&&Women in flamboyant ternos and men in crisp Barong Tagalog provided the color at the Batasang Pambansa during President Benigno Aquino III’s third State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday.
Fashion statement. Pia Cayetano, among some other women, stood out at the Batasan. SONNY ESPIRITU
The women legislators, the wives of congressmen and senators, and the invited guests showed off their cinched waists, bare shoulders and some flesh.
The invitation for the President’s speech merely said Filipino dress for the women and the barong or suit for the men, but everyone made their fashion statement as they saw fit.
The terno is the traditional gown popularized by Former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, who on Monday showed up in a long aqua terno with huge butterfly sleeves and smiled and waved to the reporters.
Also pretty in one-piece terno were Senators Loren Legarda and Pia Cayetano. Legarda, who was described by an onlooker as “very beautiful and daring” for showing off her shoulders, wore a recycled-piña gown without embroidery by Paul Cabral and a Tboli belt. She described her attire as “all-Filipino” and “all old with provenance.”
Cayetano’s outfits during the SONA and the opening of the 3rd session of the 15th Congress were designed by Jojo and Mia Unquico. She donned a 1920s Great Gatsby-inspired stretch champagne-beaded Filipiniana gown embellished with feathers on layered tulle.
Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, who came with her husband actor Richard Gomez, grabbed attention with her beige gown with embellishments.
Another showbiz personality, Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado, stood out in a Rajo Laurel-moist green terno with a gold scarf. She arrived with her actor husband Senator Ramon ‘Revilla Jr.
Akbayan Rep. Kaka Bag-ao’s said her outfit reflected the color of her passion for farmers and the environment. She said her forest-green silk gown was a contemporary take on the mestiza dress with a modern panuelo created by Joel Acebuche.
Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan described her simple checkered Filipiniana, patterned after the traditional woman garb, as having no frills and glitter.
“It is also a LuzViMinda gown,” Ilagan said of her predominantly green and pink checkered gown created by Limited Fashion House in her hometown Davao.
The barong worn by Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano was embroidered with the words “Hacienda Luisita, Ipamahagi na!” a symbol of the President’s unfulfilled promise of distributing the sugar estate owned by the family of the late President Corazon Aquino.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño wore a barong by Edgar San Diego and hand-painted by visual artists Renan Ortiz and Federico Dominquez.
Former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros wore a “North meets South” ensemble of T’nalak and Abel Iloco by Joel Acebuche. She said the use of the two fabrics symbolizedthe unity and diversity of Filipino culture.
Sulu Rep. Nur-Ana Sahidulla glittered in a Muslim gown that she matched with a diamond- studded head dress.
Two former Presidents—Joseph Estrada and Fidel V. Ramos—witnessed the SONA. Estrada arrived with his son, Senate pro tempore president Jinggoy Estrada.
Another former President, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, could have made it to the SONA if she were not under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on electoral sabotage charges.
Senator Manny Villar attended Mr. Aquino’s third SONA after failing to attend the first two, but Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Francis Pangilinan did not.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, TESDA Secretary-general Joel Villanueva, and Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes also attended, as did US ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas.
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