National Dress in the Philippines

Ilocano costume for the dance Ragragsakan

      

Muslim costume for the dance Katsu

Week 2

Nation and Dress

Gender, Nation and the Politics of Dress in Twentieth-Century Philippines

Zoe Martin

It is interesting to see what effect traditional clothing has on politics and gender in the Philippines. It is interesting to see how the Barong Tagalog and terno have become the nation’s symbol of national dress, as these articles of clothing carry origins of Spanish influence. It is important to remember that the Philippine islands are an archipelago, rich with many indigenous groups, cultures, and practices within the Philippine culture itself. Thus, why do we choose to represent our own nation using these garments with Spanish influence?

One may argue that colonization by Spain is part of our culture, which it is. Even the Tagalog language carries many similarities to Spanish. Many design details in our everyday dress carry Spanish influence. For instance, many garments have embroidery and a lot of Spanish clothing utilizes blackwork embroidery.

However, one must also realize that colonization caused us to lose part of our own culture. Are these Spanish influenced national garments even suitable for the natural climate of this country? The terno is not suitable for the hot humid weather in the Philippines; thus, this is why female politicians only use it for special occasions such as the State of the Nation. But this raises the question, why don’t we utilize more indigenous costume to represent our nation? Additionally, it can feel like the choice of national dress excludes a lot of the Filipino/Filipina/Filipinx population. Below are more examples of traditional Philippine clothing from all over the archipelago.

It is also important to look at the influence that Western dress has on the country, as the islands were colonized by the United States of America for quite some time. Is this use of Western dress considered part of our culture due to colonization? Or is it simply more convenient that preserving the traditional clothing of the Philippines?