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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Report of the Staff Regent



1281st Meeting of the Board of Regents
July 26, 2012

Campaigns

Wage Fight
Attended a series of meetings and propaganda actions calling for at least P6,000  salary increase of government personnel, and  the formation of  multi-sectoral alliance called Wage Fight, composed primarily of public sector unions  The said multisectoral alliance is spearheaded by COURAGE, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Alliance of Health Workers and the All UP Workers Union. In pursuance of said campaign, Wage Fight is calling for the enactment into law of HB 3746, HB 5149 and SB 2928 – An Act Providing for a P6,000 Increase in Minimum Pay of Employees and Workers in the Public Sector Nationwide and for other Purposes.

Network Opposed to Privatization of Public Hospitals and Health Services
Attended a series of meetings, conferences and propaganda actions in the relaunching of a nationwide alliance called Network Opposed to Privatization of Public Hospitals and Health Services. The alliance is spearheaded by cause-oriented groups, public hospital based unions and professional groups, such as the Alliance of Health Workers, Health Alliance for Democracy, Philippine Nurses Association, Community Foundation, Council for Health and Development, All UP Workers Union Manila, etc. This is a response of the various health groups to anti-worker and anti-people policy of the Aquino Administration to privatize public hospitals and the delivery of health services. Primarily the group calls for the government to increase public spending in health care and oppose the enactment into law of HB 6069, HB 6145 and SB 3130 – An Act Converting the 26 Government Hospitals into National Government Hospital Corporation (or the National Government Hospital Corporate Restructuring Act).

Campaign for the Release of Benefits under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers and for its Inclusion in the Regular Budget Allocation of the National Government and LGUs
Attended various dialogues with DBM and DOH officials, meetings, conferences and protest actions to dramatize the continuing campaign of  public health workers for the release of their (our) benefits under RA 7304 – Magna Carta of Public Health Workers which have been on hold since January of this year, because the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) remained adamant in approving the requests of the Department of Health (DOH) and its attached agencies and hospitals for the use of savings for payment of Magna Carta benefits (as required under the 2012 GAA) such as hazard pay, augmentation to subsistence and laundry allowances, etc; stating among others that savings can be only realized at the end of the year, and that there is a need to review and rationalize the implementation of said benefits especially the Hazard Pay. This non-payment of benefits amounted to P3,000-P9,000 decrease in monthly take home pay for each public health workers under the DOH. The benefits under the Magna Carta Public Health Workers is provided for by law (RA 7305), but the DBM refuses to allocate annual funding for it and did not include in the preparation of the annual National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress (enacted as the Annual General Appropriations Act), except for PGH which has a separate line item of P116 million (although actual expenditure exceeds P150 million annually). Without a regular allocation, the payment of Magna Carta benefits are derived from savings but are still given regularly starting in most agencies in year 2000.  However, it was withheld starting January of this year due to a provision in the GAA for 2012 that requires DBM approval prior to use of agency savings.

Sectoral Consultation
Visited UP Los Banos on July 12-13, 2012, together with some national officers of the All UP Workers Union for consultation  and updates and confers directly with some staff and REPS of various units such as the Institute of Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and UP Police.
Raised issues:
·        Regularization of farm workers  
·        Inclusion of contractual/casual services in the computation of the annual 10 day Service Recognition Pay
·        Payment of Hazard Pay
·        Career path for REPS

Pertinent Meetings/Conferences Attended

UP President’s Dialogue with the All UP Workers Union on UP-PGH Class D Rates
Attended the President’s dialogue on June 27, with the All UP Workers Union on UP-PGH Class D Rates, together with some officials of UP Manila and PGH. This is in accordance to the decision of the Board of Regents 1280th meeting (June 4, 2012). Upon my request for clarification on the Board’s decision, President Pascual admitted that the PGH proposal would indeed result to imposition of additional charges/fees to Class D (Indigent) patients and not merely a “quantification of services” as the the Board was told by PGH Director Gonzales last meeting , he however clarified that it maybe waived by responsible PGH officials for patients that can not really pay.  The union and myself is continuing our appeal not to impose additional charges to indigent patients. Another meeting was scheduled for finalization of issues.

Meeting of the National Management – Health Workers Consultative Council (NMHWCC)[1]
Attended the meeting of the NMHWCC as the National President of the Alliance of Health Workers on June 29, 2012 at the DOH Central Office to tackle various appeals in the classification as Public Health Workers and made an initial comment on the proposed Joint DBM-DOH Circular on Guidelines on the Grant of Compensation Related Magna Carta Benefits to Public Health Workers under RA 7305. Agreed for a live-in meeting to finalize the Council’s position on the draft Joint Circular.

