‘It hurts’: Some UST instructors lose teaching load over health permit policy

MANILA, Philippines – Journalist Leo Laparan II has always been passionate about teaching.

So when an opportunity opened up for Laparan to teach journalism classes at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 2017, he immediately took the chance.

But after seven years, he was forced to bid goodbye to his part-time stint in the university because of what he described as a “still questionable and unnecessary requirement.”

Laparan is one of five non-tenured journalism instructors who weren’t given teaching loads this semester because of their non-compliance with Manila’s controversial health permit policy. 

They received the news on August 7, only two days before the opening of classes in UST.

“It’s a passion na rin sa akin na mag-impart ng knowledge, ng expertise, ng experience sa mga nakikita kong susunod sa yapak ko as a journalist,” Laparan told Rappler on Thursday, August 15.  “Para maputol ‘yun because of something na hindi ako nag-comply ay masakit.”

(It’s my passion to impart knowledge, expertise, and experience to those who I see may follow in my footsteps as a journalist. For that to be cut short because of something I didn’t comply with is painful.)

The Sanitation and Disinfection Code of Manila requires all employees in the city to secure a health permit worth P625. To get this permit, they must undergo laboratory tests conducted by the Manila Health Department, which has drawn flak from UST labor unions because of its “filthy” testing facility. 

The ordinance was approved by then-Manila mayor Isko Moreno in 2022, but it was only in April this year when the university began requiring its staff to get their health permit from the city. 

UST gave its employees until July 31 to fulfill the requirement or risk losing access to the university’s official online service, although staff at the Manila Health Department said the permit may be acquired at any time of the year. 

Laparan said he and some of his colleagues intentionally refused to comply because of their reservations regarding the policy.

In particular, he questioned why part-time faculty members like him couldn’t just submit test results acquired from other institutions, such as those from annual