GROUPS REPRESENTING UST workers have called on the Manila city government to issue a memorandum revising the controversial health permit requirement, a policy that Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso vowed to amend during the 2025 election campaign period.
In a letter addressed to Domagoso, the Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado – UST (ONE-UST) urged the local government to publicize its supposed amendments to City Ordinance No. 8793, which mandates employees in Manila to secure a health permit from the city office annually.
“We have learned that the City of Manila has already introduced changes to the policy, to the effect that the health permit requirement will be applied only to new applicants and not to teachers and employees who are already employed,” the letter, dated Jan. 29, read.
The ordinance drew flak in 2024 during the term of then Manila mayor Honey Lacuna, following complaints that it posed a financial burden on workers and compelled them to undergo laboratory tests at unsanitary facilities of the local health department.
In a previous interview with The Flame, Domagoso, who was then aiming to regain the mayoralty of Manila, vowed to amend the ordinance, which was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic, to respond to present needs.
READ: Isko vows amendments to health permit policy as he seeks to reclaim Manila mayoral post
“Those from UST… rest assured, I will amend the law. The pandemic is over. The requirements that are no longer needed [will be amended] because at that time we [needed] to create laws, right? But rest assured [that] we will change the system,” he said in Pilipino after filing his certificate of candidacy on Oct. 8, 2024.
ONE-UST said while it welcomes the amendments to the ordinance, the lack of a formal and public document gives teachers and workers “avoidable inconvenience, expense and anxiety.” The lack of issuances has also resulted in inconsistent implementation of the health permit policy in various institutions, the labor coalition added.
“A clear memorandum will help ensure uniformity in implementation, prevent unnecessary concerns on the part of tenured teachers and regular employees, and promote orderly compliance with the city’s public health regulations,” the group said.
ONE-UST is a labor coalition composed of the UST Faculty Union, Ugnayan ng mga Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng UST Hospital and Samahang Manggagawa ng UST. F
