Students Told by Principal to Remove Togas During Graduation in Antique
ANTIQUE — Students and their families were left disheartened after the principal of Col. Ruperto Abellon National High School in Laua-an instructed graduating students to remove their togas in the middle of the ceremony.
A video circulating online captured the principal speaking onstage, directing the students to take off their togas. This moment sparked visible disappointment not only among the graduates but also among the parents and relatives who had come to witness a significant milestone in their children’s lives. Graduation day is often seen as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and for many, wearing a toga symbolizes years of hard work and achievement.
The video also showed a man, believed to be a teacher, approaching the stage to clarify something with the principal. Other faculty members quickly intervened to calm the situation and escorted the man off the stage. According to netizen comments, some parents had met beforehand to support their children’s wish to wear togas during the ceremony, believing it to be a meaningful part of the celebration. Unfortunately, this was not accepted by the school head.
The principal reportedly insisted that togas were not part of the prescribed attire for the graduation ceremony. Instead, she stated that students were only allowed to wear their school uniforms along with the official graduation sash or sablay.
However, under the Department of Education’s Order No. 009, series of 2023, while wearing a toga or sablay during End-of-School-Year (EOSY) rites is allowed, it is not mandatory. This means schools may permit them, but they should not impose restrictions or requirements without proper consultation and clear communication.
As of now, RMN Iloilo is working to get both sides of the story to shed more light on the issue and provide clarity for the concerned students, parents, and the wider community.
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