Kuwalipikasyon para maging full-time titser

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | July 3, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ang aking asawa ay dating clinical instructor sa isang nursing school sa aming bayan.

Makalipas ang humigit-kumulang 5 taon, siya ay bumalik sa nasabing nursing school para magturong muli at binigyan siya ng “full-time load.” Pinapapirma siya ng kontrata bawat trimester. Matapos ang 3 taon ng pagre-renew ng kontrata, siya ay sinabihan na hindi na siya ire-renew para sa susunod na trimester. Sang-ayon sa nasabing nursing school, siya ay hindi kuwalipikado na maging permanenteng guro sapagkat wala siyang ‘clinical practice’ na kinakailangan upang maging kuwalipikado.

Aminado ang aking asawa na siya ay hindi nagtrabaho sa isang ospital para maging nurse sapagkat inilaan niya ang buhay niya sa pagtuturo mula nang siya ay makatapos ng pag-aaral. Hindi po ba masasabi na regular o permanent employee na siya? - Monty

Dear Monty,

Ang iyong katanungan ay sinagot ng Korte Suprema sa kasong Arlene Palgan v. Holy Name University and/or Fr. Francisco Estepa, SVD, et al., G.R. No. 219916, February 10, 2021, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, kung saan sinabi ng Korte Suprema ang mga pamantayan upang makonsidera ang isang guro bilang permanenteng empleyado. Ayon sa Korte Suprema:

“We have laid down in Lacuesta the following requisites before a private school teacher acquires permanent status, namely: 1) The teacher serves full-time; 2) he/she must have rendered three consecutive years of service; and 3) such service must have been satisfactory.

While petitioner has rendered three consecutive years of satisfactory service, she was, however, not a full-time teacher at the College of Nursing of HNU.

It must be stressed that only a full-time teaching personnel can acquire regular or permanent status. This rule has been reiterated in a long line of cases…”

Sang-ayon din sa nasabing kaso, ang kuwalipikasyon upang makonsiderang “full-time teaching personnel” ay dapat mayroong “clinical practice.” Dito ay aminado ka na walang naging “clinical practice” ang iyong asawa sapagkat mula nang siya ay makatapos ng pag-aaral ay inilaan niya ang panahon niya sa pagtuturo. Sang-ayon sa Korte Suprema:

“Given the foregoing, we look back to the matter of whether Arlene’s experience as a clinical instructor assigned to a medical ward can be considered as amounting to "clinical practice”.

We have reiterated in several cases the rule that “of primordial consideration is not the nomenclature or title given to the employee, but the nature of his functions.” It is not the job title but the actual work that the employee performs. Thus, actual work performed should be considered when characterizing work experience as “clinical practice” or otherwise.

While we can presume the same to be purely academical from the nomenclature, it is entirely possible that petitioner was performing clinical duties concurrently with her teaching duties, especially since she was assigned at the medical ward. However, since she never alleged to be performing clinical duties such as treating actual patients or assisting doctors in such treatment, nor did she present any substantial evidence to prove such, we cannot assume that she indeed performed clinical duties during her stint as a clinical instructor. Thus, since petitioner failed to provide substantial evidence, much less clearly describe what kind of work she rendered as a clinical instructor, we cannot consider such work experience as “clinical practice.”

Being unqualified as a nursing faculty from the start, petitioner cannot possibly be considered a full-time faculty and thus, could not, even after rendering satisfactory service for three years, be entitled to permanency.”

Gaya sa kaso ng iyong asawa, kung hindi mapatunayan ang kanyang naging ‘clinical practice’ ito ay mangangahulugan na ang kanyang estado ay hindi ‘full-time’ kundi ‘part-time’ na bahagi ng faculty. Dahil dito, hindi rin niya maaaring maabot ang permanent o regular na estado.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.