More than 14,000 Filipino nursing graduates took the US licensure exam for the first time in the first half of 2024, a lawmaker said Sunday, underscoring the ongoing exodus of healthcare workers from the Philippines.

House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chair Representative Marvin Rillo said the figures reflect the “eagerness” of Filipino nurses to practice in the United States where salaries are significantly higher.

He estimated a 57 percent first-time passing rate for Filipino examinees.

Last year, a record 36,410 Filipino nursing graduates took the US licensure exam.

The average annual pay for registered nurses in the US is $86,070, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To recall, Rillo has pushed for a 75 percent pay raise for nurses in Philippine government hospitals to stem the outflow. His House Bill 5276 would increase starting salaries from about $7,000 to $12,000 a year.

“We are in a race against time,” Rillo said. “We have to invest more money now to retain here at home at least some of our fresh nursing graduates.”