Jackson Gan, vice president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters has claimed that under the Nurses Assigned to Rural Service (NARS) program, the Department of Labor and Employment did not consider the level of training sought by foreign employers among Filipino nurses.
Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque however says that NARS has considered the requirements of other countries needing nurses like Saudi Arabia. The Labor chief said NARS provides hospital care training for nurses at no cost. NARS program was one of the programs to stem the rising unemployment level due to the global financial crisis. However it is a fact that the lack of training among Filipino nurses as a major hindrance to their employment abroad.