02 January 2014 - The first batch of Philippine health professionals to work in Germany under the Philippine-German labor agreement signed on March 2013 arrived in Frankfurt on December 15, 2013.
The four nurses, Ms. Vanessa S. Preclaro (25), Ms. Krystel Anne B. Sumido (28), Ms. Eowyn C. Galvez (26) and Mr. Ruel C. Galias (50), are employed by the Nordwest Krankenhaus Hospital in Frankfurt. Ms. Preclaro works at the Cardiology Department, Ms. Sumido is assigned to the Neurology Intensive Station, while Ms. Galvez and Mr. Galias work at the Stroke Unit of the hospital.
Before coming to Germany, the three lady nurses were employed as intensive care and operating room nurses at the Makati Medical Center. They had no previous international employment experience. Mr. Galias, who is much older and like a kuya (older brother) to them, has been working abroad already. His recent employment was as operating room and emergency room nurse in Abu Dhabi, where his wife also works as a nurse.
Nordwest Krankenhaus is a modern hospital founded in 1963. Functioning as an academic teaching hospital of the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, it belongs to the Frankfurt Hospital Foundation of the Holy Spirit, which has a long tradition since the Middle Ages of providing medical care to sick and indigent persons. Nordwest Krankenhaus has become known beyond Frankfurt for its specialization in 10 medical disciplines and for its four clinical research institutes.
The four Filipino health professionals finished their German language courses at Goethe- Institute, the German Cultural Center in Manila. They have passed the Certificate B.1 level examinations, although some of them have already finished taking the B.2 level course but have not yet taken the examinations.
According to the hospital administration, the four Filipino professionals are presently hired as assistant nurses. In January, they will undergo further language and nursing training to acquaint them with the technical German used in hospitals, and to equip them with the necessary communication skills for their profession. Once they pass the language and nursing examinations in about four to five months, they will be promoted to full professional status and their salaries will likewise be adjusted accordingly.
Under the Philippine-German labor agreement, all deployments to Germany must be coursed through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Pre-screened applicants are required to take the German language courses organized for them by the Goethe-Institute. A second batch is expected to arrive Germany in January 2014. END