DepEd Manual of Style (DMOS): A Guide for School Heads

The DepEd Manual of Style (DMOS), 2018 Edition, sets how the Department of Education’s official documents are written and laid out: abbreviations, capitalization, dates, numbers, punctuation, spelling, tables, issuance formats and letters. DepEd Order (DO) No. 030, s. 2019, signed on October 18, 2019, adopted it for the Central Office, the regional offices, the schools division offices (SDOs) and the public schools. The Manual follows The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, and adds a “DepEd House Style” for usage particular to the Department.

DepEd Memorandum (DM) No. 082, s. 2022 turned its formats into instructions for every office down to the school. Issuances follow the formats in the Manual’s Appendix 5, letters use the block format, and issuances, letters and communications are set in Bookman Old Style, 11 point. As of November 5, 2026, the 2018 edition is still the one in force.

Every letter to a barangay, memorandum to teachers and report to the SDO that a school head signs falls under these rules. The Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), adopted by DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, expect a school head to communicate “effectively in speaking and in writing” (indicator 5.4.2), and the Manual is the Department’s standard for the written part.

Key findings

• DO 030, s. 2019 adopted the Manual on October 18, 2019, effective on approval. It covers the Central Office, regional offices, SDOs and public schools (DO 030, s. 2019, para. 8; Encl. No. 2, Sec. II).
• School letters use the block format in Bookman Old Style, 11 point. DM 082, s. 2022 requires the block format on page 76 of the Manual for the “letters and official communications” of all offices, and sets the font for issuances, letters and communications (paras. 4 and 5).
• Ignoring the Manual is an administrative matter. “Violation of any provisions in this Order shall be dealt with administratively” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. X.1), and DM 082 repeats that disciplinary action may follow (para. 6).
• Seven principles govern every document: clarity, conciseness, completeness, concreteness, consistency, coherence and courtesy (DMOS, p. ix).
• The Manual prescribes American English. It names Merriam-Webster for English, the UP or Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) dictionaries for Filipino words, and “adviser” and “trainer” over “advisor” and “trainor” (rules 165 to 167).
• The rules most documents use: an issuance is cited in full first and short after (“DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2013”, then “DO 8, s. 2013”), numbers one to nine are spelled out, “percent” is spelled out in issuances, and emphasis is bold only (rules 16 to 18, 50, 97 and 107).
• A revision is due but has not been issued. DO 030, s. 2019 called for one “within five years of its use, or as needed” (para. 6), and DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2025 tells the Public Affairs Service to build inclusive standards into the manual of style. DepEd’s Media Management Guidelines of 2026 still cite the 2018 edition (DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2026, Sec. III.1.n).

What the DepEd Manual of Style covers

DO 030, s. 2019 has two enclosures. Enclosure No. 1 is the Manual itself, prepared by the Publications Division of the Public Affairs Service (PAS-PD): 169 numbered rules in 12 parts, seven appendixes, and a list of style sources, on pages vii to 82. Enclosure No. 2 is the Guidelines on the Use of DMOS: why DepEd adopted the Manual, whom it covers, what each office does, how its use is monitored, and when it took effect. Its Annex A sets the implementation framework, and Annex B is a monitoring and evaluation form that lists every rule for rating.

The Guidelines give the reason in their first paragraph. The rules of grammar in the “World Englishes” are changing, “which confuse Filipino writers and learners,” so DepEd “shall adopt the American English” and The Chicago Manual of Style as its official reference (Encl. No. 2, Sec. I.1). The DepEd House Style covers the cases where the Department departs from Chicago for its own reasons. The Foreword’s example is spelling out a term when it first appears and using its acronym after that.

The Manual names the letterhead only as an element of an issuance: “The letterhead, which includes the DepEd seal, and the agency name in Old English Text MT” (p. 62). The specifications of the seal, the logo and the letterheads, the school’s included, are in the Department of Education Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual (DSMVIM), adopted by DepEd Order No. 031, s. 2019 on November 4, 2019, less than three weeks after the Manual of Style; the guide to the DepEd seal, logo and letterhead covers it. Citations in an action research report are a separate matter; the guide to APA 7 citations of DepEd orders covers them.

Is the DepEd Manual of Style still in force in 2026?

Yes. No issuance has replaced it, and the latest DepEd order on communication applies it. The table lists the issuances that bear on it, oldest first.

