DepEd lets public school teachers, employees wear alternative uniforms

MANILA, Philippines — Public school teachers may opt to wear collared Department of Education (DepEd) polo shirts amid high temperatures across the country, said the department on Monday.

“Dulot ng mainit na panahon sa buong bansa, pinahihintulutan ang lahat ng DepEd teaching at non-teaching personnel [na magsuot ng alternate uniform],” DepEd said in an advisory.

(Due to the high heat nationwide, all DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel are allowed to wear alternative uniforms.)

According to DepEd, teachers may use collared DepEd polo shirts that were used in its previous activities such as Brigada Eskwela, Palarong Pambansa, Oplan Balik Eskwela, or Regional, Division and School Conferences.

White polo shirts with the DepEd and Matatag logo may also be worn.

READ: Heat turns PH classrooms into ovens: What to know

Meanwhile, the substitute uniforms should be paired with matte black pants of any fabric (slacks, jeans or cargo pants).

Other pants such as leggings, tights and jogging pants, on the other hand, are prohibited.

The DepEd’s advisory came amid consistently high heat indexes recorded in several areas.

READ: School heads can suspend in-person classes due to heat – DepEd

High heat indexes, especially between 42ºC to 51ºC, may potentially cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke during continued exposure, and other heat related illnesses.

Some local and provincial governments have suspended the conduct of on-site classes due to the high heat.