Nars Jocelyn “Alyn” Andamo | Makabayang Nars Para Sa Senado

A long-time community nurse, leader, organizer, teacher, Nars Jocelyn “Alyn” Andamo is a fierce advocate for people’s health and a fighter for the rights and welfare of nurses and health workers. She is our Makabayang Nars para sa Senado.

Born in Manila, Nars Alyn graduated cum laude in Far Eastern University, Institute of Nursing in Manila. She earned credits in Masters in Public Health in the University of the Philippines- Manila Open University.

After graduation in 1983, Nars Alyn became a Day Care Nurse at the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). She later became the Training Coordinator and later on the Executive Director of Philippine Youth Health Program, a non-government organization that trained batch after batch of health students for community service.

Nars Alyn taught Community Health Nursing first as Practicum Preceptor Coordinator at RTRMS-Makati Medical Center College of Nursing in 1986, then as lecturer at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) College of Nursing in 1990-1991 and San Beda College of Nursing in 2002.

She worked with community-based health programs under the Council for Health and Development, from 1994-2009, serving in different capacities as Health Human Resource Department Director, Community Coordinator and Community Volunteer Program Director.

She had actively been involved in organizing and mobilizing nurses in 2014-2015, with the Philippine Nurses Association, the accredited professional organization of nurses, concomitantly as Chair of the Committee on Positive Practice Environment and as member of the Department of Nurses’ Economic and General Welfare.

She was the Lead Nurse Organizer of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), the national organization of health workers’ unions, during the period 2009-2015 serving as Education Committee Coordinator, International solidarity Officer and Nurses Committee coordinator.

She was a convenor and founding officer of NARS ng Bayan or Nagkakaisang Narses sa Adhikaing Reporma sa Kalusugan, an autonomous national organization of nurses from private, and public sector advocating for nurses’ rights and welfare and people’s health. In 2015, she was pivotal in establishing the Filipino Nurses United, a national labor association of nurses, of which she is the current secretary-general.

Nars Alyn participated in major health campaigns as Co-Convenor in both Network Opposed to Privatization of Hospitals and Save Fabella Hospital Movement. These campaigns were launched withhealth workers’ unions and people’s organizations and successfully foiled government’s attempts to privatize Philippine Orthopedic Center, Philippine General Hospital, Fabella Hospital, Tala Leprosarium and GOCC hospitals, namely, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and National Kidney & Transplant Institute. She also became the nurse-representative of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) in 2016-2018.

During the height of COVID-19 pandemic, Nars Alyn championed the cause of nurses and health workers. She led the nurses’ and joined the health workers’ actions on the issues of lack of PPEs, lack of protection, delayed pandemic benefits, and deployment ban. She asserted the people’s calls for free testing, adequate subsidies, and medical approach to the pandemic.

Nars Alyn carried her advocacies for people’s right to health, and for nurses’ and health workers’ rights in the international arena. In 1988 she was a delegate in the World Health Organization (WHO) Network of Community Oriented Academic Institutions International Conference in Maastricht, The Netherlands; acting as a Resource Speaker for the International Community Health Campaign in The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden. In 1998 she was a delegate of International People’s Health Council (IPHC) in the Primary Health Care Committee Assembly, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; in 2000 a delegate of the People’s Health Movement (PHM) International People’s Assembly, in Dhaka, Bangladesh and again in 2018 as a delegate in the PHM Assembly. In 2014, she was the Guest speaker in the New York State Nurses Association Convention in New York USA. In the same year she was a guest speaker in the National Nurses United Convention in Las Vegas, USA, and a delegate to the Global Nurses United Executive Committee Meeting also in Las Vegas, USA. Global Nurses United (GNU) is an international federation of nurses unions and labor organizations from 30 countries. Nars Alyn would be attending succeeding GNU executive meetings in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in various parts of the world. This year, Nars Alyn represented NARS ng Bayan in the International League of People’s Struggle held in Malaysia. 

Upholding and advocating for nurses and health workers’ rights alongside the people’s right to health – from the communities, to the academe, to different parts of the world, and in 2025 to the Philippine Senate, our Makabayang Nars, tagapagtaguyod ng libreng serbisyong pangkalusugan, kagalingan at karapatan ng mamamayan at health workers, Jocelyn “Alyn” Andamo.

PLATAPORMA NI NARS ALYN ANDAMO, MAKABAYAN

PANAWAGAN: LIBRENG SERBISYONG PANGKALUSUGAN PARA SA TAUMBAYAN!