DO 030, s. 2019 itself planned for change. PAS-PD “shall update the DMOS 2018 Edition based on the results of continuous monitoring and evaluation,” and the Manual “shall also be revised for continuous improvement within five years of its use, or as needed” (para. 6). Five years from its adoption ran out in October 2024. Until a new edition is issued, the 2018 edition governs, as DO 007, s. 2026 confirms.

Whom the Manual binds, and what happens when it is ignored

The Manual applies to every level of DepEd, including the school. DO 030, s. 2019 is addressed to, among others, “Public Elementary and Secondary School Heads.” Its scope provision gives “the DepEd operating units from the CO, regional offices (ROs), schools division offices (SDOs), and the public schools” copies of the Manual (Encl. No. 2, Sec. II), and its closing paragraph directs “Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order” (para. 10).

One paragraph of the order sounds softer. Officials and personnel “are encouraged to actively take part in promoting the use of DMOS” (para. 2). That sentence is about promoting the Manual. Using it is required: DM 082, s. 2022 instructs personnel “at the central, regional, schools divisions, district offices, and schools” to “strictly adhere to the required styling and formatting of DepEd official issuances” in Appendix 5 (para. 3).

Both issuances name the consequence. The Guidelines state, “Violation of any provisions in this Order shall be dealt with administratively” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. X.1). DM 082 reminds all personnel “that administrative disciplinary action and other legal remedies may be initiated against anyone found responsible for violating any provisions in this Order” (para. 6). Neither says which offense a violation is. The guide to DepEd administrative cases explains how any complaint against personnel proceeds.

Who does what to put the Manual in place

The Guidelines give the work to information officers. PAS-PD trains Regional Information Officers (RIOs) and Division Information Officers (DIOs); RIOs train the regional core groups; and DIOs organize division core groups, give each member a PDF copy, run focus group discussions (FGDs) on the rules and appendixes, and report the results through the RIO (Encl. No. 2, Secs. VI and VIII). The division core group members include “superviors [sic] of public school districts, and representatives from public schools” (Sec. VIII.3.c). Field offices and schools pay for this from local funds (Sec. V.2).

Annex A set the rollout timeline in 2019, down to the school.

The Content Evaluation Form asks each participant to rate every rule 3 (extremely useful), 2 (moderately useful) or 1 (fairly useful), with remarks, and to write their “significant learning experiences and challenges” (Annex B).

The seven principles of effective business writing

The Manual opens with seven principles (p. ix), and the Guidelines direct PAS-PD to apply the same seven when it formats the Central Office’s draft issuances (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VII).

Abbreviations and acronyms

The first rule is the one every document needs. If a term appears more than once, spell it out at first mention, put the abbreviation in parentheses after it, and use the abbreviation from then on; if it appears only once, spell it out and leave the abbreviation out (rules 1 and 2). The Manual’s example: “The Department of Education (DepEd) shall continue to provide School-Based Management (SBM) grants to public schools.” The same rule applies afresh in each appendix (rule 52). In footnotes, use the abbreviation once the text has defined it; a term first abbreviated in a footnote is spelled out there (rule 10). A term better known by its abbreviation, such as UNICEF or ASEAN, may go by its abbreviation and be listed in the document’s list of abbreviations (rule 3).

Appendix 4 lists more than 400 DepEd terms and their abbreviations, from A&E (Accreditation and Equivalency) to YFD (Youth Formation Division), including the ones schools use daily: LAC, LRN, SBM, SGC, SIP, SRC, SF (School Form), PSDS and SDS. A few entries are out of date; see the section on what the Manual’s lists get wrong.

How to cite DepEd orders, memoranda and laws in a DepEd document

Rules 16 to 18 and Appendix 5 set how an issuance is named and referenced inside a DepEd document.

DepEd’s own pages zero-pad recent numbers, as in “DO 030, s. 2019”; the Manual’s examples do not. Either form identifies the issuance. What matters is using one form throughout the document, which is the Manual’s consistency principle. Capitalize “Order” and “Memorandum” in the short form when they refer to a Department issuance (“The Order was about the regulations on issuance”), though other short forms are lowercase (rule 37).

Capitalization

Once a person’s title has been given, it need not be repeated each time the name appears (rule 39).

Money, dates and time

Numbers and percentages

Rule 101 makes statistics an exception to the one-to-nine rule, so a school report writes “In Grade 2, 3 of the 45 learners are reading at the frustration level,” not “three.”

