Color-coded fashion statements at SONA

MANILA, Philippines - Many came in color-coded fashion statements this time.

Peach for impeach, was how militant lawmakers dressed in peach-colored Filipiniana explained their attire during President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.

Aquino supporters, including the President’s sisters, attended the SONA in their signature yellow. Sen. Cynthia Villa was in her political party’s campaign orange.

“The message of the peach Filipiniana gown is simple and clear. We support the people’s clamor for accountability and we support the impeachment complaint filed against President Aquino,” Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said.

She said her floor-length gown, embellished with black beads, symbolizes “the creeping dictatorship of Aquino and the dark future of the country should corruption continue unabated.”

“The peach color’s dominance over the black beads also symbolizes how the people’s clamor for accountability overpowers the evil of corruption in the pork barrel system,” she added.

Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus also wore a peach Filipiniana gown.

“Peach is the color of the impeachment process. Peach represents the people’s call for Aquino’s removal from office,” said Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the Makabayan bloc.

Ridon’s “impeachment outfit” was a traditional guayabera, a short sleeve shirt, in deep peach.

He said the three fine alforza pleats at the back of the guayabera represent the three impeachment complaints pending at the House of Representatives, one of which he endorsed.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio also donned peach barongs.

Colmenares said his peach barong represents their call to impeach Aquino “for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.”

Colmenares, Ilagan, De Jesus and Ridon, along with Carlos Zarate also of Bayan Muna and Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, walked out of the House of Representatives session hall before the start of Aquino’s SONA.

Yellow ribbons

Some members of the Cabinet and allies of Aquino, including Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, sported yellow ribbons to show their support to the President.

Palace deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte was clad in a modified barong with a yellow ribbon.

The President earlier asked Filipinos to wear yellow ribbons to show their support for his administration.

Indigenous textiles

Other lawmakers used the President’s SONA to help promote local designers and indigenous textiles.

Makati Rep. Mar-len Abigail Binay donned a piña terno with black lining and purple linear detail by Ivarluski Aseron, a multi-awarded fashion designer, whose collections have been featured abroad, including Malaysia and Indonesia.

Kalinga party-list Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol wore a gown designed by Filipino designer Ruel Rivera from Marikina City. It was a teal serpentine cut chiffon silk pleated design with minimal crystal stones and beads.

Yacap party-list Carol Jane Lopez was clad in a modernized t’nalak created by Paul Cabral. T’nalak is an indigenous material from South Cotabato.

Sen. Loren Legarda donned a Mandaya outfit.

“Since the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary is the newest addition to the Philippines’ UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I want to celebrate this triumph by wearing the traditional garments of the Mandaya, one of the indigenous communities in the area,” she said.

Mandaya is an indigenous community in Davao Oriental.

Gov. Corazon Malanyaon presented Legarda with the handcrafted Mandaya attire.

It is composed of a badô (blouse) with embroidered geometric designs of colorful threads and beads, and a dagmay (handwoven skirt) made of abaca strips dyed using organic colorants from plants and herbs. The outfit is worn with metal jewelry.

At the opening of the Senate session, Legarda wore a skirt called kinamayan, which was handwoven by the Tingguians of Abra.

The skirt is designed with frogs that depict abundance because when it rains, frogs come out and that means the fields are irrigated. There are also designs of “3 kamay,” which represents the growing palay and the joinery at the edges represents the hands that planted the rice.

Legarda was also wearing a pangalapang necklace over a plain black long-sleeved blouse. The pangalapang is one of the neck ornaments of the Cordilleras.

Teduray formal attire

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat was dressed in Teduray traditional formal attire with gold trimmings. He said the the Teduray outfit represents unity with the Lumads in the Bangsamoro region. It was designed by Timuay Alim Bandara, head claimant of the Teduray ancestral domain in Maguindanao.– With Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz