A UST labor coalition has urged Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. to address concerns raised by licensed professionals who had opted not to secure a health certificate because of a mistaken pronouncement that it was optional. 

In a letter dated Oct. 21, the Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado ng UST (ONE-UST) requested another dialogue with Ang to discuss remaining issues related to the city’s health certificate requirement. 

The request came after Manila’s health chief, Dr. Arnold “Poks” Pangan, issued clarifications on Manila’s City Ordinance 8793 and revised the rules on Oct. 8. 

Pangan emphasized that health certificates were required even for holders of professional tax receipts, which is a city government tax obtained annually by professionals, including lawyers, doctors, and licensed teachers.

UST, through memoranda from the Office of the Vice Rector for Finance and the Office of the Secretary General, had previously stated that PTR holders were exempt from securing health certificates under the Local Government Code.

READ: Health certificate mandate expanded to licensed professionals  

“In light of this recent development, we recall your commitment to maintain dialogue with affected sectors within the university. We are ready to meet with you to discuss the operational implications of the policy change, as our colleagues will require clear guidance moving forward,” ONE-UST said in its letter to Ang. 

In addition to concerns from PTR holders, ONE-UST sought clarification regarding non-tenured faculty members who were not reappointed in Term 1 due to their failure to obtain health certificates.

Previously, UST administrators told ONE-UST that faculty members who were not reappointed may continue teaching in Term 2 “if they submit a commitment letter to obtain a health permit from the Manila Health Department.”

READ: UST begins dialogues with labor coalition over Manila health permit  

ONE-UST also proposed exploring the possibility of using the UST Faculty Union’s (USTFU) collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to cover laboratory test fees. USTFU is currently negotiating the 2021-2026 CBA with the UST administration.

The labor coalition further stressed the need for improved collaboration between UST employees and the administration, claiming a lack of transparency on resolving the health permit issue.

“Unfortunately, we feel that the administration has not always been fully transparent, particularly regarding the health permit issue, which has hindered genuine collaboration between UST employees and management,” it said. 

“We are eager to engage with you to explore practical steps that can fortify our principled cooperation,” it added. 

ONE-UST first met with Ang in late August, although the results of that discussion were kept under wraps. A.D.M. Teston

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