NON-TENURED instructors of the University may now have their employment contracts renewed for the second term of the academic year, but must comply with the Manila health permit requirement by February, the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (OVRAA) said.
In a letter addressed to faculty members, OVRAA chief Prof. Cheryl Peralta said new and reappointed non-tenured faculty members must submit health compliance requirements, including a sanitary permit, on or before February 14 next year.
If they fail to do so, they would not be recommended for renewal in the succeeding term.
“For the Second Term AY 2024-2025, the Office for Faculty Evaluation and Development shall release employment contracts of new and reappointed non-tenured academic staff, pending compliance with the health certificate requirement, as indicated below. However, failure to comply shall deter the processing of recommendations for renewal of appointment in the succeeding term,” Peralta said.
A number of UST instructors were previously denied teaching loads for the first term of academic year 2024-2025 for not securing a health certificate.
The much-criticized requirement was based on Manila Ordinance 8793 issued in 2021, which mandates all employees in the city to submit a valid ID, stool and urine samples, a filled-out drug test form and biometrics to the Manila Health Department. Each employee were required to pay a total of P625 for the processes that had to be undertaken at the local government’s facilities and renew their permits annually.
Following complaints of the “unhygienic” facilities and dialogues between labor leaders and the city government, Manila Health Department head Arnold “Poks” Pangan later announced that private educational institutions may choose a different medical facility for the laboratory tests, but workers must still pay a P365 fee for health and occupational permits.
Peralta said part-time academic personnel are required to present a hard copy of their laboratory test results, such as fecalysis and chest x-ray and proof of payment of the P365 GoManila app fee to the UST Health Service. A scanned copy of the receipts of faculty members must also be submitted to their respective administrative offices.
Workers are also required to provide the hard copy of their health certificate to the UST Health Service by March 31, 2025, while a scanned copy acknowledged by the health service must be forwarded to the administrative offices. Non-tenured employees may submit valid health permits obtained from another local government unit to the University’s health service within the same deadlines. F
