UST employees slam Manila LGU over controversial health permit policy

MANILA, Philippines – Workers from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) held a prayer rally on Friday, August 9, to protest against a measure by the City of Manila mandating employees to secure a health permit worth P625.

The Sanitation and Disinfection Code of Manila, which was approved by former Manila mayor Isko Moreno in April 2022, requires employees in the country’s capital to secure a health certificate from the Manila Health Department.

In a text message to Rappler on Friday, UST Faculty Union president Emerito Gonzales, the measure was “not just, not fair, and not consistent with the law.”

In particular, Gonzales questioned an “illogical” loophole that allowed some workers to submit an updated professional tax receipt (PTR) in lieu of the health certificate. This included professionals with valid licenses issued by the Professional Regulation Commission or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

The UST Office of the Secretary General, through a circular released in July, said that those with PTRs were “no longer required to apply for a health certificate.” It cited an item in the local government code that said those who have paid professional tax can work “without being subjected to any other national or local tax, license, or fee for the practice of such profession.” 

“This defeats the very purpose of [the ordinance]! Drug addicts or those with viruses can easily get away by paying for a PTR,” Gonzales told Rappler in a mix of English and Filipino. “Thus, we call on the Manila City Hall to stop the implementation of this ordinance, and review it, and improve it soonest.”

Arnold Pangan, Manila’s city health officer and the husband of Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, encouraged educational institutions to comply with the requirements, saying that these were “indispensable for maintaining a safe and healthy educational environment.”

Why not UST Hospital?

To acquire the certificate, the workers must undergo a stool examination, sputum examination or chest X-ray, and a drug test, which must be conducted by Manila’s Public Health Laboratory unless “such tests are not readily available for some unforeseen circumstances.” The university referred to this part of the ordinance in response to questions asking why the laboratory tests could not be taken in its own hospital.

However, Section 43 of the same measure states that the private sector “may designate the medical institution of their choice,” while those from the public sector shall have their examination conducted by the Manila Health Department.

Donnel Siazon, president of the UST health union, said that Manila’s policy forces workers to shell out their own money and file leaves just to comply when the necessary tests are also readily available at the UST Hospital.

“Ang panawagan namin, since kino-conduct ‘yung annual examination sa amin, dapat i-recognize ito ng [local government unit] kasi mas pulido ‘yung pagkakagawa ng examination sa mga manggagawa dahil tinitignan nga ito ng doctors namin,” he told student publication The Flame in an interview.

(We call on the local government unit to recognize the annual examination we conduct because these are more polished, since our doctors take a look at them.)

In a statement released on July 31, representatives of UST’s labor unions renewed their calls for dialogues with the university’s rector, Father Richard Ang, regarding the issue.

“The current implementation of the ordinance not only poses challenges for our workers but also threatens to disrupt the smooth functioning of our university,” they said. “This representation is made in the spirit of dialogue and our firm belief that anger, confusion, and disappointment can be resolved and avoided when UST Management pays immediate attention and listens to the issues concerning the plight of workers, students, and all stakeholders of the university.”

Days later, on Wednesday, August 7, UST said that it “ensures the relevant measures to achieve timely compliance alongside ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders.”

Student publication The Varsitarian said in its report that the university “was being closely monitored by the City of Manila” after it supposedly found UST in violation of health permit requirements through a city-wide random check. – Rappler.com