Consultative Meeting on the draft Joint Circular of the DBM/DOH on Compensation Grant of Compensation Related Magna Carta Benefits to Public Health Workers under RA 7305 and other matters
Attended a two-day live-in consultative meeting of the NMHWCC on July 4-5, 2012 at Cuidad Christia Resort,  San Mateo, Rizal to finalize the Council’s position in the draft Joint DBM/DOH Circular. The Council agreed that the circular should not result to diminution of any benefits, implemented or not under the Magna Carta, and proposed for upgrading of all benefits in accordance with the current cost of living.
Any changes in these benefits (rates, entitlements, etc) have implications to employees of PGH, UP Manila and all Health Service Units in all UP constituent units who are all receiving addtional benefits under RA 7305.

Joint DBM/DOH Meeting on Magna Carta Benefits
Attended the joint meeting of DBM Secretary Abad and DOH Secretary Ona and other officials of said agencies to thresh out the issues involving the release of Magna Carta benefits that have been pending for most of the public health workers under the national government since January of this year and a review of entitlement to compensation related Magna Carta benefits. Reiterated that  at all hospital workers and all incumbents in office based agencies should continue to be entitled to regular payment of hazard pay. The meeting ended with both Secretary Abad and Secretary Ona agreeing on imposing a 10 day time line to resolve the issues surrounding the Magna Carta benefits and to came up with a policy decision that will be approved by President Aquino including the inclusion of a separate line item for the proposed 2013 national budget. Until this time however, this is no authority yet to release the Magna Carta benefits.

Conference Against the Privatization of Public Hospitals and Health Services
Attended the  Conference Against the Privatization of Public Hospitals and Health Services on July 18, 2012 held at the Social Hall, UP Manila. This serve as the formal launching of the Network Opposed to Privatization of Public Hospital and Health Services (NOP). The conference was attended by about 250 leaders of public hospital based unions, professional organizations, health based cause-oriented groups, academics and patient and community organizations uniting to conduct a nationwide public awareness building activities and mass actions against the ill effects of privatization of public hospitals and against the enactment of HB 6069, HB 6145 and SB 3130.


MR. JOSSEL I. EBESATE, RN

Staff Regent



[1] The National Management Health Workers Consultative Council (NMHWCC) is a body created under RA 7305 – Magna Carta of Public Health Workers tasked to implement and monitor the implementation of the Magna Carta but since imasculated by Joint Resolution No. 4 s. 2009 of Congress transfering the implementation of compensation related benefits to the Department of Budget and Management.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Update on the 2nd Meeting of UP and Union Panels on the Renegotiation of CNA Economic Benefits

Sa pangalawang pulong ng CNA renegotiation on economic benefits, pinagtibay ang napagkasunduan noong unang pulong na itataas na ang Christmas grocery allowance mula sa dating P1,000 kada taon tungo sa P4,000.00 kada taon.

Subalit hindi pa rin magkasundo sa halaga ng quarterly rice subsidy. Ang UP Panel ay pumapayag nang gawing P6,000.00 kada taon (o katumbas sa P1,500 kada quarter) mula sa dating P4,500 kada taon, subalit ang unyon ay patuloy na iginigiit ang P1,650.00 kada quarter (o P6,600 kada taon), batay sa halaga ng isang 50 kgs. sako ng maayos na bigas, mula sa dating hiling na P2,000 kada quarter o katumbas sa P8,000.00 kada taon.

Nagkasundo pa rin ang bawat panel na bukas pa naman para sa patuloy na pag-uusap at itinakda ang susunod na pagpupulong sa ika-4 ng Hulyo 2012.

Sumunod na hiniling ng unyon ang kulang na P1,000.00 sa ating Clothing Allowance. Sumagot ang Administration Panel na may pagkukulang pa ang ilang constituent units sa mga report sa DBM kaya hindi pa ini-release ng DBM ang kaukulang pondo. Nangako ang Administration na patuloy nila itong tututukan.

Ang SSL III (4th Tranche) ayon kay VP Amante ay best effort makukuha natin ang adjustment (pati na ang 2 months differential) sa Agosto 2012.

Ang pondo para sa 10 day SRP (ng mga retirees) sa UP Diliman ay patuloy na hinahanapan ng pondo ayon kay VC Yap.