Emphasis, headings and lists

Emphasis. Use boldface. Do not italicize, underline, or put a word in quotation marks to stress it, in any document and in issuances (rule 50). Italics have other jobs: titles of publications (rule 161) and non-English words (rule 95).

Headings. “The optimum number of heading levels is three, maximum is four” (rule 59). The Manual gives two numbering ladders (pp. 14-15).

Lists. Items in a list are parallel in form (rule 67).

• Introduce a vertical list with a full sentence or an introductory clause. Capitalize each item, unless the list completes the introducing sentence, in which case use lowercase (rule 68).
• End an item with a period when it is a full sentence or can be read as an instruction (rule 69).
• When the list completes a sentence, separate items with commas, or with semicolons if an item has a comma inside it (rule 70).
• Use bullets or lowercase letters; number a list only when the order of importance or the number of items matters (rule 71).
• Use a colon when the introduction is not a full sentence (rule 72).
• List countries, provinces, cities and organizations alphabetically unless there is a reason not to (rule 73).
• Avoid “respectively”, “former … latter” and “namely” (rules 74 and 75).

Tables, figures, footnotes and page numbers

School reports, the School Report Card and the annexes of the School Improvement Plan are full of tables. The Manual’s rules for them (rules 78 to 92, and 23):

1. Cite every table in the text, and place it near the end of the paragraph where it is first cited.
2. Number tables with Arabic numerals in order only when there are two or more; a single table takes a title only.
3. Put the number and a short title outside and above the table, centered, in regular (not bold) type: “Table 1: Source of Document Request”. Put the unit of measurement below the title.
4. Center the column titles. Left-align text in the first column, align numbers on the decimal point, and keep the number of decimal places the same throughout. Round to two decimal places unless there is a reason not to.
5. Number rows with a period (“1.”) or Roman numerals, never a closing parenthesis (“1)”).
6. Below the table, put everything a reader needs to read it alone: abbreviations in alphabetical order with their meanings (Bookman Old Style, 8 or 9 point), footnotes, symbols, and the source. Every table has a source.
7. Use an en dash for negative numbers, and move tables longer than a page to an appendix.
8. In a table of text, use full sentences or fragments throughout, not a mix, with a bullet for each entry.

Figures follow the same logic (rules 60 to 66). Place a figure right after the paragraph that cites it, number it in Arabic numerals with a title, and box it with its title. Avoid color; use shades of black for bar charts and graphs. Give each figure its own abbreviations list, footnotes marked with superscript lowercase letters, and its sources in alphabetical order by author, so it can stand alone.

Footnotes in the text use superscript Arabic numerals placed after the punctuation at the end of the sentence (rule 56). Each appendix starts its footnotes again at 1 (rule 53).

Page numbers go at the bottom of the page, on the right for odd pages and on the left for even pages. Preliminary pages use lowercase Roman numerals without parentheses; the rest use Arabic numerals (rules 76 and 77).

Enclosures and annexes. An enclosure is part of a document; an annex or attachment is extra material that is part of an enclosure (rule 51). Enclosures are numbered from page 1 and annexes from A (rule 54). Enclosures and appendixes are cited in the main text and listed in the order they are cited (rule 55).

Operations manuals. A school or office preparing its own manual can follow Appendix 7: sections for the introduction, organizational structure and office functions, legal bases, definitions, forms and templates, procedures and flow charts, and annexes; A4 size; Bookman Old Style, 11 or 12 point; pages numbered by section (“10.4” for page 4 of Section 10); and a footer showing when each page was last changed.

Punctuation

The Manual’s punctuation part runs from rule 116 to rule 160. These are the rules school documents meet most.

References and sources

The Manual wants every quoted or referenced material cited “correctly and completely in a footnote,” with publication titles in italics (rule 161). Publications “may follow the rules below or those in the Chicago Manual of Style” (rule 162). Its models (pp. 33-34):

Spelling: American English, Filipino words and the DepEd word list

Rule 165 sets the standard: “Use American spelling. Consult the Merriam-Webster dictionary (www.m-w.com) for correct spellings if unsure.” Rule 167 extends it to “all documents, including issuances,” and names DepEd’s two preferences: adviser, not advisor, and trainer, not trainor. The Manual’s examples of the difference include analyze (not analyse), behavior, color, honor, labor, center, meter, theater, defense, offense, traveled, labeled, judgment, acknowledgment, catalog, inquiry and program (not programme). Proper nouns keep their own spelling, so the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Labour Organization stay as they are (rules 111 and 168).

