On this special occasion, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude and highest commendation to ALL nurses. I specially would like to extend my greetings to the Filipino American nurses of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alabama. Your dedication, compassion, work ethics, and unwavering professionalism are second to none.

  The ubiquitousness, and often, ambiguity, of immigration rhetorics in the past decade and its escalation in the recent years, have left some sectors of the general population as well as the community of Filipino American nurses confused and shaken, respectively. This Nurses’ Week message intends to directly address that. It is often said that we fear what we do not understand. My goal is to provide clarity, and to promote understanding. Under the light of truth, and historical facts, irrational fear is dispelled.

  Since the 1890s, the U.S. has periodically relied upon Filipino nurses to meet the need of its healthcare system. In 1903, the Pensionado Act sent Filipino “pensionados” to the U.S. for further education and training. At that time, shortage of nurses was increasingly urgent due to epidemics of tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and other communicable diseases.

  The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, all contributed to the steady legal migration of Filipino nurses to the U.S.

  In 1989, in recognition of the large wave of Filipino nurses throughout the AIDS crisis, the U.S. Congress passed the Nursing Relief Act. The Act granted special immigrant status to nurses, allowing them to apply for green card, and later, for U.S. citizenship.

  Although Filipinos comprise only 1% of the U.S. population, 4% of the nation’s registered nurses are Filipinos. Furthermore, despite comprising only 4% of the nation’s registered nurses, 25% of death among RNs during the recent COVID pandemic were Filipinos. One of the reasons for this was, Filipino nurses are more likely to work in the ICUs and bedside than their local counterparts.

  History and numbers point to one clear fact. Filipino American nurses are indispensable cog in the U.S. healthcare system, for over a century.

  More importantly, I must add, beyond these cold historical facts and numbers, are the millions of human souls cared for, and impacted by a Filipino American nurse.

  To my Filipino American nurse colleagues, I see you, I appreciate you. I am proud of YOU. There is no confusion nor ambiguity to what YOU have contributed to the healthcare of OUR nation.

  Happy Nurses Week to ALL! Mabuhay ang Filipino American nurse!

Dominador “Jun” Bitago, MNA, CRNA

President, PNAAL, 2023-2025

Program Director, Continuing Education, PNAAL, ABNP 1549