Guidelines out how to honor former DepEd secretaries when they die
The Department of Education (DepEd) has allowed renaming public schools after former education secretaries who have passed away, under a new set of protocol in honoring its former chiefs.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro saw fit to issue official guidelines in honoring past education secretaries.
But he stressed that the DepEd would respect the prior wishes of the former secretary or his next of kin.
The guidelines include having an official period of mourning and a short talk in all public schools about the life and contributions of the late secretary, and having either a public school or a DepEd building named after the late secretary.
DepEd did not have such protocol when former education minister Onofre D. Corpuz passed away in March.
Corpuz was education secretary from 1967 to 1971 and then education minister from 1979 to 1984. He also served as president of the University of the Philippines.
When news of his death came out, DepEd issued a press statement saying it has ordered all its offices and public schools to fly the flag at half-staff as a sign of mourning.
DepEd issued another brief statement in June to pay tribute to Corpuz.
“The Secretary may declare an official period of mourning from the day of the notification of death until sundown of the day of the funeral, but should be less than seven days based on the allowable period for flying of the Philippine flag at half-mast,” Luistro said.
Period of mourning
During the official period of mourning, the Philippine flag will be flown at half-staff while the photograph and short biography and major contributions of the late secretary will be prominently displayed in all DepEd offices, facilities and schools.
During the flag ceremony, school officials should play a video or conduct a short talk about the late education secretary and encourage others to offer prayers and mass.
DepEd may offer to the family for their approval draping the Philippine flag on the casket, sponsoring a mass and eulogy during the wake, and holding necrological services in the DepEd central office if the wake is in Metro Manila.
A month after the funeral, DepEd will invite the immediate family for a short program during a flag-raising ceremony in the central office in honor of the former secretary.
“This Department may also do the following: rename a school after the deceased secretary, preferably the school where he studied if he studied in a public school, or in another school in his hometown,” Luistro said.
He said they might also rename a DepEd building or hall either in the central office or in the region or division where the late secretary came from, adding these would be subject to existing rules on renaming public schools and public buildings. /INQUIRER
