USANT puts people first, strengthens employee welfare, academic excellence
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- 3 min read
By Jason B. Neola
IRIGA CITY --- As it prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary in February 2027, the University of Saint Anthony (USANT) is reaffirming its commitment to placing the welfare of its students, faculty members, and employees at the center of its development strategy.
USANT President Atty. Emmanuel “Mickey” Ortega said the university’s “people-first philosophy” has enabled the institution to provide quality yet affordable private education while investing heavily in the well-being and professional growth of its workforce.
Among the university’s major infrastructure projects is the Santiago D. Ortega Jr. Memorial Library, a modern four-story academic facility scheduled to open next year. The new library is expected to accommodate more than 1,000 students, faculty members, and staff at any given time, providing dedicated spaces for learning, research, collaboration, and innovation.
Ortega emphasized that outstanding teachers and competent employees are key to producing successful graduates.
“If teachers and employees are well taken care of, they are able to bring out the best in their students,” he said.
The university’s investment in its personnel has coincided with impressive academic results.
USANT posted a 100-percent passing rate in several licensure examinations, including Nursing, Accountancy, Criminology, Elementary Education, Architecture, and Librarianship. Engineering and Secondary Education graduates likewise registered a 90-percent passing rate, significantly exceeding national averages in several examinations.
As a non-profit educational institution, USANT reinvests its earnings into faculty salaries, campus improvements, scholarships, and academic programs instead of distributing profits to shareholders.
One of Ortega's first initiatives upon assuming the university presidency in 2022 was increasing employee salaries.
Last November, the university’s board of trustees approved a salary adjustment that raised the minimum five-day weekly salary of its lowest-paid employees—including janitors and carpenters—to P12,000 higher than Iriga City’s prevailing minimum wage equivalent of P9,570.
Today, USANT has grown into the largest private employer in the Rinconada-speaking region of Camarines Sur, employing 771 personnel, an 81-percent increase from three years ago.
The university also continues to invest heavily in employee development.
This year alone, employees completed nearly 19,000 hours of training, averaging 24.64 hours per employee, supported by a training budget of P6.39 million. Training covered digital literacy, artificial intelligence, mental health awareness, and international benchmarking activities in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan.
Career advancement is likewise encouraged within the institution.
Between 2023 and 2025, 262 employees—equivalent to 33.98 percent of the workforce—received promotions, while nearly half of executive positions were filled internally.
USANT also provides flexible work arrangements, extended Christmas breaks, summer allowances, sports activities, personal loans for laptop purchases, and low-interest loans for medical emergencies to help employees maintain work-life balance.
The university demons-trated its commitment to employee welfare during Tropical Storm Kristine, extending cash assistance, early release of 13th-month pay, salary continuity during class suspensions, relief goods, tuition assistance for affected students, and trauma counseling for employees and learners.
USANT likewise supports employees' families through its scholarship program, “Serbisyo Niyo, Kinabukasan ng Anak Niyo,” which grants up to 100-percent tuition assistance to qualified children of employees.
This school year, 123 children of employees are benefiting from scholarships and tuition discounts, up from 68 beneficiaries in the previous academic year.
Beyond campus, USANT continues its community outreach through its “Alay sa Kapwa: A Chance to Change Lives” program, which reached about 750 families last year with approximately P855, 000 in Christmas assistance.
According to Ortega, investing in employees ultimately benefits students.
“When we invest in the children of our staff, we build stronger families and better schools. Care is not a cost; it's a strategy,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ortega said the university intends to sustain its gains by producing more national board examination topnotchers, strengthening on-the-job training programs, and improving graduate employability while continuing to prioritize the welfare of its academic community.
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