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

1. As prescribed in DepED Order No. 21, s. 2007, the current DepED national uniforms shall be worn for school years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. A National Uniform Committee has been created to select the national uniforms for School Years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
2. The following rules are initially set for compliance of all concerned:
   1. There shall be two (2) national uniforms which shall be worn on Mondays and Tuesdays;
   2. There shall be a regional uniform to be worn on Wednesdays, to be chosen by the Regional Uniform Committee and a division uniform to be worn on Thursdays to be selected by the Division Uniform Committee. Consequently, the regional offices shall select their respective set/s of uniforms for the day/s wherein there is no prescribed regional uniform;
   3. The Central Office shall have its own sets of uniforms to be worn on Wednesdays and Thursdays; and
   4. Fridays shall be wash days. However, at the school level, the school head and faculty club may agree on a school uniform (may be a previous uniform) that they will wear on Fridays.
3. The following personnel are exempt from wearing the prescribed uniform:
   1. Medical and Dental staff who shall wear the appropriate medical/dental attire;
   2. Janitors, utility and maintenance personnel shall be assigned appropriate uniforms;
   3. Legal officers, i.e. lawyers, whose nature of work requires a different dress code;
   4. Teachers and employees with physical disabilities and other legitimate health reasons;
   5. Pregnant female employees are allowed to wear maternity dresses during the period of their pregnancy; and
   6. Teaching and non-teaching staff who are in mourning are allowed to wear the appropriate mourning clothes.
4. Teaching and non-teaching personnel are allowed to adjust or modify the design of the prescribed uniform, i.e. long sleeve instead of short sleeves, to conform with the requirements of their religious affiliation or creed or any legitimate practice related thereto.
5. For the two (2) national uniforms, a centralized procurement of the textile materials shall be undertaken by the National Uniform Committee with the assistance of the Bids and Awards Committee of the DepED Central Office in accordance with RA No. 9184. As such, the clothing and uniform allowance in the amount of Four Thousand Pesos (PhP4,000.00) shall be released in kind in the form of the textile materials for the two (2) national uniforms, and in cash in the amount of the excess allocation.
6. For the purpose of selecting the design for the two (2) national uniforms, the National Uniform Committee announces an open selection wherein fashion designers, couturiers, uniform makers, garment makers, textile manufacturers, textile importers, and any DepED personnel involved in clothing design are eligible to participate. Enclosed are the rules for the selection of the uniform designs.
7. The mode of procuring the uniforms for the regional and division offices shall be decided upon by the Regional/Division Uniform Committee concerned. The DepED teacher and employee shall be given the option to make their own arrangements with regards to the sewing/tailoring services.
8. School officials who occupy third level positions embraced by the Career Executive Service, are not required to wear the prescribed uniform.
9. For the guidance and compliance of all concerned.

Encl.: As stated
Reference: DepED Order: (No. 21, s. 2007) Allotment: 1- -(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
EMPLOYEES
POLICY
TEACHERS
UNIFORMS

DO_s2008_076