Rule 167 settles which English, not whether a document may be in another language. For Filipino words, rule 166 names the UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino, Binagong Edisyon (2010) or the KWF’s Diksiyonaryong Filipino. Appendix 3 lists Filipino terms “commonly used in DepEd Issuances and official communications,” with their accepted spelling: for example Kautusang Pangkagawaran (DepEd Order), Memorandum Pangkagawaran (DepEd Memorandum), paaralan, punong guro, tagapamanihala and mag-aaral. A non-English word in an English document is italicized, with its English meaning in parentheses or a footnote at first appearance; local proper nouns such as the names of agencies and organizations are not italicized (rules 95 and 96).

The Manual’s word list (pp. 37-39) settles many spellings that DepEd documents vary on. A selection:

Gender-neutral and inclusive language

Rule 93 asks for gender-neutral language and asks writers to avoid “the masculine gender when the gender is not known.” Rule 94 asks writers to “eliminate language that could potentially affect sensibilities in terms of religion, race, and the like.” Appendix 2 gives the replacements.

In a school document, that means no “he” for a learner or teacher whose gender is not given: write “learners and their parents,” or repeat the noun. DO 007, s. 2026 asks for the same in school media: “gender-fair language and images across all platforms” (Sec. V.B.13.a.ii).

The disability terms need care. The Manual’s list prefers “visually impaired” to “blind” and “hearing-impaired” to “deaf.” DepEd’s later orders use both kinds of term. DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021 defines “Learners with Disabilities (LWDs)” (Sec. III.P), provides for “learners who are assessed as hearing impaired, hard of hearing and visually impaired” (Sec. VI.A.3.c), and speaks of “deaf learners in basic education” (Sec. VI.A.3.d); DO 007, s. 2026 asks for video captions “for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.” DO 030, s. 2025 has asked for inclusive standards to be written into the manual of style. Until that edition appears, use “learners with disabilities” as the general term and, for a particular group, the term the order governing that group uses.

Plain words in place of legalese

Appendix 2 also lists expressions to drop from official writing, with what to use instead (pp. 43-47). These are the ones that fill school letters.

The same appendix explains 30 pairs of words that writers confuse (advise and inform, adapt and adopt, affect and effect, ensure and insure, fewer and less, imply and infer, among others), and Appendix 1 reproduces Chicago’s proofreaders’ marks for those who check drafts on paper.

DepEd issuance types and their parts

Appendix 5 opens with a definition: “DepEd Issuances are official documents containing policies, procedures, or information released and signed by the Secretary or other authorized officials.” It suggests that their titles run “two lines at most” (p. 62). The Guidelines define each kind (Encl. No. 2, Sec. III), and Appendix 5 gives its elements and a sample layout.

An advisory matters to school heads because teachers bring them in. Participation in an advisory’s activity is voluntary, “hence, traveling expenses and registration fees are charged to personal accounts” (Appendix 5, p. 73). An advisory “does not endorse any education-related activity” and “does not serve as an authority for interested DepEd nonteaching and teaching personnel to attend on official business” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. III.1.a).

The 16 elements of a DepEd Order

The DepEd Order is the model for the rest (pp. 62-63). In order: (1) the letterhead, with the DepEd seal and the agency name in Old English Text MT; (2) the date of release or approval; (3) the control number with the series year; (4) the title; (5) the officials concerned, proponents, implementers and stakeholders (the “To:” list); (6) the statement of the policy; (7) its objectives; (8) the statement on new provisions and on what it repeals, rescinds or modifies; (9) the statement of publication and effectivity; (10) the closing statement directing dissemination and strict compliance; (11) the Secretary’s signature; (12) the statement of enclosures; (13) the related or repealed issuances used as references; (14) the subjects for the Perpetual Index; (15) the tracer; and (16) the footer with DepEd’s address, contact numbers and website.

The sample on page 63 sets the spacing in blank lines: two between the letterhead and the date, one between each of the other parts down to the last paragraph, five before the signatory’s name, one before the enclosure line, and one or two before the tracer. A DepEd Memorandum has the same frame with an activity in place of a policy: target participants, the contact details of the proponent, and a closing statement on dissemination, 17 elements in all (pp. 65-66).