Nagtapos ang meeting bandang 4:30 ng hapon.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Statement of the Staff Regent on the 10-day Service Recognition Pay for Staff and REPS


Mainit kong binabati ang lahat na naging bahagi (pabor at kontra) ng kampanya upang maisakatuparan ang 10 araw na "service recognition pay (10 day SRP) sa mga administratibong kawani ng unibersidad.

Muli ay pinatunayan ng ating mga unyon - ang All UP Workers Union at All UP Academic Employees Union ang lakas ng sama-samang pagkilos bilang siyang pangunahing armas ng ating pag-uunyon.

Hindi ma-itatwa ng sinuman na ang salik ng "sama-samang pagkilos" ang siyang tunay na nagtulak para sa tuluyang pag-apruba nito ng ating Board of Regents (BOR). Ito ay dahil sa ating obserbasyon sa mga pag-uusap ng dating Administrasyong Roman at maging sa Administrasyong Pascual, ayaw nilang ipatupad ito dahil sa laki ng implikasyon nito sa savings ng bawat CUs na kung saan tinatayang kung hindi madadagdagan, ay malamang matigil din ito (10 day SRP) sa hinaharap. Nakikita din natin sa pag-aaral (medium/long term projection) ng Administrasyong Pascual na maging ang 15 day na additional leave ng mga faculty na ibinigay ng Administrasyong Roman noon pang 2008, ay hindi kayang isustini ang pagbibigay ng kaukulang halaga sa pondo (sa retirement), sa lahat na mga contituent units kung walang substantibong dagdag sa kani-kanilang "savings".  Nalaman din nating sa ngayon pa lang ay may constituent unit nang nahihirapan o delayed ang pagbibigay ng nasabing retirement benefit sa mga nagretirong mga guro dahil sa kakulangan ng "savings".

Nang dahil sa lakas ng ating sama-samang pagkilos, (at bahagi rin ito sa mga dahilan ng pagbigay natin ng suporta sa pagpili kay President Pascual) ay tuluyan na nga itong naaprubahan (kasama na ang Implementing Guidelines) ng BOR nitong ika-26 ng Enero 2012.

Sa pakikipagtulungan ng ating mga unyon at ng Opisina ng Staff Regent, tuloy-tuloy po nating pag-ibayuhin pa ang pag-oorganisa sa ating hanay, hindi lamang dito sa loob ng UP kungdi mas lalo na sa iba pang mga unibersidad at ospital simula sa pampublikong sektor.  Ang lakas ng ating pag-oorganisa at ang sama-samang pagkilos ay walang saysay kung tayo lang sa loob ng UP at PGH ang makikinabang nito. Higit kailanman, sa harap ng lalong tumidinding krisis ng monopolyong kapital, ngayon natin higit na kailangan ang mahigpit na makipagkapit-bisig sa iba pang mga sektor sa loob at labas ng unibersidad dahil sa tumitinding atake ng mga naghaharing uri at malaking negosyo sa ating sahod, trabaho, benepisyo karapatan, upang makatipid at patuloy na isuhay ang tagibang na relasyon ng ating lipunan.

Nais kung ipatimo sa ating lahat na ang edukasyon at kalusugan (kung saan ang UP at PGH bilang pangunahing pampublikong institusyon nagkakaloob nito sa ating mamamayan) ay isang batayang karapatan na dapat siguraduhing maibigay ng ating pamahalaan ng "de kalidad" at abot-kaya para sa lahat ng mamamayan nito.  Sa harap ng hindi makatarungang pangangamkam ng mga dayuhang mananakop (colonial powers) sa mga ari-arian ng ating mga ninuno na itinuloy at pinatindi pa ng mga sumunod na naghaharing uri sa ating lipunan ay walang iba na tayong maaasahang pwersa o sistemang magbibigay ng kahalintulad ng pagkakapantay-pantay o pare-parehong pakinabang at katarungan (semblance of equity, equal access and justice) tungo sa tunay na kaunlaran ng bayan, kungdi ang makapag-aral at magkaroon ng maayos na kalusugan.  Kung maging itong karapatang ito sa edukasyon at kalusugan ay nais ipagkait mismo ng ating pamahalaan sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng pagsasapribado ng mga serbisyo nito sa mga mamamayan o mas kilala sa pinagandang tawag na "public-private partnership", walang iba tayong magawa kung di ang sama-samang kumilos at lumaban.
   
Sulong at padayon!

January 30, 2012