November 22, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Over 1,000 health workers held simultaneous protest activities yesterday at different venues in Metro Manila, including the Department of Health (DOH) central office to mark the “Health Sector Day of Action Against Corruption.”
Members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), including nurses, doctors and other health professionals, gathered in front of the DOH to protest against corruption in government, lack of accountability and the continuing neglect of the public health care system.
A protest activity was also held at the Philippine General Hospital where 300 people, including members of the academe and health students, participated.
Along E. Rodriguez Avenue, a human chain was formed by the National Children’s Hospital Employees Association-AHW and Filipino Nurses United, together with Trinity University of Asia health students.
AHW members from the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City held a lunch-break protest outside their hospital gates.
The protesting workers stressed that corruption not only demoralizes health workers but also directly undermines the Filipino people’s right to free, quality and accessible healthcare.
“Today’s protest underscores the long-standing and unresolved issues that have pushed health workers and the public health care system to the brink of collapse. Despite our crucial role, we continue to suffer from unpaid and severely delayed benefits, including the performance-based bonuses from 2021 to 2023 and the medical allowance,” said AHW secretary-general Cristy Donguines.
“We also endure low and unlivable salaries that fail to match the rising cost of living and heavy workload,” she added.
Romeo Garcia, AHW-NCR representative, decried that budget cuts in the public health system will further accelerate the privatization and commercialization of essential health services.
“It will put quality care even farther out of reach for the poor and marginalized communities,” Garcia said.
According to AHW public relations officer Benjamin Santos, “chronic understaffing in hospitals and health facilities forces health workers into exhausting shifts and unsafe patient-to-staff ratios, leading to burnout, compromised patient care and increased risk of medical errors.”
“This persistent shortage also limits the ability of health facilities to respond effectively to public health emergencies, further straining an already overburdened system,” Santos added.
The groups called for an investigation into the DOH, especially on reports of unfinished Super Health Centers, which, if completed and properly operational, could help reduce the overflowing number of patients in tertiary hospitals.
They are also demanding the suspension of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, who is allegedly involved in numerous anomalies.
“Given the many cases filed against him regarding these irregularities and the misuse of funds, health workers question why he remains in the DOH, where he has failed to address the plight of health workers and improve the health conditions of the Filipino people,” AHW said.
Health workers vowed to join the protest actions on Nov. 30.