The tracer sits at the lower left-hand corner of the main text. It holds “the initial or name of the assigned encoder, filename and tracking number, followed by the date it was drafted or reformatted,” and it is used “for checking whether the approved DepEd regulation/issuance has been amended or rescinded” (p. 75). The Perpetual Index lists the subjects of every DepEd order and memorandum, alphabetically by subject and chronologically by issuance, for research (p. 75); Appendix 6 gives the subjects to choose from, from Absences to Workshops.

The policy guidelines in an enclosure

When an order or office order carries policy guidelines, Appendix 5 gives their basic contents, based on DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2015 on the Department’s policy development process (p. 64): I. Rationale; II. Scope; III. Definition of Terms, as needed; IV. Policy Statement; V. Procedures, with the actors and their roles and timetables; VI. Monitoring and Evaluation; VII. References; and VIII. Effectivity or Transitory Provision. The Guidelines enclosed in DO 030 follow this outline, with sections on funding and on principles added.

What a school issues

The six kinds above are the Central Office’s. The Manual has no separate format for a division or school memorandum. DM 082, s. 2022 tells personnel in schools to adhere to the “styling and formatting of DepEd official issuances” in Appendix 5, so a school memorandum built on the DepEd Memorandum layout on page 66 (letterhead, date, number and series, title, “To:” list, numbered paragraphs, signature, enclosures, references, tracer) applies the Manual at the school level. Where the SDO has issued a template for school memoranda, use it.

How to format a DepEd letter

DM 082, s. 2022 decides the layout: “For letters and official communications, all offices shall strictly use the block letter format which is provided for in page 76 of the DMOS under Appendix 5” (para. 4), in Bookman Old Style, 11 point (para. 5). The Manual’s other sample, the semi-block letter on page 77, with the date and closing on the right and indented paragraphs, is no longer an option for official letters.

The block format, part by part

The sample on page 76 puts every part flush left. The spacing is counted in blank lines.

The rest of the Manual applies inside the letter: abbreviations spelled out at first mention, the date written out, a colon after the salutation (rule 122), titles abbreviated in salutations if needed (rule 12), and the plain wording in the table above.

The school letterhead

The letterhead comes from the DSMVIM, not the Manual of Style (DO 031, s. 2019, Encl. No. 1, pp. 34-35).

DO 031, s. 2019 let schools use up their old letterheads, certificates and forms until the end of School Year 2019–2020 (para. 10); that allowance has expired. DepEd issuances themselves are set in Bookman Old Style, 11 point, with an 8-point footer (DSMVIM, p. 57).

Email signatures

The DSMVIM gives rules for official email signatures (p. 76): keep it simple; include your name, title and department; one address and no more than two telephone numbers; a common font such as Helvetica, Calibri or Arial at 12 to 14 points; a short URL if any; plain text in one color such as black or dark gray; and no distracting graphics. The signature with the DepEd seal is for Executive Committee members and employees at salary grade 24 and up; employees at salary grade 23 and below use the one with the DepEd logo.

Reply on time

The Manual governs how a reply looks. The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees governs when it goes out: “All public officials and employees shall, within fifteen (15) working days from receipt thereof, respond to letters, telegrams or other means of communications sent by the public. The reply must contain the action taken on the request” (Republic Act No. 6713, Sec. 5(a)). Note the law’s “fifteen (15),” which rule 103 allows “for legal purposes.”

When the letter is an application or request, such as a request for a certification, Republic Act No. 11032, the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, sets shorter limits. The processing time “shall not be longer than three (3) working days in the case of simple transactions,” which “only require ministerial actions,” and seven working days for complex transactions (Secs. 4(m) and 9(b)(1)).

School social media posts

DO 007, s. 2026 carries the Manual onto the school’s official page. At the school level, the “Head of Office” is the school head (Sec. III.1.m), who approves every post (Secs. V.B.5.a.v and V.B.6.a). Content follows DO 030, s. 2019 and the DSMVIM (Sec. V.B.5.a.i), “typographical errors, erroneous information, or wrongly uploaded photos” are corrected immediately (Sec. V.B.5.b.ix), and captions in Filipino and the mother tongue are encouraged (Sec. V.B.5.b.viii). The guide to the SIP communication plan covers the rest of the order’s rules for school pages, from consent for photos of learners to who may speak to the media.

