A new poster campaign initiated by Laguna Governor Sol Aragones in hospitals across the province has sparked debate online and within the medical community. The posters read “Bawal ang mataray sa mga ospital ng Laguna” (“No sassy workers allowed in Laguna hospitals”), aiming to promote kindness in healthcare settings.
A handful of health workers warn, however, that it risks worsening existing problems in the country’s already strained hospital system. One of the most shared reactions came from Atty. Race Del Rosario, a lawyer and former nurse, who took to Facebook to express his concerns, writing, “It might seem well-meaning at first glance, but let’s be real: it misses the point.”
Del Rosario shared his experience, pointing out the everyday challenges that medical frontliners endure. He wrote, “Exhaustion from 16-hour shifts. Sweldo na hindi sapat sa dami ng sakripisyo. Kulang sa staff. Kulang sa gamot. Kulang sa pasilidad. Overcrowded emergency rooms. Patients piling up while nurses run from one end to another, still expected to smile.”
“Exhaustion from 16-hour shifts. Salary not enough for the amount of sacrifice. Lack of staff. Lack of medicine. Lack of facilities. Overcrowded emergency rooms. Patients piling up while nurses run from one end to another, still expected to smile.”
Many online users expressed support for the sentiments raised, asserting that the core problem lies not in attitude but in systemic shortcomings. Online community members left comments resonating with Del Rosario’s observations, reflecting broader frustrations across Philippines healthcare systems.
Local officials have yet to formally respond to the feedback, but the incident has reignited broader conversations about the state of public healthcare in the Philippines, one of them to be held with radio broadcast DZME 1530 as they are set to interview Del Rosario and other workers in the field on the persistent challenges in the medical scene this July 2 at 5:00 pm.
Other POP! stories you might like:
‘Basaan festival’ draws yet another year of disruption among commuters and passersby
