FORMER MANILA mayor Isko Moreno has pledged to amend City Ordinance 8793, a contentious policy passed during his first term amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as he eyes a political comeback in the 2025 elections. 

Enacted in December 2021, shortly before Moreno launched his unsuccessful presidential bid, the ordinance mandates all city workers to obtain health certificates annually from the Manila Health Department.

The ordinance has a section covering educational institutions, mandating schools to comply with sanitation rules, including requiring faculty and support staff to get health certificates from the city health department, or face fines and closure.

Concerns over the policy surfaced in 2024 when UST strictly implemented the requirement on its employees, resulting in the non-renewal of contracts of some non-tenured faculty who did not comply. 

RELATED: Timeline: Manila’s health permit ordinance  

In an interview, Moreno emphasized that circumstances have changed since the ordinance’s passage.

“Kung alam mo na hindi na siya kapaki-pakinabang, hindi na siya effective, the least thing that you can do is to implement it; the best thing that you can do is to amend it,” Moreno told the Varsitarian

“I think they know better than me because they are doctors. Ako nga logic lang e,” added Moreno, referring to incumbent Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and her partner and the head of Manila’s City Health Department, Dr. Arnold “Poks” Pangan.

Moreno said that if he were in the position, he would have the ordinance changed immediately.

“If I get elected, pagdating ng araw ‘pag nakabalik tayo, aamiyendahan ko ‘yang batas na ‘yan,” he said, adding that he would urge the city council to amend the ordinance “the following day” upon takeover. 

“The law may be broad, but you can reconfigure it to address a particular segment of a society,” he added. 

‘Lend an ear’

UST labor unions under the coalition Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado ng UST (ONE-UST) had repeatedly sought leniency from Lacuna’s government in enforcing the ordinance. 

In her first statement on the issue in August, Lacuna, a UST alumna, attributed the controversy to a supposed “misunderstanding” on the part of the University. 

“‘Yong ibang mga universities nakapag-comply naman sila e, maliban lamang po sa UST na nagkaroon sila ng issue,” she said in the news conference organized by the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association. “Pilit naman po naming ipinararating sa kanila kung ano po ‘yong gusto namin na sana mangyari.”

“I think ‘yong pagkaka-explain lang sa kanila ng administration ng UST, doon nagkaroon ng problema — misunderstanding. Siguro kung hindi nagkaroon ng gano’n, maayos naman sanang naipatupad,” she added. 

READ: ‘Misunderstanding’ by UST caused Manila health permit issue — Lacuna 

Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto questioned why UST was the only school complaining about the requirement.

“Nagtataka lang ako kung bakit ngayon lang siya naging issue (Manila Ordinance 8793). At nagtataka lang din ako kung bakit do’n sa ordinansa na ‘yon ay UST lang ‘yong nagrereklamo,” the vice mayor, who presides over the city council, said. 

“‘Di lang naman UST ang eskuwelahan natin pero bukod-tanging sila ‘yong nagrereklamo, at ‘yong iba naman sumusunod.” 

Moreno criticized Lacuna and Nieto for dismissing the concerns of UST employees. 

“The irony of all these things, nagalit ka pa. Now, bingi ka na non. The best thing that you can do, ipatawag mo nga mga taga-USTe. Mamamayan niyo ‘yan e,” he said. 

He also took a swipe at Pangan for filing a cyber libel complaint against labor leader Elijah “Eli” San Fernando, who criticized the ordinance’s implementation in a fiery video uploaded to social media platforms. 

READ: Labor leader indicted for cyber libel over video on health certificate  

“The least that you can do is to lend an ear.  We’re not required to do anything agad. At the very least, you just lend an ear,” Moreno added. “Anong ginawa? Dinemanda pa ata ng city hall.” 

READ: Deadlines set for UST faculty’s compliance with Manila health certificate  

Months after the controversy erupted, UST revised its health certificate application process by allowing free laboratory tests at its health facilities for regular employees. However, UST maintained the certificate as a work requirement. with reports from Marco Luis D. Beech, Janica Kate J. Buan, and Carlo Jose H. Ruga

LEAVE A REPLY

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.