ANTIQUE –The Schools Division Office (SDO)-Antique ordered the creation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the controversy surrounding the graduation ceremony of Col. Roperto Abellon National School in Laua-an town on April 15.
Dr. Nicasio Frio, Schools Division Superintendent, said the committee, composed of the chief of the Curriculum Implementation Division of SDO-Antique, legal officer, and principal in-charge in the Laua-an district, will gather incident reports from the said school and SDO-Antique officials who were present during the graduation rites.
SDO-Antique Information Officer Eric Cortejo said the committee will gather reports from the field such as what the school and parents had agreed for the graduating senior high school (SHS) students to wear.
“Kuhaon namon ang minutes of the meeting kon ano ang nangyari sa meeting,” Cortejo told Panay News.
The DepEd Regional Office 6 directed the school and the said committee to submit their reports as soon as possible.
Cortejo, however, said that SDO-Antique’s top priorities are the rights and protection of learners. They will extend help to the mental and psychological needs of the learners involved.
“Ang top priority sang amon division dito is the learners rights and protection. We assure you po na siempre nandoon tayo sa safety and protection ng kabataan. And also if may need ng psycho-social activities for them despite nga nag-graduate sanda run, we are still coordinating with them. And also kon available ang parents next week we also have a talk with them with the presence of our officials,” added Cortejo.
While the details of the incident is still under investigation, SDO-Antique assured that they will exhaust all means to ensure that affected learners will not be deprived of their rights and privileges as graduates, such as receiving their diplomas, certificates, and other credentials.
“Appropriate interventions shall be implemented as soon as possible to ensure the learners’ mental and psychological needs shall be appropriately addressed,” the SDO-Antique added.
‘Take off your togas’
On Tuesday, while the graduation program was ongoing, principal Venus Divinia Nietes ordered the more than 200 graduating SHS learners to remove their togas, saying it was not the prescribed uniform for their graduation ceremony.
“So, class, take off your togas because it is not prescribed as your uniform for graduation. Okay? So your uniform will be your ribbons and your sablay. That’s all, okay?” Nietes said based on the videos of the ceremony have since gone viral.
Nietes then directed the class adviser to list down the names of the learners who wore togas.
Based on the viral videos, learners and parents alike expressed disappointment on the principal’s actuation.
Learners were heard chanting “toga, toga, toga.”
“Pati diploma namon gin-ukas ang sulod kag wala kami ka buol ka diploma, sir,” alias “Nonoy” said in an interview with K5 News FM Antique.
He added: “Pagkapot namon ginbalik lagi kag wara na kami sa sarili kato kay grabe ang depression namon.”
Dress code for graduation
Under Memorandum Order No. 27, Series of 2025 issued by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara with the subject, “Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-Of-School-Year Rites for the School Year 2024-2025”, “Graduation and moving-up ceremonies shall be simple but meaningful. While these rites mark a milestone in the lives of the learners, graduation and moving-up ceremonies shall be conducted without excessive spending, extravagant attire, or extraordinary venue.”
“Sa memo ang na-state lang po na mangin simple at hindi extravagant ang mga graduation rites. Siempre nangin issue sa DepEd ‘yong contribution and collection of fees, bawal po kasi ‘yon. So, hanggat maiiwasan ini-emphasize po nila na maging simple lang po, kung puede lang po uniform lang po ang sa graduation rites natin at dapat ay hindi maging extravagant,” Cortejo said.
The wearing of togas, he added, is in the discretion of the school and the parents./PN
