To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Secretary, ARMM Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. Pursuant to DepEd Memorandum No. 497, s. 2010, enclosed are the designs and descriptions of the textile materials that will be used for the DepEd national uniforms (Male and Female, to be worn on Mondays) for School Years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. As required by the National Uniform Committee (NUC), the textile materials for the DepEd national uniforms were tested by the Philippine Textile Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (PTRI-DOST) and found compliant to the Employees Uniform Quality Assurance Program (EUQAP). For better appreciation of the designs of the national uniforms, please log on to the DepEd website at www.deped.gov.ph.
2. The DepEd uniforms to be worn on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the central, regional and division levels, and schools are also stipulated in DepEd Memorandum No. 497, s. 2010.
3. The clothing and uniform allowance shall be released in cash in the amount of Four Thousand Pesos (PhP4,000.00) to each of the DepEd teachers and non-teaching employees. DepEd offices are expressly prohibited from withholding any amount as payment for uniforms and/or fabrics and other uniform materials and fee for services of a tailor/dressmaker. The responsible finance personnel shall coordinate with the payroll processing units to credit the full amount of the clothing and uniform allowance to the payroll accounts of DepEd teachers and non-teaching employees.
4. With this, the DepEd teaching and non-teaching employees from the regional, division and district offices, and public elementaiy and secondary schools may procure and obtain the uniform textile materials from any available source, provided that these comply with the prescribed DepEd uniform materials and design. Any DepEd official found violating this rule will be subjected to appropriate sanctions and disciplinary action. Please send to this Office a written report of any DepEd official who compel or coerce teachers and non-teaching employees to procure the uniform materials from said official or from a specific source.
5. Teachers’ cooperatives and associations are encouraged to offer the prescribed DepEd uniform materials to the teachers and non-teaching personnel at the best price possible.
6. The following personnel are exempted from wearing the prescribed uniform:
   1. School officials who occupy third level positions embraced by the Career Executive Service (CES);
   2. Medical and dental staff who shall wear the appropriate medical/dental attire;
   3. Janitors, utility, and maintenance personnel who shall be assigned appropriate uniforms;
   4. Legal officers, specifically lawyers, whose nature of work requires a different dress code;
   5. Teachers and employees with physical disabilities and other legitimate health reasons;
   6. Pregnant female employees are allowed to wear maternity dresses during the period of their pregnancy; and
   7. Teaching and non-teachning staff who are in mourning are allowed to wear appropriate mourning clothes.
7. Teaching and non-teaching personnel are allowed to make adjustments in the prescribed DepEd uniform to conform to the requirements of their religious affiliation or creed or any legitimate practice related thereto.
8. The effectivity of wearing the prescribed uniforms shall be on the first day of School Year 2011-2012.
9. This Office also wishes to inform all concerned that it has not endorsed, accredited nor authorized any particular supplier to approach the regional and division offices and declare himself/herself as the exclusive distributor of the textile materials for the DepEd uniforms. Please report to this Office any uniform supplier who visits DepEd Offices and uses the name of the undersigned or of any official in the Central Office or of the NUC in trying to get a deal for the supply of the DepEd uniform.
10. Non-compliance to and deliberate defiance of this Order shall be dealt with administratively pursuant to Section 22.C (Violation of Reasonable Office Rules and Regulations), Rule XIV, Revised Ombudsman Rules Implementing Book V of the Administrative Code of 1987 (Executive Order No. 292).
11. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
DepEd Memorandum: (No. 497, s. 2010)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
BUREAUS & OFFICES
EMPLOYEES
POLICY
RULES & REGULATIONS SCHOOLS TEACHERS UNIFORM

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