DepEd Seal, Logo and Letterhead: A Guide to the DSMVIM

The Department of Education Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual (DSMVIM), 2018 Edition, sets how DepEd’s name, seal and logo appear on everything the Department produces: letterheads, certificates, diplomas, school forms, signage, roofs, IDs, publications and online posts. DepEd Order (DO) No. 031, s. 2019, signed on November 4, 2019, adopted it, and its provisions “shall be followed by DepEd officials and personnel at the central, regional, schools divisions, district offices, and schools” (para. 6).

For a school head, the Manual answers questions that come up every school year. Which mark goes on the graduation certificates? How should the school letterhead look? Can a sponsor print the DepEd logo on a tarpaulin? Can a donor’s name go on a donated vehicle? The rules behind the Manual are older: DepEd Order No. 69, s. 2003 introduced the logo and DepEd Order No. 63, s. 2011 the seal, and both still apply through the Manual (DO 031, s. 2019, paras. 3 and 4).

As of November 5, 2026, the 2018 edition is still in force. DepEd’s issuances of 2025 and 2026 keep citing it for certificates, diplomas, roof markings and social media content, and one later instruction, the Bagong Pilipinas logo on letterheads, adds to it.

Key findings

• DO 031, s. 2019 adopted the Manual on November 4, 2019, effective on approval, for every level down to the school (paras. 6 and 10; Encl. No. 2, Sec. II).
• The seal is for official documents; the logo is for promotion and advocacy. The seal goes on certificates, diplomas, plaques, letterheads, envelopes, business cards and IDs; the logo on nametags, newsletters, learning materials, flyers, posters and online materials (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.7.c; DSMVIM, pp. 4 and 15).
• The seal may not be redrawn, distorted, recolored or shrunk below half an inch; the logo not below three-fourths of an inch (DSMVIM, pp. 9-13 and 18).
• The school letterhead carries the DepEd seal at the center, the Department’s name in Old English Text MT, and the region, division, school and address in Trajan Pro, 10 point, bold (pp. 34-35). Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2023 adds the Bagong Pilipinas logo to government letterheads.
• Public schools’ certificates of completion and diplomas follow pages 44 to 46 of the Manual, as the end-of-school-year memorandum for School Year 2025–2026 repeats (DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026, para. 4.d). Award medals bear the DepEd seal (DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026, Annex H).
• The roof of the main or tallest building carries only the DepEd logo (3.80 m by 7.60 m) and the school ID number (p. 24; DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Table 3.0).
• No outside party may use the DepEd seal or logo without clearance. At the division level, the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) first makes sure the partner has a memorandum of agreement or understanding with the division (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.9.b), and DepEd issues no endorsements of goods or services (DepEd Order No. 28, s. 2001).

What the Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual covers

DO 031, s. 2019 has two enclosures. Enclosure No. 1 is the Manual itself, prepared by the Publications Division of the Public Affairs Service (PAS-PD) and validated with DepEd personnel in Tagaytay City in November 2017 and in Cebu City in April 2018 (Introduction, p. vii). Enclosure No. 2 is the Guidelines on the Use of the DSMVIM: rationale, scope, definitions, roles and responsibilities, monitoring and evaluation, and effectivity.

The Guidelines give the reason: the seal and logo “are at times used inappropriately and interchangeably,” and the Manual “establishes authority, accountability and responsibility in the governance of basic education” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. I). DO 031 also protects the marks themselves: “The Department shall protect and safeguard the integrity of its official visual marks such as official name, seal and logo,” and guard them “against commercialization by unscrupulous entities” (para. 7).

The Manual governs the marks, not the writing. Spelling, grammar, issuance formats and the block letter are in the DepEd Manual of Style, adopted on October 18, 2019 by DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2019; the guide to the DepEd Manual of Style covers them.

Is the Manual still in force in 2026?

Yes. No issuance has replaced it, and the latest DepEd orders on awards, school buildings and media cite it or the orders it carries. The table lists the issuances that bear on it.

The Manual expects change: “The forms may change as DepEd responds to new conditions,” and the results of continuous monitoring “shall be the bases for future revisions of the Manual” (Encl. No. 2, Secs. VII.10 and VII.11). DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2025 has also asked the Public Affairs Service to integrate inclusive standards “into the Department’s manual of style and branding guidelines” (Encl. No. 1, Sec. V.2.h.iii). Until a revised edition is issued, the 2018 edition governs.

