05 March 2014, 3:48 p.m. – UST RECTOR Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. assured faculty members earlier today that workloads would be reduced starting next academic year and financial benefits would soon be distributed under a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), seeking to ease tensions a week after the faculty union filed a notice of strike.
In a speech during the 15th Dangal ng UST faculty recognition ceremonies, Dagohoy said he hoped the administration’s gesture would lead to reconciliation. The UST Faculty Union (USTFU), he said, had accepted the University’s request to continue talks over a new five-year CBA, which ended in deadlock last Feb. 14. and resulted in the filing of the strike notice last Feb. 27.
“[N]agpapasalamat ako sa pamunuan ng USTFU sa pagbibigay ng ganitong pagkilala, [at] sa kanilang maluwag na pagtanggap sa offer ng Unibersidad na maisara na at matapos ang ating [CBA],” Dagohoy said. “Simula sa susunod na taong akademiko, ang Unibersidad ay magbabawas na ng [teaching] load mula sa pinakamataas na ranggo. At pagkatapos ng proseso ng lahat, ipinapangako namin sa abot ng aming makakaya na maibigay na ang inyong mga inaantay na benepisyo.”
“Harinawa ang lahat ng ito’y maging simula ng ating muling pagkakaisa at sama-samang paghahanda sa mga susunod pang hamon na ating haharapin bilang isang Unibersidad,” he added.
But Rene Tadle, USTFU internal vice president, said the union’s notice of strike would not be withdrawn, and that the second hearing before the National Conciliation Mediation Board (NCMB), scheduled at 2 p.m. today, would push through.
“At present, we still have our notice of strike. We’re still going to the NCMB [for a hearing] today at 2 p.m. We shall see what’s going to happen there. But insofar as we are concerned, we still have our notice of strike,” Tadle told the Varsitarian. “I would say, though, that there are developments that may bring about a very positive resolution. How it’s going to develop depends on what we’re going to discuss further under the auspices of the NCMB.”
Negotiations for a new CBA—which provides for salary hikes and other terms and conditions of employment—fell through last month over the distribution of loads, faculty qualifications, and faculty promotion and reclassification, among others. USTFU wanted to retain the seniority rule for load distribution, instead of a points-based system proposed by the administration that would take into account other factors like academic preparation.
USTFU also demanded two subsequent three-unit reductions in full teaching loads after the administration panel, headed by Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Clarita Carillo, proposed to double the weight for research output and publication to 25 percent from 12.5 percent, to raise standards make UST competitive.
But the union said a 24-unit workload was too much and UST needed to invest on teachers and reduce teaching hours if it wanted faculty to do research.
Carillo, in a memo to University officials last Feb. 17, said the reduction in teaching loads could lead to a 7 percent tuition increase.
The Rector thanked USTFU for helping organize the annual Dangal ng UST Awards.
During this morning’s ceremonies, Amelita del Rosario of the College of Commerce and Business Administration and Evelyn Songco, head of the Office of Student Affairs and faculty member of the College of Education, were given the Gawad Benavides for 40 years of teaching.
Philosophy professor Jove Jim Aguas of the College of Accountancy was awarded the Gawad Santo Tomas for outstanding teaching performance in the professorial level. Other awardees were Rouena Villarama of the College of Nursing (most outstanding associate professor), Catherine Yao of the College of Commerce and Business Administration (most outstanding assistant professor), and Erlyn Geronimo of the College of Education (most outstanding instructor).
Four professors received the Gawad San Alberto Magno for excellence in research, technological innovations, and creative outputs namely: College of Science professor Allan Patrick Macabeo (outstanding researcher in science), Faculty of Pharmacy professor Librado Santiago (outstanding researcher in health science), Faculty of Engineering professor Joselito de los Reyes (outstanding artist in literary arts), and College of Rehabilitation Sciences professor and UST Publishing House Director John Jack Wigley, who won best book for Falling into the Manhole.
The Gawad San Lorenzo Ruiz, given to faculty members recognized in the national or international level, was awarded to College of Science professors Thomas Edison de la Cruz and Bernard John Tongol, both National Academy of Science and Technology outstanding young scientists; College of Rehabilitation Sciences professor Sally Jane Uy, the Professional Regulation Commission’s (PRC) most outstanding professional in occupational therapy; Faculty of Medicine and Surgery professor Maria Minerva Calimag, PRC’s most outstanding physician; and Faculty of Engineering professor Joselito de los Reyes, Makata ng Taon 2013 of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.
The Gawad San Raymundo Peñafort for outstanding librarians was given to Narcelita Lane Olamit, while the Gawad San Martin de Porres for outstanding guidance counselors was given to Via Katrina Portera. Gena Myrtle P. Terre
