Review Manila health permit policy — teachers

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila City government should review its “questionable” health permit policy amid “inconsistencies” in its implementation, according to the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (Cotescup).

Ordinance 8793 or the Sanitation and Disinfection Code of the City of Manila issued in 2021 is redundant as most institutions already conduct annual medical examinations for employees, Cotescup said.

“The requirement for teachers and non-academic personnel to secure this health certificate imposes unnecessary financial burdens,” the group said in a letter to Mayor Honey Lacuña.

“It appears that this health permit ordinance was initially issued in response to the pandemic. However, the threat of COVID-19 is not as pronounced today as it was in 2021 when the ordinance was enacted,” they noted.

Universities and colleges should instead be allowed to “submit reports of health clearances obtained from their internal examinations,” Cotescup said.

Under the ordinance, employees of businesses and educational institutions are required to annually secure health certificates from the Manila Health Department (MHD).

Faculty members and staff of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) have been pushing back against the measure due to “below-average” facilities in testing sites and the high cost of procedures required by the MHD, which is P625 annually.

Student publication The Flame reported that 1,701 of 3,261 UST personnel or 52.16 percent had not yet secured their health certificates before the July 31 deadline.

More than a thousand faculty members may not be given teaching loads this semester, the report noted.

Based on the ordinance, non-compliant employees will pay a P3,000 fine for the first offense and P5,000 fine as well as revocation of health certificate for the second offense.

The ordinance also penalizes establishments: P3,000 for a first offense; P4,000 and a cease-and-desist recommendation, second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense, including a permanent closure order.