Whom the Manual binds, and what happens when the marks are misused

DO 031, s. 2019 is addressed to, among others, “Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Heads,” and it binds DepEd personnel down to the school (para. 6). For private schools, the rule that matters is ownership. “The Department of Education owns all service marks, symbols, taglines, and slogans associated with or referring to the Department,” and any use that violates the Manual “is strictly prohibited, even if the proposed uses do not involve the sale of a product” (p. 70). “The name ‘Department of Education’ is a registered service mark and may not be used by any outside entity or individual without prior written permission from the Department of Education” (closing page).

The consequences are stated three times. DO 031 itself: “This Department shall initiate administrative disciplinary action and other legal remedies against anyone found responsible for violating any provisions in this Order” (para. 8). The Guidelines give the Central Office’s Legal Division the job of initiating “administrative disciplinary action to offices and individuals” and instituting “appropriate sanctions on erring institutions or individuals” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.7.d). Individual applications carry their own: an employee “who alters a photo ID card or who allows any card issued in his or her name to be used by any other person is subject to disciplinary action” (p. 62).

The marks also sit inside DepEd’s older rule against endorsements. DO 28, s. 2001 declares that “there will be no endorsements or accreditation officially issued or sanctioned” by the Department and that its “institutional name and logo must only be used for public purposes as determined by the Department” (paras. 3 and 4.4). DepEd Order No. 39, s. 2009 reiterated it. The Manual’s introduction ties itself to both (p. vii).

Who helps schools apply it

The Guidelines give the field work to information officers (Encl. No. 2, Secs. VI.8 and VI.9).

The Division Information Officer is the school head’s contact. DIOs “provide technical assistance concerning specific situations on the service marks, the DepEd seal and logo, in the schools division” (Sec. VI.9.a) and orient “elementary and secondary school principals/representatives” on the Manual (Sec. VI.9.e).

The official name

“The legal name of this government agency is Department of Education and its communicative name is DepEd” (p. 2). In the body of a communication, the name appears first in full with the abbreviation, “Department of Education (DepEd),” in the font of the text, and as “DepEd” after that. As a display line, the name is set in Old English Text MT, 18 point, in black; offices “may opt to use Trajan Pro as an alternative typeface in letterheads, certificates, and plaques,” at 16 point and in capitals.

The DepEd seal

The seal “was approved by the Office of the President, Malacañan Palace,” and, the Manual says, is protected under Republic Act No. 8491, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines (p. 3). “It is the Department’s service mark so it should be treated with respect, similar to the respect accorded to the Philippine flag.”

What it shows and means

The outer ring reads KAGAWARAN NG EDUKASYON and REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS. The core holds six symbols: two sea lions, a lighted torch with rays, the map of the Philippines, an open book, a rope and a shield (p. 5).

The colors come from the Philippine flag (p. 7).

DO 63, s. 2011 adds: “The meaning and message of the DepEd official seal should be carefully explained to the pupils and students” (para. 4).

When to use the seal

“In order to maintain the dignity, integrity, and ceremonial quality of the seal, usage is strictly limited” (p. 5). The Manual lists its uses (p. 4):

• diplomatic or international communication and external affairs, and legal documents;
• academic awards, diplomas, certificates and plaques;
• SF10-ES and SF10-JHS (Form 137), the Accreditation and Equivalency Test result, the Philippine Educational Placement Test result, permits to operate and recognition, and Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) forms;
• letterheads and stationery, memos and notepads, official envelopes, business cards and identification cards;
• press conference backdrops and other official communications;
• permanent markers in stone, metal or glass, and regalia; and
• budget, planning and statistics forms and other documents submitted to Malacañan Palace, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Department of Foreign Affairs and other offices.

Size, spacing and color

What not to do with the seal or the logo

The Manual lists the misuses (pp. 11-13), and “The Don’ts on the seal’s usage is also applicable to the logo”:

• applying artistic effects or a drop shadow;
• abbreviating the name beside it (“Republic of the Phils. Department of Educ.”);
• using colors other than the allowed variations;
• scaling below the minimum size;
• creating new lockups, or using the word mark alone;
• distorting, underlining, cutting or cropping, or tilting it;
• placing it on a distracting background; and
• combining it with other elements.

