IN A MEMORANDUM released by the Office of Prefect of Student Discipline (OPSD), students from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) are given the prerogative to wear their Type B Uniform starting April 8 to June 1 in order to “give them comfort amidst the sweltering summer heat.”
Since the return of face-to-face classes, there have been numerous instances of leniency, giving students permission to wear their proper civilian attire. As per Asst. Prof. Esther Cuaresma, M.B.A, the Prefect of Discipline, the reason behind such moderation was to provide the students “ample time to purchase their respective uniforms.” Nonetheless, the wearing of school uniforms was still compulsory, and students who did not have their uniforms yet were required to provide a receipt of their ordered attire.
However, following the rising temperatures within the country, Student Council (SC) President Eunice Bermudez, requested a temporary suspension of the uniform policy through a formal letter directed to the CAS Dean, Prof. Christian Bryan S. Bustamante, Ph.D.
Bermudez opted for an alternative attire through the “Type B Uniform,” which would allow students to enter the campus wearing any “Bedan/San Beda Shirt, or any white or red shirt for the upper garments. With respect to lower garments, men are to wear long pants, jogging pants, or hammer pants; while women are to put on jeans, slacks, skirt, leggings, jogging pants, or hammer pants.
According to the SC President, the Type B uniform would pose a “more comfortable temporary replacement to the present uniform” which uses heavy fabrics not suitable for the current climate—given that PAGASA has already recorded a heat index reaching up to 40 Degrees Celsius in Metro Manila.
The duration of the Type B uniform would be effective starting April to June, although initially the SC proposed that the policy would also cover the month of March—which was later declined by the administration, preferring that students must wear their uniform when taking their midterms examination.
Despite the dress code lifting, Bermudez emphasizes that the Type B uniform will be enforced according to the Revised Code of Discipline. The SC is currently collaborating with the Office of Student Discipline (OPSD), who will in turn direct the guards to ensure compliance with the required student attire.
With the possibility of alternative uniforms being introduced within the institution, Bermudez extended her support, saying “I’m one of those students who believe it’s time not to have a uniform policy” while citing that it would lessen the expenses of students as well as bolstering inclusivity in the long run.
While the SC President confessed that the policy would be susceptible to biases born from established social standards for clothing, nonetheless, she implored students to “dress freely in accordance with their gender identity.”
As for concerns regarding the cropped top style polos, Bermudez stated that, although a possible justification would be for it to “keep students from taking off their vests” within the campus, the stitched vests would, nonetheless, prove to be “uncomfortable once students were to leave the campus and not be able to take them off.”
Bermudez also expressed some of her concerns with respect to the length of skirts, saying “nagiging bias na hindi naman super iksi pero sinasaway pa rin.” The same sentiments were also being expressed toward other pieces of clothing that are being called out despite it not being overly revealing—further contending how these are some points of interest that the “administration could consider.”
Prof. Cuaresma further pointed out inappropriate clothing being an issue during these times, saying that there are some students who are continually violating the imposed proper civilian attire. “Kapag sinabi natin kasing civilian attire, proper civilian kung ano ‘yung nakalagay sa handbook,” she added.
Furthermore, she posits the importance of wearing uniforms within an educational institution, asserting that “…this is a school, ‘di ba, so definitely we need to dress properly kapag nagpagrupo na tayo sa isang lugar, sa isang place, appropriate, even we are lifting the uniform meron pa rin tayong dress code, ayun pa rin ‘yung type B na ni-request ng Student Council” she said.
True to the memorandum, students were now required to wear their uniforms from June 1 onwards. This does not apply, however, to students taking their summer classes since the handbook had stipulated a permit to wear proper civilian attire.