Solons dress for the occasion

MANILA, Philippines — It was a day for fashion-watching at the Senate as some lady senators were dressed in elegant gowns during the opening of the second regular session of the 15th Congress, at the Philippine Senate, Monday.

Congressmen abandoned Monday the parliament of the streets and decided to make fashion statements. Reps. Teddy Casino (Bayan Muna), Nery Colmenares (Bayan Muna), Rolando Tinio (ACT Teachers), Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis), Raymond Palatino (Kabataan), and Luzviminda Ilagan said their rare fashion sense contained messages they wanted to deliver to Aquino and the rest of the nation.

Palatino showed the “youth rebel” in him with modern “Katipunero” attire. He said the legacy of KKK had been mocked by the dominance of the Kamag-anak, Kaklase, Kaibigan clique in the Aquino administration.

Colmenares wore a barong designed by Renan Ortiz of the Concerned Artist of the Philippines. The uppers had symmetric Lady Justice design and focus on the anti-impunity, extra-judicial killings, and corruption.

Casino, an advocate of freedom of information measure, sported a Barong Tagalog with with an embroidered material depicting the call for the immediate passage of the bill.

Ilagan entered the plenary hall clad in a Fuschia kimona top and a skirt with the design of a woman’s face made up of flags of different nations. The face is stenciled in gold outline so that t is highlighted amid the colorful flags. This symbolizes overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their plight. The skirt also has black stripes to symbolize OFWs in jail or in distress.

Mariano’s attire has an embroidery with a theme calling for genuine agrarian reform and for the immediate return of Hacienda Luisita to the farm workers while Tinio’s barong had education theme.

By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA and BEN R. ROSARIO