The school version of these mistakes is familiar: a seal downloaded from a search engine and stretched to fit a certificate, a seal with the school’s name typed across it, a logo set on a photo background on a tarpaulin.

The DepEd logo

The logo’s elements are the communicative name written “DepED,” with “ED” capitalized “to emphasize the importance of basic education”; “DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION” in capitals below it; and a torch with a burning flame on the middle letter “p.” The flame, like the torch in the seal, “means the burning desire for learning or knowledge of every Filipino learner” (p. 14).

The logo appears in print and online materials (infographics, website banners), promotion and advocacy materials, leaflets, flyers, brochures, posters, streamers, backdrops and backgrounds, DepEd vehicle signs and employees’ vehicles, nametags, the covers of instructional and educational materials, and the website, and it is the roof mark of every public elementary and secondary school (p. 15). DO 69, s. 2003 named its first uses: “school bulletin boards, publications, reports, circulars, T-shirt printing, stationeries and others” (para. 1).

Seal or logo: which goes on what

The Guidelines draw the line in one place (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.7.c), and the applications in Part 2 of the Manual follow it.

Some personal items depend on rank. Business cards, DepEd pins and email signatures with the seal are “for the Executive Committee members and employees with salary grades (SG) 24 and up”; employees at salary grade 23 and below use the versions with the logo (pp. 60, 64 and 76). Partnerships with other agencies follow their own rule, set out under co-branding below.

The school letterhead

The principal’s office letterhead is on pages 34 and 35. “The letterhead of the school principal’s office shall have the official seal at the center.”

The same pattern runs up the Department: the schools division office letterhead adds the division seal in the footer, and regional and division offices with ISO certification add the ISO seal on the right of the footer, keeping the rule of proportion (pp. 30-33). Only “the secretary down to division chiefs’ level can use a memo or a notepad,” so schools do not use the memo pads on pages 36 to 39.

The Bagong Pilipinas logo

The 2019 Manual’s samples predate a 2023 instruction from the Office of the President. Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2023 directs national government agencies that they “shall adopt the Bagong Pilipinas logo” and “incorporate the same in the letterheads, websites, official social media accounts” and other documents on the government’s flagship programs. DepEd’s Public Affairs Service has issued DepEd-Bagong Pilipinas brand guidelines with templates, which schools division offices pass on to schools (for example, Division Memorandum No. 237, s. 2025 of the Schools Division of Dasmariñas City). Use the templates that come with the PAS brand guidelines, as your SDO relays them.

DO 031, s. 2019 let schools use up their old letterheads, certificates and report forms “until the end of School Year 2019-2020” (para. 10). That allowance has ended.

Envelopes, folders and issuances

• Envelopes carry the seal in the aligned horizontal format at the upper left; the official brown envelope is A4 (8.27 by 11.69 inches). The first line is in Old English Text MT, 12 point, the second in Old English Text MT, 20 point, and the rest in Calibri, 12 point (p. 40).
• Folders carry the logo at the top left of the cover, with a second logo of the same size on the inner back cover (p. 41).
• DepEd issuances have the seal at the center, “Republic of the Philippines” in Old English Text MT, 12 point, bold, and “Department of Education” in Old English Text MT, 20 point, bold; the text is in Bookman Old Style, 11 point, and the footer 8 point (p. 57).

Certificates, diplomas, medals and plaques

Certificates DepEd issues alone

“DepEd shall issue certificates to ascertain personnel attendance at or participation in official activities. The vertical format should be used when the certificate is issued by the Department alone.” The seal is at the center, with “Republic of the Philippines” and “Department of Education” below it; the size varies with the paper (p. 42). The Manual shows certificates of appreciation, participation and appearance (p. 43).

