Philippine lawmakers are now warned that should they dress inappropriately when they report for sessions at the House of Representatives, else they will be penalised by being marked as absent.

This warning was given by the House of Representatives Secretariat last Wednesday, just three days after the 15th Congress began its session.

In Section 92 of the Rules of the House, men should wear barong Filipino or coat and tie while female lawmakers should wear business suits or Filipiniana dresses.

The members and officers of the Secretariat themselves are not exempted in the ruling. They were advised to wear their official uniform during committee hearings and sessions.

Lawmakers welcomed this ruling without question, saying that this should have been strictly implemented all along.

A number of lawmakers caught media hype after they were seen wearing clothes and accessories from a high-end brand. Ironically, the official represents the poorer sections of society.