Where the Manual’s lists disagree with its rules or are out of date

A few entries in the word lists contradict the Manual’s own rules, and a few names in Appendix 4 have since changed. Each changes what a writer types.

No later issuance settles the word-list conflicts. Follow the Manual’s numbered rules over its word lists, and the governing issuance over Appendix 4.

What this means for school heads

The Manual asks little of a school head that a careful writer does not already do. What it adds is one standard for the whole Department, so that a letter from a school in Tawi-Tawi and one from the Central Office look and read the same way. Under the PPSSH, that standard serves strand 5.4 (communication) in Domain 5 and strand 1.3 (policy implementation and review) in Domain 1.

Set up the school’s templates once

1. Keep the official copies. Download DO 030, s. 2019, with the Manual, and DO 031, s. 2019, with the DSMVIM, from their pages on deped.gov.ph. Official copies of the Manual may also be requested from PAS-PD at pas.pd@deped.gov.ph (DM 082, s. 2022, para. 7).
2. Make the letter template. Use the DSMVIM letterhead for the principal’s office, the block format from page 76, and Bookman Old Style, 11 point.
3. Make the memorandum template. Use the SDO’s template if there is one, or the DepEd Memorandum layout on page 66, with the school’s own numbering and series year. Issue each memorandum on paper and as a text-based, machine-readable file, such as a PDF saved from the word processor rather than a scan, and give the school office’s contact details for questions (DO 030, s. 2025, Encl. No. 2, Sec. VII.A).
4. Fix the school’s report formats. Number tables and figures, give each a title and a source, and follow the decimal and percent rules, so that the School Report Card and reports to the SDO need no reformatting.

Before you sign: a checklist

Build the habit in the faculty

Annex A gives the school one task of its own: a focus group discussion on the Manual’s usefulness, set in 2019 for the “Semester Break,” with session guides and an accomplished Content Evaluation Form as outputs. It has the district supervisor hold FGDs during LAC sessions. Since School Year 2026–2027, schools follow the three-term calendar of DO 009, s. 2026 (para. 42): LAC sessions are held “within the Instructional Block” (Encl., Sec. V.C, para. 22), professional development runs for two days in the End-of-Term Blocks (para. 21), and teachers are given no instructional, administrative or extracurricular duties during their wellness break, except in an emergency or exigency of service (Sec. V.D, para. 24). Hold the school’s FGD as a LAC session in the Instructional Block, or on the professional development days: take one part of the Manual at a time, have teachers revise a real school letter or report against it, and keep the evaluation forms as the output.

Teachers who draft letters, minutes and reports for the school do the work DO 030, s. 2019 has in mind for “other personnel involved in the preparation of official documents” (para. 5). Review their drafts against the checklist before signing, and explain each correction, so the next draft needs fewer.

What the rules leave open

• Margins and spacing within the page. Neither the Manual nor DM 082 sets page margins. The sample formats count only the blank lines between parts.
• The language of the letter. Write in English or in Filipino. The 1987 Constitution makes Filipino and English the official languages “for purposes of communication and instruction” (Art. XIV, Sec. 7), and Executive Order No. 335, s. 1988 directs every government office to enhance “the use of Filipino in all official communications, transactions and correspondence.” The block format and the font apply in either language. For letters home to families, the section on writing in the language families use applies.
• The format of a school memorandum, as above, unless the SDO has set one.

How the NASH may test this

The items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

Question 1

Indicator 5.4.2, Communication. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the school head of a large junior high school in a city. Your School Improvement Plan (SIP) includes repairing the school’s water system, and you plan to ask the city mayor for help before the local school board meets in two weeks. A teacher’s draft letter runs two pages in semi-block style, opens with greetings and the school’s history, and ends by asking the mayor to “support the school’s facility needs.” What is the most appropriate action?

• A. Skip the letter for now and call the mayor’s office to explain which repair the school needs and by when, so that the request reaches the mayor before the board meets.
• B. Have the letter rewritten on one page in the block format and Bookman Old Style 11, stating the repair, its cost, the SIP item it serves and the date needed.
• C. Ask the PTA president to write and sign the request instead, since a letter from the parents is more likely to move the mayor than one from the school.
• D. Have the letter reset on one page in the block format and Bookman Old Style 11, keeping its closing request that the mayor support the school’s facility needs.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: B. Points: A = 1, B = 3, C = 0, D = 2.

