ministry of the Kingdom will increase from 20 to 60 percent. The current salary of nurses is SR 2,250 to SR4, 000 (more or less P25, 000 to P44, 000).

The health ministry is one of the top employers of Filipino nurses in KSA and the decision to increase the wages show that the Ministry value and prefer the services of RP nurses over other nationalities. The Ministry deploy even nurses without previous work experience.

An employment attaché of Saudi’s embassy in Manila, Fahad Al-Msaibeeh informed that the salary adjustment is not given to all foreign nurses employed in the Kingdom because only the Filipino nurses will be given an increase.