‘Recycled’ gowns at Sona

In contrast, Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza arrived in an off-white terno made of katsa (cheesecloth).

While the bodice and butterfly sleeves were sprinkled with glass and bamboo beads, the skirt was hand-painted by social realist Boy Dominguez. It showed a smiling Arroyo sewing gold thread that twists around the throats of poor people, which Maza said symbolized Palace’s unrelenting efforts to promote Charter change.

She said she wanted to make curtains from the cheesecloth bought 10 years ago and later forgot all about it. Last year, she had it sewn into a terno for the opening session of Congress but it didn’t push through due to a plan to walk out.

Now, she wanted to wear it because it would be Arroyo’s last Sona.

Masa said her terno as “very comfortable and cool,” and cost less than a sack of good-variety rice or some P2,000.