ILOILO City – Learners will not be obliged to wear school uniforms for new school year 2022-2023.
This will ease the financial burden of the learners’ families, according to Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio, also the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.
DepEd Region 6 welcomed the order. According to its spokesperson Hernani Escullar Jr., the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic has taken a toll on families’ finances.
“Damo nadulaan sang obra,” he said, thus the “no uniform” policy makes sense.
Parents won’t have to worry anymore where to get the money to buy school uniforms, said Escullar.
“Even before the pandemic, it is not a strict requirement for public schools to impose uniforms (Department of Education Order No. 065, s. 2010) to avoid incurring additional costs to the families of our learners,” according to Duterte .
Escullar said the order is timely, noting the rising prices of goods.
“Daku gid ‘ni nga bulig sa aton mga learners kag ginikanan,” he stressed.
But Escullar clarified that learners who have uniforms are free to wear them “if they so desire in order to avoid incurring additional cost for new attire.”
What will learners wear to school?
Escullar cited DepEd Order No. 46, series of 2008 setting guidelines on school uniform:
* for boys – polo shirt/t-shirt with sleeves, any plain color, with a minimum of prints; pants (long or short, any color; and footwear (any)
* for girls – dress, skirt, blouse and pants (any color, any print); footwear – any
DepEd Order No. 46 also discourages students from wearing expensive (signature or designed brands), flashy clothes, tight-fitting pants / blouses / dresses, mini-skirts, short shorts, blouses with plunging neckline, hip-hop pants for boys, and sleepwear.
Based on DepEd Order No. 034 or guidelines on the School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2022-2023, enrollment starts on July 25 and ends on Aug. 22, 2022./PN