Certificates of completion and diplomas

The Manual reproduces the Kindergarten and Grade 6 certificates of completion (p. 44), the Junior High School certificate of completion (p. 45) and the Senior High School diploma (p. 46). DepEd’s end-of-school-year issuances have required this format for public schools since 2020. DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023, which updates the multi-year guidelines on the rites, states that “The format of the certificate of completion and diploma must be in accordance with Enclosure 1, pages 44 to 46 of DO No. 31, s. 2019” (Encl., Sec. IV.5.c), and DM 015, s. 2026 repeats it for School Year 2025–2026 (para. 4.d). Public schools must use these templates. For private schools, technical-vocational institutions and higher education institutions, “The use of the enclosed completion certificate and diploma template is optional,” and “the signature of the Schools Division Superintendent is not required” (Encl., Sec. IV.5.c).

Co-branded certificates

When DepEd shares an activity with another office, the rules change (p. 48):

• With another government agency: use the horizontal version, with the DepEd seal on the left and the co-sponsor’s seal on the right, 0.5 cm apart, and the text at the center.
• With an agency hosting together with DepEd: DepEd “may suggest” that its seal sit side by side with the sponsor’s.
• With civil society organizations: “the DepEd logo is used instead of the seal, and the official seal or logo of the CSO is placed at the right side.”

Medals and plaques

Plaques and trophies use the vertical version of the seal, “placed prominently at the center, topmost portion” (p. 59). For learners’ awards, DO 015, s. 2026 sets the medal: awardees receive “certificates, medals, and/or plaques, bearing the official school and/or DepEd seal,” all major awards come with a gold medal, and “The medal shall bear the DepEd seal,” with a “diameter of 6 centimeters, weight of 30 grams, and a ribbon with a width of 1 inch in gold color” (Annex H, Grade Level Awards, items 6 and 6.a). Certificates must show the date and venue of the awarding ceremony (item 6.b).

School forms and records

The Manual fixes where the marks go. The forms’ content is set by the school forms issuances, DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2017 at the time; DO 015, s. 2026 now refers to the “SF10 - Learner’s Permanent Academic Record.” Use the current template, and keep the seal and logo where the Manual puts them.

Roof and wall markings

The logo and the school ID number “are painted on the roof of the main building or the tallest building in all government-owned elementary and secondary schools,” vertically, with “no other elements” (p. 24).

DO 022, s. 2026 keeps these figures for new school buildings: the markings “shall include only the DepEd logo (DO No. 69, s. 2003) and the official School ID Number,” with the logo at 3.80 by 7.60 m and the number 2.0 m high, “Blue with color white outline” (Encl., Sec. A.6.c and Table 3.0). Projects funded under FY 2026 appropriations or already in procurement stay under DO 64, s. 2017 (para. 6), whose roof markings are the same (item m).

“All walls must be free from any markings,” except these, “painted on separate prominent places” (p. 25):

1. the DepEd name, seal, logo, vision, mission and core values;
2. portraits and sayings of national heroes; and
3. the name, ID and location of the school.

“An interior wall section may be selected and dedicated for the recognition of sponsors, donors, and other school partners” (p. 25). The building standards behind this page set its form. Under DO 64, s. 2017, the recognition “shall follow a standard metal plaque format that will be mounted on the wall” (item n.2). For buildings under DO 022, s. 2026, it is a brass marker “not exceeding 0.60 m (width) x 1.0 m (height)” that “may be used to recognize sponsors, donors, political figures or school partners,” and “additional posters, rotating suspended materials, and decorative items” are not allowed inside classrooms or on building walls (Encl., Sec. A.6.d, items 2 and 3). A painted donor’s name or mural is neither.

The portraits connect to a standing directive: Memorandum Circular No. 25, s. 2017 of the Office of the President directs government agencies, including public schools at all levels, to display visual representations of Philippine heroes “in lieu of the photographs, paintings or other forms of visual representations of elected or appointed government officials.”

Vehicles

Official vehicles carry the DepEd logo with “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” on both front doors, in white on dark vehicles and black on light ones, and a bumper sticker at the back with a contact number for complaints on driving, about 30 by 8 cm (p. 22). Employees’ vehicles may carry a logo sticker on a white background (p. 23).

Donated vehicles have their own rule: they “may use the DepEd logo or the logo or seal of the donating entity (e.g., LGUs, private corporations) to recognize the donors. However, the name and personal photo of the donor should never be displayed” (p. 22).

Learning materials, newsletters, flyers and streamers

IDs, business cards, nametags and email signatures

The ID card template comes from the Personnel Division, to ensure the card’s authenticity and prevent fraudulent copies (p. 62).

