DepEd Memorandum 028, s. 2025

Guidelines on the New Department of Education National Uniform for Classroom and Office-Based Personnel

MAR 24 2025

DepEd MEMORANDUM

No. 028, s. 2025

GUIDELINES ON THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL UNIFORM FOR CLASSROOM AND OFFICE-BASED PERSONNEL

To: Undersecretaries

Assistant Secretaries

Bureau and Service Directors

Regional Directors

Schools Division Superintendents

Public Elementary and Secondary School Heads

Division Chiefs

All Others Concerned

1. The Department of Education (DepEd) announces the adoption of the three new sets of DepEd national uniform designs for classroom and office-based personnel starting the transition period of the school year (SY) 2025-2026. The Executive Committee has set guidelines based on the recommendation of the DepEd Uniform Committee (DUC) composed of teaching and nonteaching employee organizations. These details are outlined in DepEd Memorandum 027, s. 2024 titled Reconstitution of the Department of Education Uniform Committee, which includes the following considerations:

a. Compliance with Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular (CSC MC) No. 16, s. 2024 titled Revised Dress Code for Government Officials and Employees;

b. Comfort and applicability of the uniform to the weather and working conditions;

c. Overall design appearance, ensuring presentability, conveying modesty and integrity, and maintaining a simple form to allow unrestricted movement;

d. General availability of the fabric and materials in the market;

e. Gender inclusive under CSC MC No. 16 s. 2024 (Section V., Item A., No. 4 A-B); and

f. Cost.

2. To provide ample time for DepEd officials and employees (collectively referred to as DepEd personnel) to prepare and purchase new sets of prescribed uniforms, SY 2025- 2026 shall be considered a transition period. During the transition period, DepEd personnel can still wear their old uniforms. Starting SY 2026-2027, all DepEd personnelshall wear the prescribed new sets of uniforms.

3. Only the approved national uniforms shall be used by all DepEd personnel. To maintain uniformity across all offices and schools, there shall be no regional office (RO) and schools division office (SDO) uniforms.

4. In recognition of the varying geographical/climate conditions, no specific fabric will be prescribed, provided that the design and color of the fabrics used are compliant with these guidelines and consistent with Republic Act (RA) No. 9242, otherwise known as the Philippine Tropical Fabric Law (PTF) and its 2023 Amended Implementing Rules and Regulations.

5. The teaching and nonteaching personnel from the Central Office (CO), ROs, SDOs, and schools are free to purchase and obtain the prescribed uniform materials from any available source that complies with the standards set. On the other hand, DepEd employee unions, associations/ organizations, or cooperatives are encouraged to offer the prescribed DepEd uniform materials to their members subject to their consent to avail of a more reasonable/ discounted price and facilitate uniformity of colors/material of uniform to be purchased.

6. In alignment with CSC MC No. 16, s. 2024, and these internal guidelines, modifications, or adjustments to the new uniform design shall be allowed solely to ensure inclusivity in the workplace. However, such modifications shall be limited to altering short sleeves to long sleeves and the like for religious reasons. The overall design and color of the uniform shall remain unchanged to maintain uniformity across DepEd.

7. This is to reiterate and inform all concerned that DepEd has not endorsed, accredited, or authorized any particular supplier to approach the CO, RO, and SDOs to declare themselves as the exclusive distributor of the fabric materials for the DepEd uniforms. Any uniform suppliers visiting DepEd offices and using the name of any DepEd official to secure a uniform supply deal must be reported to the Office of the Secretary, especially captioned as Attention: DepEd Uniform Committee.

8. All concerned must send to the DepEd CO a written report of any DepEd personnel who compel or coerce teaching and nonteaching personnel to purchase the uniform materials from a specific source or supplier.

9. If a DepEd employee is unable to comply with the dress code, he must file a written request for exemption from their Head of Office through their respective Personnel Unit at least 15 days in advance for approval. If the request is approved, the DepEd personnel shall report to work in the approved requested clothing or at least in smart casual attire.

10. The schedule for wearing the new DepEd national uniforms shall be as follows:

For Classroom-based Personnel

Monday - Designs A for Male and Female (ASEAN- and Filipiniana-Inspired)

Tuesday - Designs B for Male and Female

Wednesday - Designs C for Male and Female

Thursday - Designs B for Male and Female

Friday - Appropriate office clothes

For Office-based Personnel

Monday - Designs D for Male and Female (ASEAN- and Filipiniana-inspired)

Tuesday - Designs E for Male and Female

Wednesday - Designs F for Male and Female

Thursday - Designs E for Male and Female

Friday - Appropriate office clothes

11. Based on these provisions, the designs and sketches with color specifications of the DepEd National uniforms are enclosed for reference.

12. All DepEd personnel are required to wear their prescribed identification (ID) cards at all times while on official duty or when representing the Department in official functions or activities outside the school and offices as prescribed under RA 11032 otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

13. The following DepEd personnel shall be exempted from wearing the prescribed uniforms:

a. When the nature of work of the DepEd personnel demands that he/ she wear clothing other than those prescribed above, such as but not limited to medical and health personnel, laboratory personnel, technicians and engineers, and those who are performing fieldwork;

b. When religious affiliation or creed or any legitimate practice by the DepEd personnel in relation thereto requires him/her to wear particular clothing;

c. Physical disabilities and other legitimate health reasons of the DepEd personnel;

d. Pregnant female personnel during her period of pregnancy;

e. DepEd personnel who are mourning due to the death of any member of their family;

f. Emergency cases or during rehabilitation efforts after a severe calamity/ disaster or inclement weather; and

g. Other circumstances analogous to the foregoing.

14. The annual clothing and uniform allowance in the amount of seven thousand pesos (P7,000.00) or whichever amount shall be appropriated in the succeeding fiscal year for this purpose shall be released to all eligible personnel not earlier than the first working day of April of the current year, subject to existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations, and upon the release of the Notice of Cash Allocation from the Department of Budget and Management.

15. Immediate dissemination of this Memorandum is desired.

(SGD) SONNY ANGARA

Secretary

Encl.:

As stated

References:

DepEd Memorandum (Nos. 027, s. 2024) and 016, s. 2021

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index

under the following subjects:

COMMITTEE

BUREAUS AND OFFICES

EMPLOYEE