Tarlac Local Officials to New Midwives: Become Part of Solution to Brain Drain of Healthcare Workers

February 28, 2025

Text by Jennifer F. Manongdo
Photos by Erlyn May U. Pareja

Officials of the provincial government of Tarlac and UP Manila officials unveil a marker for the School of Health Sciences Extension Office on Feb. 24, 2025. The event coincided with the school’s fourth founding anniversary and the candle-lighting ceremonies of students of the Diploma in Midwifery Course. In the photo are (from left) provincial government of Tarlac Consultant Ricardo P. Ramos, 1st District Board Member Candidate Tito Roxas, Moncada Mayor Estelita Aquino, Governor Susan Yap; UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee, School of Health Sciences Tarlac Director Catherine Swin-Santos, School of Health Sciences Midwifery Department Chairperson Ma. Ivy Rochelle Tan, Jose Mateo Dela Cruz, and Asst. Prof. Pedro M. Magadan, founding director of the School of Health Sciences Tarlac.

Tarlac local government officials joined the call in urging young midwives to serve in local health facilities even as brain drain persists among healthcare professionals.

“I know that the call for greener pastures is always there, nangangarap na makapagtrabaho sa ibang lugar. Pero paano na lang yung sila lolo at lola na nangangailangan din ng aruga? Kaya bago n’yo isipin ‘yun, sana ay makatulong muna tayo sa ating mga kababayan,” Governor Susan Yap told students from the second batch of the Diploma in Midwifery Course at the School of Health Sciences (SHS) Extension Office during their Commitment Building and Candle Lighting Ceremonies on Feb. 24, 2025 at Bulwagang Kanlahi in Tarlac City.

Considered frontliners in rural settings, midwives are tasked with delivering prenatal and postnatal maternal and newborn care. Staffing shortages have resulted in midwives performing additional roles such as program coordinators, field epidemiologists, supply managers, and other functions that complement healthcare delivery.

Wanted: More Midwives

Nursing Education remains to be the top choice among students, followed by Medicine in second place, and Midwifery Education in third, according to a report presented earlier by Dir. Johanna Solon Banzon of the Health Human Resource Development Bureau of the Department of Health (DOH). The report, “Philippine Health Workforce: A Situationer,” revealed that the average number of graduates of Medicine Education stood at 5,585 from 2018 to 2022, followed by 11,014 nursing graduates and a meager 3,176 who finished the Midwifery course.

From 2019 to 2023, there were 4,280 who passed the Physician Licensure Exam, 14,150 passers of the Philippine Nurses Licensure Exam, and 1,797 passers of the Midwifery Licensure Exam.

Furthermore, the report indicated that as of July 2024, there were 101,740 active professional medical license holders, 538,068 nursing license holders, and 73,624 midwifery license holders.

Despite this, there is a gap of 286,302 in the healthcare workforce in local facilities. While this is largely blamed on brain drain, the global situation is also problematic. The World Health Organization projects a deficiency of 11 million health workers by 2030, mostly affecting low and lower- to middle-income countries.

Going Further

Some midwives stay in their careers while others choose to take different routes.

After finishing a course in midwifery, Dr. Geovy Rose Aborque, municipal health officer of Sagada, pursued nursing followed by medicine, as it gave her a “broader scope” and “a deeper understanding” of her calling. It was during her time in Naguilian, La Union, as a Doctor to the Barrio (DTTB), that she realized the need for a homegrown municipal health officer in her hometown of Sagada who will provide continuous and dedicated service to the community.

Similarly, Dr. Catherine Swin-Santos, director of the SHS Extension Office, also worked as a DTTB in Atok, Benguet, before finally “coming home” to Tarlac and finally taking the helm as director.

The heart to serve

But all is not lost in this generation, where most are likely to prefer taking the easy road to success.

Paulina Pangan and Crystal Irish Silvestre both dream of becoming nurses someday and dedicate their time to serving the communities in Tarlac. As the first members of their families to graduate in the field of health sciences, both are proud to have brought honor to their loved ones.

After the ceremony, the young midwives were sent off to communities for their service leave. After graduation, they will take the licensure examinations, with the fees shouldered by the provincial government of Tarlac.