Partners, sponsors and the DepEd marks

Schools work with many partners, and each one sooner or later asks to put the DepEd logo on something. The Manual and DO 28, s. 2001 give the answer in three parts.

1. Clearance comes first. An outside agency, private institution or external partner that wants “official signages and materials with DepEd” goes through the division. The Division Information Officer gets clearance from the SGOD, which “shall make sure that the external agencies, private institutions, and external stakeholders have an existing MOA or MOU with the DepEd division concerned before allowing them to use the DepEd seal and logo” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.9.b). Regional offices do the same through the ESSD (Sec. VI.8.b), and the Central Office through the External Partnerships Service (Sec. VI.7.c).
2. No endorsement. Whatever the agreement, the marks may not suggest that DepEd endorses a product or service (DO 28, s. 2001, paras. 3 and 4). The order was issued because “various products and services are advertised as DECS-accredited” (para. 2); a sponsor’s “DepEd-approved” label is the same thing.
3. The right mark in the right place. On a co-branded certificate, streamer or nametag, the DepEd mark goes on the left and the partner’s on the right, with the logo, not the seal, for civil society partners (pp. 48, 66 and 73).

The 2026 school building program shows the rule enforced: DO 018, s. 2026 lists “Use of DepEd logo without prior approval” among the grounds for cancelling a civil society organization’s accreditation to build classrooms (Sec. VII.1.4).

School social media pages

DO 007, s. 2026 applies the Manual to official pages. Content follows the Manual of Style and the DSMVIM (Sec. V.B.5.a.i). A school’s page name and URL “shall reflect the official name of the office or school creating it” (Sec. V.B.3.a.iii), with Annex A’s samples such as “DepEd Arinda Elementary School.” “Only recognized social media accounts that are duly approved by the Head of Office … are authorized to use official logos and release posts connected with DepEd” (Sec. V.B.10.c), and DepEd content may be shared but not manipulated, “e.g., cropping the DepEd logo, replacing the source” (Sec. V.B.5.b.xv). A partner’s materials go up only under a partnership: “Sharing materials or logos from a private company is permitted only if there is a formal partnership with the DepEd through the EPS” (Sec. V.B.9.a). Sec. V.B.5.a.i calls the visual identity manual “DO 031, s. 2024”; the order’s references list it as DO 31, s. 2019, which is the number to cite. The guide to the SIP communication plan covers the rest of the order’s rules for school pages.

What this means for school heads

The Manual turns on one distinction and one habit. The distinction is seal for official acts, logo for promotion. The habit is to take the marks from their official source and leave them as they are. Under the PPSSH, adopted by DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, the topic serves strand 1.3 (policy implementation and review) in Domain 1, and strands 5.1 (management of diverse relationships) and 5.4 (communication) in Domain 5.

A checklist by time of year

What a school head may and may not do

• May use the school’s own seal in the letterhead footer and on certificates and awards alongside the DepEd seal (pp. 34-35; DO 015, s. 2026, Annex H, item 6).
• May not redraw, recolor or rearrange the seal or the logo, or paint other images on the roof markings (pp. 10-13 and 24).

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 5.1.2, Management of diverse relationships. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the school head of a rural integrated school. The barangay, through its captain, donates a service vehicle for learners from far sitios, and the captain asks that their name and photo be painted on its doors and on a mural at the school gate. Parents are grateful, and the barangay council will discuss support for your feeding program next month. What is the most appropriate action?

• A. Ask the captain to put the request in writing and forward it to the division office for a ruling, keeping the vehicle parked until the ruling arrives.
• B. Paint the captain’s name and photo on the doors and the gate as asked, since the gift serves learners and keeps the barangay supportive of the school.
• C. Accept the vehicle, explain the rule to the captain, mark the doors with the barangay’s seal instead, and honor the gift on the school’s wall for partners.
• D. Accept the vehicle, mark the doors with the barangay’s seal instead of the name and photo, and thank the captain in a letter, leaving the mural unmentioned.

