UST FACULTY members are expected to finally receive the long-delayed interest on their share of tuition increases worth about P8 million, which has been undistributed for three years.
Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, president of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU), said UST plans to release the amount on Oct. 15.
Distribution is provided for in the 2016-2021 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University administration and the USTFU, which was ratified in September 2020.
“That has been delayed for three years,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian. “Dapat sana na-release na ‘yon noon pa, even before this CBA negotiation [covering 2021 to 2026] started.”
Gonzales said the interest, once divided among entitled faculty members, would amount to between P3,000 and P5,000 each. “Pang-gasolina pa rin ‘yon or pang-libre sa meal with the family on a weekend,” he said.
By law, 70% of tuition increases must go to salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel, while 20% is allocated to the improvement or modernization of buildings, equipment, libraries, laboratories, and similar facilities, as well as operational costs.
The remaining 10% represents a return on investments for higher educational institutions if they are stock corporations. Otherwise, it must be used for operations.
General Du, legal adviser to the union’s CBA negotiation panel, explained that these allocations are intended to ensure that education remains a public good accessible to all citizens. The policy also seeks to discourage exorbitant fees, he said.
“The 70% incremental proceeds from tuition fee increases are due and demandable upon discussion of distribution,” he said during the USTFU labor education forum on Oct. 4. “The tuition fee incremental proceeds is a law and is not actually subject to negotiations.”
Delayed disbursement of the tuition share could lead to the amount being scrapped altogether, according to Du, citing a case involving another Manila school in which the faculty’s share was forfeited after being undistributed for three years.
“Once nagbigay ng computation ng 70% TFI ang UST, immediately the CBA panel demanded its release. Kasi po we have three years from that point on to demand the release of that 70% TFI. Kasi kapag hindi po natin ginawa, mapapaso,” he said.
Du urged the unionized faculty to be persistent on the release of the interest in their share of tuition increases.
“Kayo dapat, ‘yong members, ‘yong magparamdam sa management that this is your issue, that you are demanding for the release of this [share in] tuition [increases],” he said.
“Ano lang po ang lamang natin? Why would they give in to our demands? Mas marami kayo. You are the lifeblood of UST, we need to let them know that you clamor for it.” Janica Kate J. Buan with reports from Carlo Jose H. Ruga and Amanda Luella A. Rivera
