A few years ago, former Department of Education (DepED) Secretary Armin Luistro asked female Muslim teachers not to wear their veils or "hijab," "burka," and "niqabs" inside classrooms, in part to promote better relationships between teachers and pupils. Then came an advisory from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on all government agencies to allow Muslim women to wear headscarves in schools and other learning institutions.
The CHR's advisory was issued following complaints received by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), alleging several colleges and universities are preventing their students to wear headscarves inside school premises.