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, through an email from the journalism department chairperson, Felipe Salvosa II.
“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 physical examinations sponsored by their full-time employers.
“Kapag may duda ka sa isang bagay na pinapagawa sa ‘yo, bakit mo siya gagawin?” he said. “Bakit hindi mo i-challenge muna?”
(If you have doubts over something you’re asked to do, why would you do it? Why don’t you challenge it first?)
In a letter on Thursday addressed to their dean, Melanie Turingan, the UST Arts and Letters Faculty Association proposed that affected instructors still be allowed to teach during the first semester of the current academic year, pending discussions on the health permit requirement.
“We propose that, while discussions on this issue continue within and outside the university among the affected sectors, non-tenured, probationary, and PRC-licensed teachers should not be deprived of their teaching assignments in our college due to the non-submission of health permits,” they said in the letter, obtained by student publication The Flame.
Rappler has reached out to several UST officials for comment. We will update this story once they reply.
‘Lumalaban pa kami’
Laparan found it painful that, after everything he had been through with UST, it was his hesitancy to fulfill a “stupid requirement” that forced him to say goodbye.
“Hindi man lang kami pinaglaban,” he said. “Lumalaban pa kami. Tapos, hindi kami sinamahan, nilaglag pa kami — it hurts.”
(They didn’t even fight for us. We were still fighting. They didn’t stand with us, and they threw us under the bus — it hurts.)
The former journalism instructor has gone through many ups and downs during his time with the university, where he worked alongside his full-time job as a desk editor for a national newspaper.
He said journalism isn’t exactly a lucrative career, so teaching in UST allowed him to save more money for his daily expenses. Having extra savings proved to be helpful when he had to stop working for a few months to receive treatment for nasopharynx cancer.
But more than the financial benefits, Laparan is happy he was able to help mold future journalists.
Earlier this year, the instructor was at the forefront of an issue surrounding student media organization TomasinoWeb, which had been forced by officials to take down a photo of UST students entering a convenience store. The image was said to have caused “public ridicule” because the students’ uniforms resembled the uniforms of the convenience store employees.
“Nai-demonstrate ko kung paano ang maging isang tunay na journalist — ‘yung may paninindigan, ‘yung pinaglalaban kung ano ‘yung nakikitang tama,” he said.
(I was able to demonstrate how to become a real journalist — one with conviction, who will fight for what is right.)
What happens now? Although Laparan is set on taking a break from teaching, he hopes that the university will hear out and address the staff’s grievances regarding its implementation of the controversial ordinance.
UST earlier said in a statement that it “ensures the implementation of relevant measures to achieve timely compliance alongside ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders.” But a representative from one of UST’s labor unions, who asked not to be named, told Rappler on Tuesday, August 13, that the university has yet to reach out to them regarding the matter.
“We did not know of any town halls with the admin for them to hear our side,” Laparan also said in a mix of English and Filipino. “It’s all compliance or non-compliance. It’s just black or white.” – Rappler.com