The Philippine Embassy in Brussels, Belgium has cautioned Filipino nurses on available jobs advertised by recruiters in the Philippines, who take advantage of the reported acute shortage of nurses in Belgium.

The Philippine Embassy has reported that although there is a shortage of nurses in Belgium, foreign nurses encounter difficulty in entering this country due to restrictions imposed by the European Commission, specifically the European Directive 2005/36/EC passed in 7 September 2005.

The European Directive 2005/36/EC is the relevant law on equivalency which consolidates the rules currently regulating the recognition of professional qualifications. Based on the Directive, licensed Filipino nurses still have to take several units of nursing subjects in Belguim to elevate their credentials to be at par with the Belgian nursing curriculum.

Filipino nurses are advised not to resign from their jobs in haste solely on the basis of the “sugar coated promises” of recruiters of non-existent jobs in Belguim.

For the information and guidance of all concerned.


Adopted: 16 March 2011


(SGD.) CARLOS S. CAO, JR.
Administrator