Caloocan mayor: Residents not banned to wear shorts

MANILA, Philippines — The government of Caloocan City on Wednesday clarified that residents are not prohibited to wear shorts in public places after an 11-year-old ordinance enraged social media users.

Ordinance 439, or the Caloocan City Dress Code in Public Places, was passed on Nov. 6, 2007 to prescribe “appropriate” and “acceptable” manner of wearing clothes in public places in the city.  

The objectionable provision, however, prohibits vendors from being topless and wearing sleeveless shirts or blouses, dirty or tattered clothes, slippers, shorts or short shorts or “trousers covering less than one-fourth of the lower torso and legs.”

In a statement posted on the Facebook page of Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan, he said the 2007 dress code “requires the residents, especially in government offices to be ‘decently attired,’ but they are not prohibited to wear shorts.”

Malapitan said he has ordered the city councilors to discuss and update the ordinance.

“For me, I really want the ordinance to be repealed as I stand for equal rights to freedom and I believe that all women should be respected no matter what they wear,” he said.

He, moreover, called on sexual harassment victims to “stand up for themselves and report to the police.”

Social media users said the ordinance is a form of misogyny and victim blaming. It is also seen as an ineffective means in preventing harassment and assault. — Gaea Katreena Cabico