Friends No More?
By VENUS D. PERO
The controversial Department of Education (DepED) Order No. 49 series 2022 instructs personnel not to make friends with students outside of the school setting.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte issued DepED Order No. 49 s. of 2022 which amended DepEd Order No. 47 series of 2022 or the “Promotion of Professionalism in the Implementation and Delivery of Basic Education Programs and Services.” The amendment was released to further improve professionalism within the Department and incorporate it into all areas of work and must be practice religiously. Additional regulations on employment and employee relations, as well as the ethical use of social media, were also included in it.
According to the aforementioned order, DepEd officials and personnel are instructed to “avoid relationships, interaction, and communication, including following social media with learners outside of the school setting, except if they are relatives.” In accordance with this, DepEd officials and staff are expected to adhere to several policies.
Because of this, DepED officials and staff were urged to “refrain from seeking endorsements, recommendations, contributions, support, consideration, political concessions, or any sort of involvement” from other government employees or entities of a similar nature outside the agency. It is also advisable to refrain from asking politicians for “favorable actions” to help implement any projects, programs, or activities except those covered by the Adopt-A-School Program, initiated by the local government units, funded by the Special Education Fund (SEF), or covered by partnership agreements allowed by law, should also be avoided.
In addition, DepEd officials and staff were admonished to treat and interact with their coworkers, employees, students, and stakeholders with the “highest degree of professionalism, skills, and excellence.” They were also admonished to respect others’ rights and abstain from actions that are contrary to “the law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety, and the public interest.”
Contrarily, “There is no explicit trigger in the granting of the order. The DO really refers to Republic Act 6713, also known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. In an interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday, November 15, DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa stated, “We’re merely giving this directive to remind DepED personnel in terms of professionalism and depoliticization in the department. He furthered clarified the goal of the department’s issuance of DO No. 49. It has two goals: To depoliticize the department and promote professionalism among its personnel.The DO 49 is merely a “reminder” for civil officials to follow the “current rules”. According to him, DepED staff members were required by the regulation to handle coworkers and students with the “highest degree of professionalism.” Teachers were instructed not only to perform their tasks “promptly,” “courteously,” and “fairly,” but also to “avoid connections, involvement, and communication” with students “outside of the school context,” including following them on social media.
Poa stated, “As government servants, we have to be careful while using social media, and instructors may still contact with students using social media, “as long as it is within the school setting” or is restricted within the “student-teacher” relationship.”
“We are just reminding them of their duty to also be professional teachers,” Spokesperson Michael Poa ended this statement. ###
