MANILA, Philippines — Students of state universities and colleges (SUCs) may soon sport academic regalia woven with neo-ethnic textiles of the country as a House of Representatives panel approved a proposed measure instituting a local-oriented dress code.
During the House Committee on higher and technical education hearing on Thursday, House Bill No. 4127 authored by Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Harris Christopher Ongchuan was approved with education authorities supporting the measure.
If Ongchuan’s bill is enacted, a Philippine Academic Regalia Council would be created to formulate a National Academic Regalia Policy while reviewing and standardizing the academic regalia for SUCs.
The council would be co-chaired by the Chairperson of the Committee on Higher Education and the Director of the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute.
According to Ongchuan, using local textiles as the academic regalia or dress would make educational programs and events closer to the Filipino identity.
“Commonly seen in graduation ceremonies and graduation pictures in social media sites during graduation season, the academic regalia serves as a distinguishing factor and a symbol of the values that the academic institution represents,” Ongchuan said.
But aside from this, the lawmaker said using neo-ethnic textiles would also create a market for such items, which would in turn help weavers get recognition and compensation.
“The use of neo-ethnic Philippine textiles created by the local community craftsmen aims to showcase our culture and heritage in order to produce an academic regalia that is truly Filipino. With an average of 300,000 graduates from SUCs annually, the opportunity of creating jobs for communities is also an impetus to the creation of this proposal,” Ongchuan noted.
“It is the purpose of this bill to utilize the resources we have, especially from the far-flung places of the country to display and preserve our Filipino culture, and give back to the same communities that skillfully produce neo-ethnic textiles,” he added.
This is not the first time the bill was filed at the House. During the 18th Congress, former Antique lawmaker and now-Senator Loren Legarda filed House Bill No. 10690 which pushes for the use of neo-ethnic textiles as academic regalia.
It was passed on its third reading last February, just before the 18th Congress adjourned its session for the election season. It was not acted upon, however, when the session resumed.
RELATED STORIES
House passes 18 bills on final reading days before adjournment for election period
Toga out, ‘sablay’ in? DepEd official tackles graduation fashion
je