Answer and explanation

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

• A (1 point, Unistructural). Involving the division is not wrong, but the Manual already answers the question, and parking the vehicle keeps it from the learners it was given for.
• B (0 points, Prestructural). The Manual says the name and personal photo of a donor “should never be displayed” on a donated vehicle, and school walls may carry only the markings it lists.
• C (3 points, Relational). It keeps the vehicle serving learners, follows the rule on donated vehicles, and gives the barangay the recognition the Manual allows, while keeping the relationship open.
• D (2 points, Multistructural). The vehicle is marked correctly, but the captain’s request about the mural goes unanswered and the gift goes unrecognized in the place set aside for partners, which risks the relationship.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 5.1.2 asks the school head to build constructive relationships with authorities and stakeholders for an environment that supports learners. Donated vehicles “may use the DepEd logo or the logo or seal of the donating entity (e.g., LGUs, private corporations)” but never the donor’s name and personal photo (DSMVIM, p. 22), and “An interior wall section may be selected and dedicated for the recognition of sponsors, donors, and other school partners” (p. 25), with a standard metal plaque (DO 64, s. 2017, item n.2; DO 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.6.d.2). The option that marks the vehicle correctly but stays silent on the mural follows the rule without managing the relationship.

Indicator 5.1.2: Build constructive relationships with authorities, colleagues, parents and other stakeholders to foster an enabling and supportive environment for learners.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 031, s. 2019, Encl. No. 1, pp. 22 and 25; DepEd Order No. 64, s. 2017, item n.2; DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.6.d; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.

Question 2

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

DepEd’s end-of-school-year rules require public schools’ certificates of completion and diplomas to carry the DepEd seal, not the DepEd logo. Which statement best explains why?

• A. The seal carries the flag’s colors and the Department’s name, so it gives graduation documents a more formal look than the logo does.
• B. The seal marks a document as an official act of the Department, so it goes on diplomas, while the logo serves promotion and advocacy.
• C. Schools may print either mark on diplomas, since the seal and the logo are interchangeable versions of the same DepEd identity.
• D. The seal was approved by the Office of the President, so schools keep it for documents that go to Malacañang, the Senate and the House.

Answer and explanation

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

• A (1 point, Unistructural). It gives a cosmetic reason, and the features it names do not set the seal apart: the logo also carries the Department’s name, in colors that conform with the flag’s (DO 031, s. 2019, para. 3).
• B (3 points, Relational). It connects the mark to the document’s purpose, which is how the Guidelines divide the two marks.
• C (0 points, Prestructural). The Manual was written because the seal and logo “are at times used inappropriately and interchangeably,” and DM 015, s. 2026 fixes the format of these documents.
• D (2 points, Multistructural). Two facts are right, the Office of the President’s approval and the seal’s use on documents for Malacañang and Congress, but it confines the seal to those documents instead of tying it to every official document, diplomas included.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 1.3.1 asks for an understanding of how issuances shape school operations. The Guidelines list “certificates and plaques, legal documents, academic awards” among the official documents with the seal and put the logo on “promotion and advocacy materials” (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.7.c); DM 015, s. 2026 requires the format on pages 44 to 46 (para. 4.d). The option that confines the seal to documents for Malacañang and Congress has the facts but not the rule that connects them.

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. 031, s. 2019, Encl. No. 1, pp. 3-4 and 44-46, and Encl. No. 2, Secs. I and VI.7.c; DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026, para. 4.d; DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

What is the DepEd Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual?

It is DepEd’s standard for its name, seal and logo and how they appear on letterheads, certificates, forms, signage, materials and online, adopted by DO 031, s. 2019 on November 4, 2019. It applies to the Central Office, regional and division offices, and schools (para. 6; Encl. No. 2, Sec. II).

What is the difference between the DepEd seal and the DepEd logo?

The seal is the Department’s official mark, approved by the Office of the President, and goes on official documents such as certificates, diplomas, letterheads and IDs. The logo, “DepED” with the torch, goes on promotion and advocacy materials, publications, signage and roof markings (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.7.c; DSMVIM, pp. 4 and 15).

What is the format of a DepEd school letterhead?

The DepEd seal at the center (0.76 inch), “Republic of the Philippines” (Old English Text MT, 12 point, bold) and “Department of Education” (18 point, bold), then the region, division, school and address in Trajan Pro, 10 point, bold, with the office name in Tahoma, 10 point, bold. The footer holds the school seal and contact details in Calibri, 10 point (pp. 34-35). Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2023 adds the Bagong Pilipinas logo.

