SANGGUNIAN OFFICIALS and members of the Loyola Schools (LS) administration alike have agreed that the current dress code enforced throughout the university may be outdated, and are looking into revising the dress code guidelines in place.

School of Humanities Representative Ferdy Acosta stated that the Sanggunian is currently looking into consulting with the student body, and asking the administration for a moratorium on the dress code.

“If it’s dated, why do we keep making it operational if it doesn’t fit our context now?” he asked.

The Sanggunian released a statement on August 10 appealing to suspend the LS dress code after its strict reinforcement by the Office for Student Services (OSS) for ID-related services stirred controversy online.

In their statement, the Sanggunian emphasized that “respectability is not dependent on students’ choice of clothing,” but is “inherent in every person.”

This was a response to an infographic on the dress code posted last August 8 at the Ateneo Student Blueboard Facebook page, which angered some students and faculty alike. Students who did not abide by the dress code were also denied ID application and validation services from August 4-15.

The caption of the post read, “Please take note of the proper guidelines of the dress code for the Loyola Schools.” The post was then edited within the day to clarify that the dress code only applied to official OSS transactions and all LS offices.

The infographic was based on the implementing guidelines on the LS Dress Code, which can be found in the LS Undergraduate Student Handbook. The dress code guidelines were drafted and implemented in 2007.

Respectability and formation

In an interview with The GUIDON, School of Social Sciences Representative Dasha Uy expressed her disagreement with how closely clothing was tied to respectability.

“If the underpinning of the dress code is formation, respectability, things like that, does that mean that ‘yung respectability ko as a human being, whether I’m a woman or a man, is dependent on the clothing that I wear?” she said.

Meanwhile, John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Representative Alec Lim expressed that while dressing professionally is a vital part of JGSOM formation, he believes that the LS dress code should not be tied with the formation of the general Atenean.

OSS Director Cholo Mallillin left a comment on the Sanggunian’s statement via Facebook, saying that while he agrees that respect is inherent in all individuals “especially in the Ignatian context,” he believes that students must also be able to “show respect to the institution.”

Mallillin also discussed that the university gives its students the right to their individuality and to express themselves through their clothing, but mentioned that the university is also preparing its students to “be able to live in a world of conventions” in the workplace.

During the Magtanong sa VP at mga Dekano forum last August 4, Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz Vilches, PhD also shared her thoughts regarding the LS dress code, saying that it is part of the conventions that are followed in an institution such as the Ateneo.

“This has been in the student handbook. It’s been there [for] a long time. I think students have not just been observing the dress code. When it was issued, it was just to say that people should read the handbook,” she said.

Current efforts

Mallillin has also expressed that the OSS is open to reviews. However, he believes that the university should still impose “some sort of implementing guidelines.”

“Ang hirap to operationalize the rules. We know what principle it stems from, but offices will need to know, anong basehan ko to know if a student is not properly dressed? They will still need some sort of guide,” he said.

(It’s hard to operationalize the rules. We know what principle it stems from, but offices will need to know, what’s my basis to know if a student is not properly dressed? They will still need some sort of guide.)

Uy also said that the Sanggunian is also looking into reviewing the dress code to make it more suitable for all. She believes that the current dress code is gendered, as there are certain guidelines of the code that only apply to certain genders.

On the first few days of the ID-rendering services, there were cases of selective reinforcement towards women expressed through Twitter posts, which Mallillin has acknowledged and apologized for. However, Mallillin said that measures will be taken to ensure that the dress code is fairly imposed to all.

Future consultations

Acosta stated that the Sanggunian is currently conducting informal consultations with the student body through its constituents, and is looking into holding more formal consultations in the future through town hall meetings or forums.

“The Sanggunian has not yet decided on a concrete plan of action for the dress code reform, but definitely the process will be democratic and the students will be part of that,” he said.

Mallillin stated that the Sanggunian, the offices of the VPLS, the Associate Dean for Student and Administrative Services, the Associate Dean for Student Formation, and other possible stakeholders will be involved during the consultation on the dress code.

“We need to get into this discussion on how we’re going to revise these implementing guidelines until it’s agreeable for all sectors,” said Mallillin.