ONE-UST, the coalition of UST’s labor unions, has asked city officials to clarify the health permit requirement after getting reports it was being imposed only on new hires.
In a Jan. 29 letter to Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, coursed through Manila Health Department director Dr. Grace Padilla, the group said “inconsistent implementation” of the policy had caused “confusion” among workers.
The coalition said it had learned that the city government had introduced changes to the policy, in which the health permit requirement would be “applied only to new applicants and not to teachers or employees who are already currently employed.”
“We appreciate this adjustment,” ONE-UST said, adding that it “avoids imposing unnecessary burdens on teachers and employees who are already compliant with institutional health protocols.”
Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, president of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU), announced the move in a separate letter to members.
A clarificatory memo, he said in the Jan. 10 USTFU circular, should address whether “only the newly hired teachers and employees are required to submit a health permit to their employers.”
It’s unclear however how the Manila chief executive could exempt regular workers from the health permit, as it is required by an ordinance passed by the Manila city Council, which is the local government’s legislative body.
Such changes normally require amending the ordinance, which has the force of law within the city’s jurisdiction.
City Ordinance No. 8793, or the Manila Sanitation and Disinfection Code of 2021, was passed in December 2021 by the city council and signed by Moreno in April 2022.
ONE-UST said some regular personnel from other institutions were required to obtain health permits despite compliance with internal health screening and documentation.
“This has resulted in confusion and inconsistent instructions across different offices and stakeholders,” the group said.
UST began requiring health permits in 2024 after city inspectors flagged the University for violations. The health certificates, cost P625 annually.
Labor unions criticized UST for not reappointing non-tenured faculty members who failed to meet the requirement and for imposing internal deadlines not mandated by the Manila Health Department.
UST has since revised its health certificate application process by offering free laboratory tests at its health facilities for regular or tenured employees. The health certificate, however, has remained a work requirement.
Existing University policies require tenured faculty to go through medical screening and obtain health permits during their birth month. Non-tenured faculty are required to go through the same process within the first quarter of each year.
