Swallow the bitter pill, exec tells June ‘06 nursing passers

By Leila Salaverria
Inquirer
Last updated 07:17pm (Mla time) 02/19/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Swallow the bitter pill if your request is rejected.

In case the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools would deny the government’s appeal, passers of the tainted June 2006 nursing licensure examination must accept the American organization’s decision not to give them VisaScreen certificates unless they comply with certain requirements, Dante Ang of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas said.

The US-CGFNS earlier said the June 2006 passers would not be eligible for VisaScreen certificates, a federally approved screening program for foreign health workers seeking an occupational visa in the US, unless they retake and pass Tests 3 and 5, which were earlier tainted by the leakage.

Ang said he spoke with the US Embassy's non-immigrant visa, and confirmed that "everybody has to go through the VisaScreen," which was different from the CGFNS examination not required in all US states.

"The solution is to take the bitter pill, retake. If not, then apply elsewhere. It's as simple as that," Ang said.

But Ang said he believed the government was correct to appeal the CGFNS decision out of concern and compassion for the Philippine nurses' welfare since many of them wanted to work in the US, though he was not optimistic about it.

He also said the country could not impose its own standards on the US.

He said the CGFNS stance was not a form of pressure on the Philippine government to change its decision on how to handle the leakage controversy that marred the licensure examination, which was to allow the oath-taking of about 17,000 passers and order a selective retake.

"It's not pressure. We're talking of two countries. They have their own set of laws, we have our own standards. If you don't subscribe to their standards, you have an option not to go there. It's like they're saying what you did in the Philippines falls short of our standards. They are not telling us to change," he said.

He also said the issue with the CGFNS decision was not sovereignty, but competency and public health and safety.

"Much that we hate to be imposed upon, let's not impose our set of standards on another country," he said.

"We have to help the nurses, but my request is for people to be sober," he added.

Ang, who earlier pushed for a retake to preserve the integrity of the nursing licensure examination, also denied he was responsible for the CGFNS' decision not to issue VisaScreen certificates to the June 2006 passers without a retake.

"I did not create the mess. Who leaked the questions?" he said.

He lambasted his critics, saying their statements worsened the image of the country.

"It is that kind of talk that makes matters worse for us. It gives the impression that some people are perpetuating a culture of mediocrity," he said.

He said he went to the US to meet with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to show them that "the government does not condone mediocrity and we have a policy of excellence."

Ang said he informed the American boards the government had charged the people involved in the leakage and had placed the Professional Regulation Commission, which administers the nursing exam, under the labor department.

Ang also said he suspected that the anti-retake groups were being funded, without their knowledge, by those responsible for or involved in the leakage who wanted to cover up their deeds.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who was against a retake of the nursing exam when the leakage issue broke out, said the Philippines cannot force the US to take in the June 2006 nursing exam passers.

"We can't compel them to accept us. We can't be forced to retake, but we have to accept the consequences," he said.