Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio attended the opening of the 19th Congress wearing a traditional Bagobo Tagabawa dress.
Palace Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles remarked that the current fashion on the SONA 2022 is meant to “to revive the traditional industries and give our designers a venue for the expression of their creativity”
Senator Loren Legarda wore a traditional outfit. Legarda, a known supporter of Philippine fiber, and local textiles, donned a more than two-decade old Patis Tesoro kimona made of piña, which she had even before becoming a senator. She paired it with an elegant handwoven pinya seda with traditional hand-embroidered full callado with alsado multipurpose tapis.
Sen. Nancy Binay wore a traditional Filipiniana terno by local designer Randy Ortiz for the opening of the 19th Congress. The terno features all-piña fabric from Aklan. Binay touted the importance of supporting and promoting local fabrics.
While almost all the senators wore barong tagalog, actor-turned politician Sen. Robin Padilla yesterday paid homage to culture of Mindanao and wore an attire made of fine Inaul fabric woven by the Maranaos of Mindanao.
Sen. Pia Cayetano wore a woven terno. Her red and green outfit is designed by Cebuano designer O.J. Hoffer. Senator Imee Marcos described her outfit as “agir na agri, parang nagbabayo, parang ang lupit ng bunay ng pagsasaka. For the SONA, she wore a gown.
Sen. Grace Poe arrived in a classic terno handwoven by the Sabanga Onable wovers by the T’boli tribe of Lake Sebu. Senator Risa Hontiveros wore a modern take on the traditional baro’t saya made from Aklan Piña fabric and hand-embroidered in Lumban, Laguna.
Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez wore a native design-inspired barong on Monday when he was elected as the 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives. Celebrity fashion designer Avel Bacudio designed Romualdez’s barong,. With Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta