MANILA — University of Santo Tomas workers may have to bring a Manila ordinance that requires them to get a health certificate for work in the city to court but are hoping for dialogue with university management so they will not have to do it alone. 

They said the ordinance, which they call illegal and unjust, could mean around 1,000 faculty members who cannot or will not get a city health certificate will not get to teach this semester.

UST has said it is “committed to meet the requirements of the laws and policies of regulatory agencies, including ordinances from the Manila city government” but union coalition Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado-UST (ONE-UST) pointed out that other universities have not made the city health certificates mandatory for staff.

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“Our concern remains that UST workers may be left to seek justice in court independently,” union coalition Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado-UST (ONE-UST) said.

“We cannot allow our faculty members to become sacrificial lambs to an unfair and unjust ordinance,” the group also said this week.

It said that the ordinance will affect thousands of other workers in Manila, who will have to submit valid IDs, stool and urine samples, drug test forms and biometrics information to local government hospitals. 

UST has its own hospital, but the city will not accept health clearances and test results from private facilities.

Manila workers will also have to pay around P600 a year for the certificates, ONE-UST also said.

ONE-UST said it is hoping for a dialogue with university management on the matter.

UST employees held a prayer rally on Friday to protest the ordinance.

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