• A (1 point, Unistructural). The call names the repair and the date in time, but nothing is put in writing, so the mayor’s office has no request to act on or file.
• B (3 points, Relational). It uses the required format, cuts the letter to the point, and makes the request complete and concrete, tied to the plan, which is what lets the mayor act before the board meets.
• C (0 points, Prestructural). The request is the school’s, and the school head answers for it. Handing it to the PTA gives away the school head’s accountability and leaves the school’s own letter unwritten.
• D (2 points, Multistructural). The format and font now meet DM 082, s. 2022, and the letter is concise, but “support the school’s facility needs” still names no work, cost or date. It fixes the form and the length, not the request.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 5.4.2 asks the school head to communicate effectively in writing with stakeholders to gain their support. DM 082, s. 2022 requires the block format and Bookman Old Style, 11 point, for letters (paras. 4 and 5), and the Manual’s principles call for documents that are concise, complete and concrete (DMOS, p. ix). The reformatted one-page letter meets the format rule and is concise, but it is neither complete nor concrete, and those are what the mayor needs in order to act.

Indicator 5.4.2: Communicate effectively in speaking and in writing to teachers, learners, parents and other stakeholders, through positive use of communication platforms, to facilitate information sharing, collaboration and support.

Sources: DepEd Memorandum No. 082, s. 2022, paras. 4 and 5; DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2019, Encl. No. 1, Principles of Effective Business Writing, p. ix, and Appendix 5, p. 76; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.

Question 2

Indicator 1.3.1, Policy implementation and review. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Easy.

A teacher says that DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2019 only encourages the use of the DepEd Manual of Style, so the school’s letters may follow any format. Which statement best explains the rules that govern a public school’s letters?

• A. The school follows the Manual in its letters, since the order directs strict compliance and a later memorandum sets one letter format and font for all offices.
• B. The school may treat the Manual as optional, since the order encourages its use and a memorandum cannot add duties to what an order requires.
• C. The school follows the Manual’s style rules in its letters, since the order adopted them and directs strict compliance, while the layout is left to each school.
• D. The school follows the Manual in its reports to the division but not in its letters, since a later memorandum covers issuances, not letters to local officials.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: A. Points: A = 3, B = 0, C = 2, D = 1.

• A (3 points, Relational). It connects the two issuances: the order adopts the Manual for every level and directs strict compliance, and DM 082, s. 2022 enforces it and fixes the letter format and font for all offices, schools included.
• B (0 points, Prestructural). “Encouraged” refers to promoting the Manual. The order directs “strict compliance” and makes violations an administrative matter, so treating it as optional is a misreading that invites a sanction.
• C (2 points, Multistructural). The order’s style rules and its demand for compliance are right, but the option misses the memorandum, which takes the layout of letters out of the school’s hands.
• D (1 point, Unistructural). Reports do follow the Manual, but the memorandum covers the “letters and official communications” of all offices (para. 4), so letters to parents and local officials follow it too.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 1.3.1 asks for an understanding of how issuances apply to school operations. DO 030, s. 2019 directs “strict compliance” (para. 10) and makes violations an administrative matter (Encl. No. 2, Sec. X.1). DM 082, s. 2022 instructs personnel in schools to follow Appendix 5, and requires the block format and Bookman Old Style, 11 point, for letters (paras. 3 to 5). The option that keeps the style rules but leaves layout to the school misses the memorandum.

Indicator 1.3.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of policy implementation and review to ensure that school operations are consistent with national and local laws, regulations and issuances.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2019, paras. 2 and 10, and Encl. No. 2, Secs. II and X; DepEd Memorandum No. 082, s. 2022, paras. 3 to 6; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

Is the DepEd Manual of Style still in effect in 2026?

Yes. DO 030, s. 2019 adopted the 2018 Edition on October 18, 2019, and no issuance has replaced it. DM 082, s. 2022 reiterated strict compliance, and DO 007, s. 2026, issued on March 25, 2026, names DO 030 and DM 082 as the rules on language styling (Sec. III.1.n).

What font and size does DepEd require for letters and memos?

Bookman Old Style, 11 point, for “the contents of issuances, letters and communications” (DM 082, s. 2022, para. 5). The letterhead has its own typefaces under the DSMVIM: Old English Text MT for “Republic of the Philippines” and “Department of Education,” and Trajan Pro for the region, division, school and address (DO 031, s. 2019, Encl. No. 1, p. 34).

What is the block letter format in DepEd?

Every part of the letter starts at the left margin: date, inside address, salutation, unindented paragraphs, closing and signature block (DMOS, Appendix 5, p. 76). DM 082, s. 2022 requires it for the letters and official communications of all offices (para. 4). The semi-block format on page 77, with the date and closing on the right, is no longer used for official letters.

How do you cite a DepEd Order in a DepEd document?

Write it in full at first mention, “DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2013,” with “No.” abbreviated and “s.” in lowercase, then “DO 8, s. 2013” after that (DMOS, rules 16 to 18). A law follows the same pattern: “Republic Act No. 10533, s. 2013,” then “RA 10533, s. 2013.” Several issuances on a references line take a colon: “DepEd Memorandum: Nos. 63, 68, and 93, s. 2016” (rule 124).

Can a public school write official letters in Filipino?

Yes. The Constitution makes Filipino and English the official languages “for purposes of communication and instruction” (Art. XIV, Sec. 7), and EO 335, s. 1988 directs government offices to enhance the use of Filipino in official correspondence. The Manual’s American English rule governs English text; for Filipino words it names the UP and KWF dictionaries (rule 166), and Appendix 3 lists Filipino terms common in DepEd communications.

Sources

DepEd orders

• DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2019, The Department of Education Manual of Style, October 18, 2019. Paras. 1 to 10; Encl. No. 1, the Department of Education Manual of Style, 2018 Edition (Public Affairs Service-Publications Division), pp. ix to 82, rules 1 to 169 and Appendixes 1 to 7; Encl. No. 2, Guidelines on the Use of the Department of Education Manual of Style, Secs. I to X, Annexes A and B.
• DepEd Order No. 031, s. 2019, The Department of Education Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual, November 4, 2019. Para. 10; Encl. No. 1, pp. 34-35, 57 and 76.
• DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2026, Media Management Guidelines, March 25, 2026. Secs. III.1.m and n; V.B.5, V.B.6 and V.B.13.
• DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2025, Inclusive Employment Policy in the Department of Education, September 29, 2025. Encl. No. 1, Sec. V.2.h; Encl. No. 2, Sec. VII.A.
• DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021, Policy Guidelines on the Provision of Educational Programs and Services for Learners with Disabilities in the K to 12 Basic Education Program, November 2, 2021. Secs. III.P and VI.A.3.
• DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Three-Term School Calendar in Basic Education, April 16, 2026. Paras. 5 and 42; Encl., Secs. V.C and V.D; Annex B.
• DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015, Guidelines on the Enhanced School Improvement Planning (SIP) Process and the School Report Card (SRC), September 29, 2015. The SIP Guidebook’s list of acronyms and Step 8.
• DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2015, Establishment of a Policy Development Process at the Department of Education, April 13, 2015.
• DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2013, Policy Guidelines on Regulating the Issuance of DepEd Advisories, February 13, 2013.
• DepEd Order No. 66, s. 2017, Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Off-Campus Activities, December 27, 2017.
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020. Strands 1.3 and 5.4.

DepEd memoranda

• DepEd Memorandum No. 082, s. 2022, Reiteration of the Strict Compliance to the Use of the Department of Education Manual of Style, September 7, 2022. Paras. 1 to 7.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025, Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025, August 11, 2025. Item 1.

Laws

• 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Art. XIV, Secs. 6 and 7.
• Executive Order No. 335, s. 1988, Enjoining All Departments/Bureaus/Offices/Agencies/Instrumentalities of the Government to Take Such Steps as Are Necessary for the Purpose of Using Filipino Language in Official Transactions, Communications and Correspondence, August 25, 1988. Item 1.
• Republic Act No. 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, February 20, 1989. Sec. 5(a).
• Republic Act No. 11032, Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, May 28, 2018. Secs. 4(m) and 9(b)(1).
• Republic Act No. 12009, New Government Procurement Act, July 20, 2024. Sec. 115.

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Orders No. 030, s. 2019; No. 031, s. 2019; No. 007, s. 2026; No. 030, s. 2025; No. 044, s. 2021; No. 009, s. 2026; No. 44, s. 2015; No. 13, s. 2015; No. 8, s. 2013; No. 66, s. 2017; and No. 024, s. 2020; DepEd Memoranda No. 082, s. 2022 and No. 069, s. 2025; the 1987 Constitution; EO 335, s. 1988; RA 6713; RA 11032; RA 12009.