By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of Education Western Visayas (DepEd-6) has advised school heads that they may allow students to wear protective clothing amid the outbreak of dengue cases in the region.

Hernani Escullar Jr., DepEd-6 information officer, told Daily Guardian that wearing a school uniform is not required in public schools, and school heads have the authority to permit students to wear long clothes to protect against the mosquito-borne disease.

He cited DepEd Order No. 65, s. 2010, which provides general guidelines on student uniforms, and Republic Act No. 9155, which empowers schools to make decisions in the best interest of their learners.

Ernesto Servillon Jr., superintendent of the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Iloilo, echoed Escullar’s statement, saying, “Even though you are already familiar with our policies, we are reminding you that you are empowered by the law.”

“If your situation requires the non-wearing of uniforms to ensure safety and security, you are authorized to make that decision,” he emphasized.

Servillon also urged parents to closely monitor their children and provide proper guidance on how to avoid dengue while at school.

Servillon said the SDO Iloilo is on heightened alert amid the increase in cases, particularly in the province, noting that mosquito fogging operations have already been conducted in schools.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that most dengue cases in Western Visayas affect children aged 1 to 10 years old.

As of August 3, DOH-6 reported that 36 percent, or 3,668, of the confirmed dengue cases in the region are within the 1-10 age group, while 31.9 percent, or 3,263 cases, fall within the 11-20 age group.

Western Visayas, according to the latest data, has 10,188 dengue cases, with Iloilo province recording the highest number of cases at 3,914, including 10 deaths.

Most of the fatalities in Iloilo province were school-aged children, including a 6-year-old boy from Miag-ao, a 4-year-old boy from Lambunao, a 16-year-old girl from Miag-ao, a 15-year-old boy from Badiangan, a 20-year-old man from Badiangan, a 20-year-old man from Dingle, an 8-year-old girl from Igbaras, a 3-year-old girl from Banate, a 10-year-old boy from Passi City, and a 41-year-old woman from Barotac Nuevo.

Two towns in the province have already declared a state of calamity: Tigbauan on August 14 and Passi City on August 9.