University of Santo Tomas employees protest mandatory health permit ordinance

Health workers, faculty, and non-teaching staff from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) protested against the Manila City Government’s Mandatory Health Permit Ordinance. The demonstrators opposed the ordinance, which mandates workers to obtain government-issued health permits to continue their employment. Their stance was supported by various labor unions, educational institutions, and health organizations demanding the ordinance’s immediate repeal.

The Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (CoTeSCUP), representing unions from major educational institutions across Metro Manila, raised concerns about the ordinance’s fairness. They highlighted discrepancies in its application, noting that it exempts certain professional license holders while imposing requirements on other workers, undermining equal protection under the law.

The Ugnayang Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng UST Hospital (UNM-USTH) echoed these criticisms, labeling the ordinance as “redundant and unfair.” Richie Ronald Ignacio, a health worker from UNM-USTH, asserted, “This ordinance is redundant and unfair to workers. Ordinance 8793 should be scrapped!” He further stated, “Mayor Honey Lacuna, listen to the workers of UST Hospital. We will not bow down to an ordinance that overrides national law. This will not succeed.”