It's tribal dress, not fashionable gown, for Sara
THE State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President is traditionally an event for lady legislators and female guests to show off their best gowns and glittery clothes.
Today, July 25, as President Marcos delivers his first SONA at the Batasang Pambansa, this tradition will again be observed. These lawmakers and their guests are rich people and they can afford to buy these clothes and jewelry that we will be seeing much at the SONA, thanks to the extensive coverage the traditional and social media will conduct.
The news however is that Vice President Sara Duterte, also secretary of education, will attend the first SONA of PBBM not wearing a gown but wearing a Davao tribal dress. Reporters covering Malacañang said Sara will ditch Filipiniana attire but a tribal dress from any Mindanao tribe is also Filipiniana. Don't they realize that? Probably they know, but since the statement came from the Vice President's spokesman, they had nothing much to do but quote as is.
In a statement on Friday night, VP Sara's spokesman, Reynold Munsayac, said Duterte will wear an outfit from the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe of her hometown Davao.
She will borrow a traditional dress from Bae Sheirelle Antonio, Deputy Mayor of the Tagabawa tribe of Davao City, since an entire ensemble would take over a month to be made by tribal artisans.
It (a new tribal dress) "will not make it on time for Monday's SONA," Munsayac explained.
The Vice President deserves praise in making a political statement visually this way. She wanted the government to give some focus on the plight of the indigenous people.
She also wanted to give these tribal Filipinos the best educational opportunities the government gives to other citizens, so that the communist rebels will not take over their education, and thus tweak their culture to something dangerously flawed.
Many IPs have been victims of various groups, religious, political and business interests and it is time the government made an inclusive program for them.