In Quezon town, employees told to declare love status

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines — To break the monotony of wearing the required office uniform every day and to have a unique love-filled celebration of Valentine’s Day, the local government of Gumaca town, Quezon province, has asked its employees to wear color-coded clothes depending on their love status.

“Time is right to relax the wearing of uniform. Hence, dress down on Feb. 13 shall be observed following the color code as appropriate to his/her status,” Mayor Webster Letargo said in a memorandum.

Letargo said: “Married employees are required to wear blue, while those ‘in a relationship’ should wear green. Employees who are single or not in a relationship should wear white; while those still searching must wear orange. Those in long-distance relationships can wear pink; ‘it’s complicated’ — purple; ‘brokenhearted’’— black; and ‘walang pakialam’ (I don’t care)’ — yellow.”

Those who would not heed the memorandum would be tagged as “killjoy.”

On Valentine’s Day, Letargo also ordered all employees to wear “red” in celebration of the Feast of St. Valentine.

“This is our unique Gumaca-way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. We will all have a grand and lovely time to unwind as we renew our vow to faithfully serve the people,” the mayor told the Inquirer by telephone.On Feb. 14, the town government will also launch its biweekly “Get Up and Let’s Zumba” physical fitness program for residents at the Gumaca Convention Center.