Styles & Formats in DepEd Issuances

DepEd Order No. 30, s. 2019

“The Department of Education Manual of Style”

Public Affairs Unit

July 13, 2020
 INTRODUCTION
• The Department of Education Manual of Style (DMOS)
contains a set of rules of standards in styling and formatting
DepEd issuances and other official documents to ensure –
- clarity
- completeness of information
- conciseness
- consistency in spelling, grammar, punctuation, hyphenation,
capitalization, typeface, abbreviation, etc.
- coherence
- courtesy 2
 Background
• The Department of Education Manual of Style
prescribes the latest language style, format and usage
based on the The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th
Edition and integrates the DepEd House Style that
incudes the common usage within the Department.

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 CONTENT
• Principles of Effective Business Writing
I. Abbreviations and Acronyms
II. Capitalization
III. Currencies and Exchange Rates
IV. Dates
V. Formatting
VI. Language Usage
VII. Numbers

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 CONTENT
• Principles of Effective Business Writing
VII. Numbers
VIII. Organizations
IX. Word Class
X. Punctuation
XI. References
XII. Spelling

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 CONTENT
• Appendixes
1. Proofreaders’ Marks
2. Language Usage
3. Filipino Terms Commonly Used
4. Organizational Terms and Abbreviations
5. Department of Education Officials Issuances and Letters
6. Subjects used in the Perpetual Index
7. Sections of an Operations Manual

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 CONTENT

TEMPLATES OF ISSUANCES

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 BASIC TIPS
• Official font shall be Bookman Old Style, Font 11; Body content are single
spaced, with one space between each paragraph; There should always be one-
inch (1”) indention at the start of every paragraph; Margins from all sides
should also be 1”

• Response to any communication should be in the language of the basic letter

• Use page numbers if communication is more than one page

• Use of first and second persons shall be avoided. The use of the third person
voice is strongly advised

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 BASIC TIPS
• In the Salutation, the higher authority shall be addressed as Sir or Madam. In
addressing someone of equal rank, he/shall be addressed as Dear _____ or
simply his formal name, or you can simply drop the word Dear

• Formal communications use colon in the Salutation, while informal

communications use comma – Dear: / Dear,

• In writing a letter, you may use the title-before-name to address a person, ex.
DR. BENJAMIN D. PARAGAS, CESO V
Director IV
If a signatory, we drop the Dr. and put the title at the end of the name, ex.
BENJAMIN D. PARAGAS, Ph.D., CESO V
Director IV

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 BASIC TIPS
• In the Salutation, the higher authority shall be addressed as Sir or Madam. In
addressing someone of equal rank, he/shall be addressed as Dear _____ or
simply his formal name, or you can simply drop the word Dear

• The use of His Excellency is omitted, and the President can be addressed as:
PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
Malacanang, Manila

• The word Honorable is used in addressing the ff during their term of office:
- Vice President of the Philippines, Ambassadors
- Foreign Ministers and Consuls
- Department Secretaries, Undersecretaries, Asst. Secretaries
- Commissioners, Senators, Congressmen, Justices, Judges,
Governors and Mayors

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 BASIC TIPS
• Memorandum To is used in addressing an employee of lower rank; Memorandum
For is used to address an official of higher rank.

• Use “Respectfully forwarded” to an office of higher rank; “Respectfully

transmitted” to an office of equal rank; and “Respectfully referred” to an office
of lower rank. “Respectfully returned” is used when returning a document
unacted.

• Communications are never indorsed to organizations or individuals outside

DepEd. Should there be a need to indorse a matter, a letter is sent instead.

• An Addendum is issued if there is a need to provide additional information; a

Corrigendum is issued to correct a previous memo or statement.

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 BASIC TIPS
• Advisories may be disseminated without the affixed signature of the Regional
Director. It can actually be sent in its original form

• Certificate of Appreciation is given as a way of saying “Thank you!,” “Thank you for
your help,” or “Good job!”
• Certificate of Recognition is given as a way of highlighting a specific achievement,
behavior or innovation that have made impact and brought valued changes to the
majority.
• Certificate of Participation is given as proof of active participation in a training
conference or seminar
• Certificate of Completion is given as proof of completing the required number of
hours/units of a course or training

• Endorsement is a public indication of approval or support.

• Indorsement is a document with an affixed legal signature.
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 BASIC TIPS
When preparing a Memorandum, the minimum requirements are:

• the name of the sponsoring organization, title, date and venue of the activity
• the theme and objectives of the activity
• the participants allowed to attend the activity, may it be on Official Business
or Official Time Only
• the transportation expenses, amount of registration fee and what it covers,
as well as the source of funds
• the contact persons, telephone/telefax/cellphone numbers, email address
and mailing address
• the usual closing like “Wide and immediate dissemination of this
Memorandum is enjoined.” “Strict compliance is directed” or simply “For
immediate action.”

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“I used to think communication was key until I realized comprehension
is.

You can communicate all you want to someone, but if they don’t
understand you, it won’t reach them the way you need it to.

- Unknown

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THANK YOU