THE MANILA Health Department has ordered teachers in all schools in the city to secure health certificates, doubling down on the requirement after criticism that it had unfairly singled out UST.
In a memorandum dated Aug. 5 but released on Aug. 9, Dr. Arnold Pangan, city health officer and husband of Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, outlined the legal basis of the city ordinance mandating all workers in the city to obtain a health certificate.
“This certificate ensures that employees are free from communicable diseases and are fit to work,” he said.
The controversial ordinance, which has faced opposition from faculty, support staff, and hospital workers’ unions at UST, states that “teaching and non-teaching personnel thereof including personnel contracted for other services shall secure health certificates from the Manila Health Department.”
Pangan said the city’s health permit mandate was aligned with Presidential Decree 856, or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, which directs school employees to secure a health certificate from the city health department every year.
He also cited a 2021 memorandum circular, issued jointly by national government bodies, which states a health certificate may be required of workers if stipulated in the country’s sanitation code.
In addition, Manila Ordinance 8117 requires workers in businesses operating in Manila, including schools, to undergo drug testing, including unannounced screenings.
Pangan directed educational institutions in Manila to obtain a sanitary permit, which is separate from the individual health certificates required of workers, to certify that they “meet the necessary sanitation and hygiene standards.”
“We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these requirements, which are indispensable for maintaining a safe and healthy educational environment,” the memorandum read. “Your prompt attention and compliance to [sic] this matter is crucial for the well-being of our community.”
UST began enforcing Manila Ordinance 8793, enacted in 2021, in April when the Office of the Vice Rector for Finance instructed all employees to submit their health certificates by May 31. The deadline has been extended twice since then.
The Varsitarian has learned that UST’s compliance with the health permit requirement was being closely monitored by the City of Manila after it found UST in violation through a city-wide random check.
National labor coalitions, such as the National Federation of Labor and the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines, have questioned Manila’s health permit ordinance.
They argued that the city ordinance contradicted national drug legislation, namely the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002 and the Department of Labor and Employment Order 53-03 issued in 2003, both of which require only randomized drug testing.
Labor unions at UST mounted a protest on Aug. 9, criticizing the “contentious” Manila Ordinance 8793 and its “unfair” implementation. Amador Denzel M. Teston
