Low gov’t pay deepens shortage of occupational, speech therapists

MANILA, Philippines — Low government salaries are making it difficult to attract and retain occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists in public hospitals, worsening the shortage of professionals needed to support learners with disabilities.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) pointed to the pay disparity as it called for a review of the entry-level salary grades of occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech therapists to bring their compensation closer to market rates.

The commission is pushing for higher entry-level salaries and expanded education and training opportunities for these professionals, citing high vacancy rates in government hospitals and the limited availability of therapy services across the country.

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Department of Health (DOH) data as of September 2026 showed that 262 of the 395 authorized occupational therapist positions in government hospitals remained vacant, equivalent to a vacancy rate of 66%.

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The shortage was even more pronounced among speech therapists, with 61 of 77 authorized positions unfilled, or 79%.

READ: La Salle encourages speech pathology practice outside Metro

Edcom 2 attributed the difficulty in filling these positions partly to the government’s salary structure, which places entry-level occupational and physical therapists at Salary Grade (SG) 11 and speech therapists at SG 10.

These are considerably lower than the SG 15 classification for Nurse I, making government employment less competitive for qualified professionals who can also work in private hospitals, clinics and other practice settings.

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During consultations with professional societies, the commission heard concerns about the difficulty of attracting and retaining practitioners in public service because of differences between government compensation and rates in other settings.

“Our hospitals feel this shortage every day. Unless we make these careers viable in public service and expand training beyond Metro Manila, learners with disabilities will continue to wait for the support they need,” said DOH official Lindsley Jeremiah Villarante.

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The limited supply of new professionals further underscores the need to strengthen the country’s training pipeline.

Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) data showed that 8,060 physical therapists and 2,014 occupational therapists passed their respective licensure examinations from 2021 to 2025.

For speech-language pathologists, however, only 845 passed their licensure examinations from 2023 to 2025, the years covered by the profession’s examinations.

The figures point to a particularly limited pipeline of speech-language pathologists, whose services are also increasingly needed by learners with disabilities.

Access to these services is further constrained by the limited number of PhilHealth-contracted facilities offering occupational and speech therapy.

READ: DepEd seeks additional P500-M funding for special needs program

Based on PhilHealth data as of Sept. 30, 2026, only four of the country’s 18 regions had contracted facilities providing these services.

The remaining 14 regions had no such facilities, covering 389,497 learners with disabilities, or 74% of the national total recorded in the mapping.

Among the regions without contracted facilities were Region IV-A, with 58,272 learners with disabilities; Region V, with 37,068; Region III, with 35,616; and Region IX, with 34,977.

The Philippine Association of Speech-Language Pathologists (PASP) also raised concerns about the sustainability of providing services in underserved and unserved communities.

“Our members have been generously volunteering their time and professional skills to various groups to bridge the gap of the demand of the needed services in underserved and unserved areas,” said Dr. Ferdiliza Garcia, PASP chair for the Legislation and Public Policy Committee.

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“But there is a need to think of sustainable solutions that would also incentivize and support the services of therapists,” she said. /dm