SONA a fashion event for lawmakers, spouses

MANILA, Philippines - Militant lawmakers again took advantage of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino yesterday to express their sentiments through fashion. However, most of the female lawmakers were elegantly dressed in ternos done by famous Filipino designers.

The SONA for many years has become a fashion event for legislators, their spouses and families.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares wore a barong tagalog designed by Renan Ortiz of the Concerned Artists of Philippines. It had a Lady Justice design with the blindfold lowered, calling the government to end impunity, extra-judicial killings and corruption.

“There is still a lot to be done by the Aquino administration to address the problems of extra-judicial killings and disappearances in the country. It is sad to say that more than 40 cases of activist and media killings have been recorded during the current administration and this has got to stop,” Colmenares said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, meanwhile, donned a barong by designer Edgar San Diego which was inspired by one of his pet advocacies - the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI). The bill remains pending in Congress a year after it was filed.

Casiño said his barong was made of beige silk cocoon with an embroidered material on top depicting the call for the immediate passage of the measure.

Luzviminda Ilagan of the Gabriela party-list wore a Filipiniana kimona and skirt designed by a Davao-based designer. Ilagan hails from Mindanao. She said the purple and fuchsia kimona has beads on the sleeves which follow the traditional design of the Lumads of Mindanao. Her skirt has a design of a woman’s face made of flags of different nations and black stripes which symbolize overseas Filipino workers in jail or in distress.

“It is high time that the Aquino government also focus on the plight of OFWs and not just when some are in death row,” Ilagan said.

Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus was clad in a Roel Rivera gown accessorized with a baby pink panuwelo with lilac nouveau art text “Scrap Evat.”

Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino attended the SONA in a modern Katipunero attire, calling for the revival of the legacy of “KKK,” which he said has been bastardized by the dominance of the “Kamag-anak, Kaklase, Kaibigan” group in the government.

KKK was a secret organization led by Andres Bonifacio. It stands for Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Katipunan.

Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)