Recognizing the competency of Filipino nurses, a visiting United States senator on Tuesday raised the possibility of sending American students to nursing schools in the Philippines. Senator Tammy Duckworth paid a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace in Manila. Filipinos all over the US are recognized for being well-educated and for their fluency in the English language, among other factors, Duckworth said during the meeting, as stated in a Facebook post of state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM). Given the quality of service and the number of Filipino nurses in the US, Duckworth briefed Marcos about her discussion with the US Embassy in the Philippines about the possibility of sending American students to nursing schools in the country. The plan is seen as a solution to address the United States’ shortage of nursing programs and residency slots, according to RTVM’s post. Marcos also reaffirmed his commitment to forge more partnerships with the US government. They discussed the impact of climate change and the pandemic on the world economy. Marcos and Duckworth talked about the Philippines and the US governments’ shift to renewable energy to transform the economy in the post-pandemic era. Duckworth told Marcos that the Philippines and the US may collaborate for the production of electronic vehicle batteries to meet the huge demand of the American market. ‘I can’t think of a better place to create a new manufacturing ecosystem for the American market than here in the Philippines where we can work together to supply that market so that we can continue to make our switch to renewables as well. And there are many other places where we can work together,’ Duckworth said, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). ‘And again, I would rather have America’s manufacturing supply chain rest here in a nation that has been a long-time friend and ally, than in a nation that is our adversary or our competitor. And so, I think there are lots of opportunities and we had a really productive meeting,’ she added. Marcos said the Philippines has great potential for battery manufacturing, considering the presence of mineral deposits that are necessary elements for battery production. ‘We have nickel, we have bauxite, we have cobalt. And so, the idea of manufacturing….has shown more and more potential, the more we study it,’ he told Duckworth. ‘And, so this is what we are hoping to develop here. Not just — we will have a demand locally for these batteries but not just for the local demand but also for sale to other countries and for other markets. That is certainly something that we have been pushing very hard for in terms of developing the capabilities.’ PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Duckworth had already discussed with Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla about the US’ transition to renewable energy sources and the current challenges it is facing. Vast experience Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran, Purple Heart recipient, former assistant secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs and was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom,’ launched on March 19, 2003, to rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction and replace Saddam Hussein’s regime with a democracy supported by the citizens. On Nov. 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and she lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. She spent the next year recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to her official profile. She was in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. Two years later, she won a seat at the US Senate after representing Illinois’s Eight Congressional District in the US House of Representatives for two terms. US visit gains During Marcos’ five-day official visit to the US in May, he lauded its willingness to work with the Philippine government as an ‘equal, sovereign partner.’ Marcos’ US visit yielded at least USD1.3. billion (PHP71.8 billion) worth of investment pledges that have the potential to create an estimated 6,700 new jobs
Source: Philippines News Agency