BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 050, series of 1995 entitled “Governing the use of Uniforms by the City Government Officials and Employees.”
The ordinance authored by Councilor Joel Alangsab stated the wearing of identification cards and nameplates shall apply to all officials and employees of the local government.
Under the proposed ordinance, all existing local legislative measures related to wearing of uniforms, identification cards and nameplates shall be consolidated for uniformity and that the new measure was an offshoot of the recent updates on human resource management functions for personnel in charge of personnel matters wherein the participants were mostly with the administrative staff of the different departments and offices of the city where they painstakingly reviewed the existing personnel policies, plans, procedures and systems of the city and recommended the passage of the measure consolidating the salient provisions of Ordinance No. 50, series of 1995 and the dress code as stated in the city’s personnel policies, plans and procedures and systems handbook.
The ordinance added the City Mayor through an Administrative Order shall create the uniform committee and it shall be composed the City Administrator as chairperson with its members, the chairperson of the City Council Committee on Ethics, Governmental Affairs and Personnel, City Human Resource Management Officer and the president of the Local Government Unit of Baguio Employees Association Inc, (LGU-BEAI).
The Uniform Committee shall conduct consultations with the officials and employees regarding the design and materials of the uninform as well as the schedule and days of wearing the prescribed uniform, make available the design of the prescribed uniform not later than three months preceding the intended calendar year of implementation and shall designate the LGU-BEAI to procure the materials for uniform.
The ordinance provides once the uniform is agreed on by the city officials and employees, it shall be prescribed by the uniform committee as the official attire of all government officials and employees when reporting to work.
On those days where there is no prescribed uniform, employees shall be dressed in appropriate attire and the wearing of jeans or maong pants, except those which are ripped or tattered, may be considered as appropriate attire when paired with a collared polo shirt for male employees and any appropriate blouse or collared shirt for females.
Among the prohibited attire for city hall officials and employees include ripped or tattered jeans or maong pants whether factory made or internationally fabricated, tight fitting, seductive and gauzy or flimsy or transparent or net-like shirt or blouse, sando, strapless or spaghetti strap or blouse unless used as an under shirt, tank-tops and blouse with over plunging necklines, micro-mini-skirts, walking shorts, pedal pushers, eyeling shorts, leggings, tights and jogging pants and rubber sandals, rubber slippers and bakya.
By Dexter A. See