Finally, we are seeing more inclusivity in our nation.
On Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) stated that it has adopted a new dress policy that allows Muslim women to wear headscarves in uniform, in an effort to recruit more Muslim women to join the workforce. The directive took effect on January 25, 2022.
A hijab is a veil worn by certain Muslim women in the presence of any male outside of their immediate family or sometimes by men, which covers the head and chest.
Muslims account for around 6% of the country’s 110 million people while there are 1,850 Muslim personnel, 200 of whom are women, who are employed in PCG.
Last year, the service’s imam, Capt. Alicman S. Borowa, recommended that the hijab be included in the uniform, believing that it would help foster inclusivity. The development was greeted positively by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
The PCG is following in the footsteps of the Philippine Armed Forces, Philippine National Police, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which have already allowed Muslim troops to wear headscarves as part of their official uniform.
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