Belgium eyed as market for Filipino nurses

The Philippine government is considering Belgium as a new market for its nurses, the Global Nation Inquirer reports. Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that talks are now underway that could lead to the enactment of a mutual recognition arrangement. “This could result in the deployment of our nurses in Belgium and probably  even to other member countries of the European Union,” Baldoz said in an interview. Foreign nurses apparently encounter difficulty entering Belgium due to restrictions imposed by the European Commission. The European Directive 2005/36/EC consolidates the rules regulating the recognition of professional qualifications. “Based on the directive, licensed Filipino nurses still have to undergo course adaptation to elevate their credentials to be at par with the Belgian nursing curriculum,” Baldoz said.