Can a sponsor print the DepEd logo on its materials?

Only with clearance. At the division level, the SGOD first makes sure the sponsor has an MOA or MOU with the division (Encl. No. 2, Sec. VI.9.b), and the material may not suggest DepEd endorses a product (DO 28, s. 2001).

What are the roof markings of a DepEd school?

The DepEd logo, 3.80 m high and 7.60 m long, and the school ID number, 2.00 m high, in blue with a white outline, at least 2.00 m apart, on the main or tallest building, with nothing else (DSMVIM, p. 24). DO 022, s. 2026 keeps the same figures (Table 3.0).

Sources

DepEd orders

• DepEd Order No. 031, s. 2019, The Department of Education Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual, November 4, 2019. Paras. 1 to 12; Encl. No. 1, the Service Marks and Visual Identity Manual of the Department of Education, 2018 (Public Affairs Service-Publications Division), pp. vii and 2 to 77 and the closing page; Encl. No. 2, Guidelines on the Use of the DSMVIM, Secs. I to IX.
• DepEd Order No. 69, s. 2003, DepEd Logo, August 20, 2003. Paras. 1 to 3.
• DepEd Order No. 63, s. 2011, Department of Education (DepEd) Seal, August 16, 2011. Paras. 1 to 6.
• DepEd Order No. 28, s. 2001, Prohibiting the Commercialization of the DECS Organization Through Endorsements and Accreditation of Goods and Services, July 9, 2001. Paras. 3 and 4; and DepEd Order No. 39, s. 2009, its reiteration, April 24, 2009.
• DepEd Order No. 58, s. 2017, Adoption of New School Forms for Kindergarten, Senior High School, Alternative Learning System, Health and Nutrition, and Standardization of Permanent Records, November 27, 2017.
• DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023, An Order Updating the Multi-Year Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-of-School-Year Rites, March 28, 2023.
• DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2026, Media Management Guidelines, March 25, 2026. Secs. V.B.3, V.B.5 and V.B.10; Annex A.
• DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026, Revised Guidelines on Classroom Assessment, Grading System and Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, June 4, 2026. Annex H, Grade Level Awards, item 6.
• DepEd Order No. 018, s. 2026, Guidelines on the Accreditation of Civil Society Organizations or Nongovernment Organizations for School Building Construction Projects, July 21, 2026. Sec. VII.1.
• DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, September 24, 2026. Paras. 4 and 6; Encl., Sec. A.6.c and d, Table 3.0.
• DepEd Order No. 64, s. 2017, Establishing the Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Buildings, December 15, 2017.
• DepEd Order No. 030, s. 2025, Inclusive Employment Policy in the Department of Education, September 29, 2025. Encl. No. 1, Sec. V.2.h.iii.
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020. Strands 1.3, 5.1 and 5.4.

DepEd memoranda

• DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026, Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-of-School-Year Rites for the School Year 2025-2026, March 4, 2026. Para. 4.d.
• Division Memorandum No. 237, s. 2025, DepEd-Bagong Pilipinas Brand Guidelines, Schools Division of Dasmariñas City, March 2025.

Office of the President and laws

• Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 2023, Launching the Bagong Pilipinas Campaign as the Administration’s Brand of Governance and Leadership, July 3, 2023.
• Memorandum Circular No. 25, s. 2017, Directing All Government Agencies and Instrumentalities, Including Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations, State Universities and Colleges and Public Schools at All Levels, to Display or Exhibit Photographs, Paintings or Other Forms of Visual Representations of Philippine Heroes, September 15, 2017.
• Republic Act No. 8491, Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, February 12, 1998.

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Orders No. 031, s. 2019; No. 69, s. 2003; No. 63, s. 2011; No. 28, s. 2001; No. 39, s. 2009; No. 58, s. 2017; No. 009, s. 2023; No. 007, s. 2026; No. 015, s. 2026; No. 018, s. 2026; No. 022, s. 2026; No. 64, s. 2017; No. 030, s. 2025; and No. 024, s. 2020; DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026; Division Memorandum No. 237, s. 2025, SDO Dasmariñas City; Office of the President Memorandum Circulars No. 24, s. 2023 and No. 25, s. 2017; RA 8491.