1. Libre, kumprehensibo at pambansang pampublikong pangangalagang pangkalusugan.
   • Isabatas ang Free, Comprehensive, and Progressive, National Public Health Care System bill.
2. Sapat na badyet sa kalusugan.
   • Ilaan ang katumbas ng 5% ng gross domestic product (GDP). Diretsong pondohan ang mga pampublikong ospital at pasilidad pangkalusugan.
   • I-rechannel ang PhilHealth government subsidy direkta sa mga pampublikong pasilidad at serbisyong pangkalusugan.
3. Libreng gamot, laboratory, diagnostic at batayang pangangailangang medikal sa mga pampublikong pasilidad at pagamutan.
   • Pondohan mula sa pambansang badyet. Alisin ang VAT sa gamot.
4. Renationalize, ibalik sa national government ang devolved na serbisyong pangkalusugan.
5. Ipagbawal ang pribatisasyon ng pampublikong serbisyong pangkalusugan.
6. Kumpletong serbisyong pangkalusugan hanggang sa mga baryo.
   • Barangay health stations, rural health units at pampublikong ospital na malapit sa mga tao at may kumpletong kagamitan, gamot, suplay at health workers. Barangay health station sa bawat barangay.
7. Palakasin ang primary health care at pag-iwas sa karamdaman.
   • Tiyakin ang sapat na pagkain at nutrisyon, sanitasyon, at edukasyong pangkalusugan. Palakasin ang mga programa sa pag-iwas sa mga karamdaman.
8. Sapat na pampublikong ospital at kama batay sa populasyon.
   • Sapat na bilang ng pampublikong ospital. Ipatupad ang Republic Act 1939 na nagmamandato ng 90% ng kama para sa mahihirap sa mga pampublikong ospital. Hikayatin ang pribadong nagmamay- ari ng mga ospital na ilaan ang 20% ng mga kama para sa mga pasyenteng wala o kulang ang kakayahan (charity beds). Samantala, ipatupad ang suporta sa charity beds sa mga pribadong ospital sa mga lugar na walang pampubikong ospital batay sa RA 298.
9. Public general at specialty hospitals, laboratory at diagnostic facilities sa bawat rehiyon.
   • Pagtatayo ng mga pampublikong custodial at palliative care facilities para sa mga nakakatanda at terminal cases.
10. Sapat na bilang ng mga health workers.
    • Punuan ang mga bakanteng position at lumikha ng mga karagdagang plantilla positions. Tiyakin ang: 2 doktor/bayan, 1 nurse kada barangay, 1 midwife/barangay, 2 dentista/bayan, 1 sanitary inspector/bayan.
11. Nakabubuhay na sahod, regular na trabaho, sapat na benepisyo, karapatan sa pag-uunyon at proteksyon sa mga health workers.
    • Minimum na sweldong P33,000/buwan para sa pampubliko at pribadong health workers. P50,000/buwan minimum na sweldo sa nurses sa publiko at pribado. Regular na trabaho sa lahat ng health workers. Ipagbawal ang kontraktwalisasyon. Magna Carta of health workers sa pampubliko at pribado. Tiyakin ang karapatan sa pag-uunyon. Libreng Continuing Professional Development na hindi mandatory (sapilitan) at pinondohan ng gubyerno o employer.
12. Sapat na kompensasyon, suporta, training, benepisyo at proteksyon para sa barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars at day care workers.
    • Isabatas ang Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers Bill. Magpanukala ng batas para sa pagpapabuti ng kalagayan ng BNS at day care workers.
13. Libreng tuition at bayarin sa edukasyong health sciences nang walang kundisyon.
    • Proteksyon at stipend sa estudyante sa duties at internship. Itulak ang service-oriented curriculum.
14. Tax holiday/s at ibang insentibo para sa mga maliliit at katamtamang-laking kumpanyang Pilipino sa kalusugan.
    • Suporta ng gobyerno sa pag-aari ng Pilipinong mga kumpanya ng gamot, pribadong ospital at institusyong pangkalusugan.
15. Pamamahalang malinis, may-pananagutan at partisipayon ng taumbayan.
    • Nakabatay sa pangangailangan at serbisyo ang paggastos ng pondong publiko sa kalusugan. Imbestigahan at panagutin ang mga sangkot sa iregular at maanomalyang transakyon ng gobyerno sa kalusugan.