What was meant to be a celebration turned into an emotional scene at a public Senior High School in Laua-an, Antique, after students were reportedly prohibited from wearing togas during their graduation earlier today, despite an agreement between parents and the school allowing it.
A now-viral video shows a student in tears while being comforted by classmates. Other students can be heard chanting “toga, toga, toga” showing how much the students valued the opportunity to wear the symbolic attire on their special day.
According to parents, they had agreed in a prior meeting that students would be allowed to wear togas. However, the school principal reportedly went against this agreement, disallowing their use. The decision has sparked criticism not just for its timing, but also for the emotional toll it took on the students.
This incident comes amid lingering issues involving the same principal, who in 2023 became the subject of protests by parents and teachers. At the time, the school community called for her removal, citing alleged abuse of administrative power and a lack of effective school leadership.
While DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023 makes the use of toga or sablay optional, students and parents argue that the principal’s actions disregarded a mutual decision and undermined a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the graduates.
Graduation is not just a formality, it’s a moment that honors years of hard work. Students deserve a celebration where they feel respected and supported.
A now-viral video shows a student in tears while being comforted by classmates. Other students can be heard chanting “toga, toga, toga” showing how much the students valued the opportunity to wear the symbolic attire on their special day.
According to parents, they had agreed in a prior meeting that students would be allowed to wear togas. However, the school principal reportedly went against this agreement, disallowing their use. The decision has sparked criticism not just for its timing, but also for the emotional toll it took on the students.
This incident comes amid lingering issues involving the same principal, who in 2023 became the subject of protests by parents and teachers. At the time, the school community called for her removal, citing alleged abuse of administrative power and a lack of effective school leadership.
While DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023 makes the use of toga or sablay optional, students and parents argue that the principal’s actions disregarded a mutual decision and undermined a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the graduates.
Graduation is not just a formality, it’s a moment that honors years of hard work. Students deserve a celebration where they feel respected and supported.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Sino ka? What's the name?
00:10Good morning. I want everything to be in order and its proper place.
00:20This activity, the graduation, should be in uniform and with your sublime.
00:27That's all. So please, if you are doing something against the rules of the law,
00:35paki, because this will continue as in the authority prescribed.
00:43I have already taken your pictures and I have already documented everything.
00:49Let us not make the rule of the law run over this activity
00:54because this is the activity of the Department of Education.
00:59Thank you for your obedience.
01:02So, just take off your sublime because it is not prescribed as your uniform for graduation.
01:11Okay?
01:12Stool uniform with your ribbons and your sublime.
01:18Tablado. That's all.
01:21Okay?
01:25I am calling police for you.
01:29This is it.
01:54We are training our learners to be disciplined and obedient to authority.
02:03What kind of attitude are we giving them?
02:08What kind of practice and what kind of examples are we giving them?
02:17Disobedience to lawful authorities?
02:19Is this?
02:32Yes.
02:33Show me, start.
02:38I don't want to see anybody with your hats and your togas
02:44because it is not in the order and I want the class advisers to write the names of those who violated the authority.
03:14The parents don't want to talk to them now.
03:26Thank you so much for being here.
03:38We put yourselves into proper perspective.
03:44Return! This is the graduation ceremony.
03:51You said the declaring otherwise, you're not going to work,
03:54and then after this will be taken place,
03:56you know, the even more than the age of a woman,
03:58and then after this will be taken place by a number of people.
04:00You are the the following pages.
04:02What are all the things going?
04:04You say, what are you saying?
04:06What about this?
04:07What about that?
04:08What about that?
04:10What about that?
04:12What about that?
04:13What about that?
04:15What about that?
04:16What about that?
04:18And that was a challenge.
04:24Okay.
04:25What is this present perspective?
04:29Okay,
04:41You guys and guys, take note.
04:43And please count the names of those
04:45who
04:47violence
04:47I don't want other learners to be pastos.
04:54Do you do it?
04:58I have no close learners who follow the rules.
05:09Okay, sit down.
05:12Sit down.
05:16You've inherently violated the rules.
05:27You have to put yourself in proper perspective.
05:39Put yourself in proper perspective.
05:45This is a graduation ceremony of the Department of Education.
05:51Put yourselves in proper perspective.
05:56This is not a rally.
06:00This is not an assembly of those who all would like to have their interests over and above the law.
06:11The worst scenario ever in my entire career.
06:22It's clear and simple defiance.
06:37It's a great pleasure to be here.
06:47Thank you very much.
06:48Thank you very much.
07:00education of what? Of ma? Education of insubretinates? No honey! You have no right to censor. And
07:18you have no right to destroy the graduation today for your own personal motives. This
07:28is not a question about a non-historia, but this is a question of rule and order. If you
07:39do not know how to obey simple rules and order, then it's not like that. You have that kind
07:50of attitude that reflects the kind of attitude you have in your homes.
07:57If you do not recognize, though some of your parents in your homes, the same is true here.
08:06Or, through the incineration of some persons, that I want you to remember, this is the graduation
08:14described by the Department of Education. This is not a rally. This is not a mob. This is not a crowd. This is a
08:26graduation of, supposedly, those who have achieved the prescribed requirements of the Department of Education. And
08:41disobedience is not one of them. This is not one of them. This is not the names of the students. Okay? And we will
08:57start dealing with them one by one after their graduation. Actually, please hold the release of the diploma. They should be taking that in the office. That's another. The origin of the diploma should be given.
09:24Okay? So, take off the diploma that I signed in the diploma jacket. Because they will be getting that in the office one by one.
09:51Okay? Angan?
10:12Sino ka?
10:14Sino ka ka dito?
10:16Ha?
10:18Okay?
10:20Pagkita po ang tinong ka.
10:22Pagkita po ang tinong ka.
10:28Class advisors, try,
10:30not try,
10:32but impose
10:34something sa iyong kapatahan.
10:36Because God
10:38will reflect to you as class advisors.
10:40Okay.
10:42Okay.
10:44Okay.
10:46I'm okay.
10:48Six hours?
10:50No problem.
10:52Let them come out if you want.
10:54Okay.
10:56Okay.
10:58Best advisors, you go to your respective classes.
11:02Okay.
11:04So,
11:06we will start the graduation
11:08graduation
11:10to those who
11:12people who are not.
11:14Ano mo' a class yo?
11:18As I said, no to the
11:20...
11:22Okay.
11:24Class advisors,
11:26again, to your advisory class.
11:28Are you ready?
11:30Okay.
11:32Okay.
11:34Okay.
11:36Are you ready?
11:38Okay.
11:40Okay.
11:42Okay.
11:44Okay.