The Department of Education (DepEd) is advocating for a more liberal interpretation of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) directive requiring government employees, including teachers, to wear ASEAN-inspired clothing every first Monday of the month, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

In a television interview, the DepEd chief emphasized that the agency is working to ensure teachers are not burdened by additional costs, advocating for existing teacher uniforms to be considered compliant with the directive. 

“Ayaw natin na gumastos ang ating teachers. May uniforms na sila. So sana considered compliant ang uniforms sa rules ng Civil Service Commission. Sana medyo liberal ang pag-interpret sa mga panukalang ‘yan (We don’t want our teachers to incur additional expenses. They already have uniforms. So hopefully, these uniforms will be considered compliant with the Civil Service Commission’s rules. We also hope for a more liberal interpretation of these directives),” he said Friday, Jan. 24.

To address concerns raised by educators, Angara said DepEd has formed a uniform committee with representatives from teachers’ groups. 

“So kami, nag-form kami ng uniform committee at sinama namin dyan ang teachers’ groups para ang hinaing ng teachers ay marinig at mabigyang pansin (So we formed a uniform committee and included teachers’ groups to ensure that their concerns are heard and addressed),” Angara said.

The directive, which aims to promote regional identity and solidarity among ASEAN member-states, has sparked mixed reactions from teachers, with some citing concerns about its practicality and the financial strain of acquiring new uniforms.

The uniform committee is expected to submit recommendations to address these issues within the six-month compliance period, which began earlier this year.

Angara reiterated DepEd’s commitment to supporting the welfare of teachers while ensuring adherence to government policies.