Last week had been a busy one for me.  It was my son’s graduation from the grade school at Notre Dame of Greater Manila, and we had been busy preparing for the event.  On March 28th, I attended the Agape Mass held at the school gymnasium.  Fortunately, I was able to personally speak to the current director of the school, Fr. Oscar Lucas, regarding some concerns I had with certain school administration members during the past few weeks.  He had received the letter that I sent a few days back, and I was glad to hear that.  He gave an assurance that he would act upon the concerns that I had aired in my letter, and I was very grateful.  I am really looking forward to hearing from his office within the next few weeks.  

Anyway, my son was to wear a long-sleeved beige Barong Tagalog and black dress pants on his graduation day.  So we purchased a Barong Tagalog for him at the Barong Pilipino located at Ali Mall, Cubao.  It’s made of Organza.  Organza is a thin, plain weave, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk.   Unfortunately, when he tried it on when we got home, we discovered that it was a little bit too big for him.  So my daughter and I went back to the shop to have the Barong replaced to a smaller one.  I had to determine the exact length measurement of his arms to make sure we got the right size this time around.  A few days later, we were able to buy his black dress pants, which only needed a few alterations that I was able to do myself.

Barong Tagalog

The Barong Tagalog is an upper garment and known as the formal men’s wear of the Philippines.  Filipinos wear the Barong Tagalog in various formal events.    It started out as an attire to mark inferior status. When the early people of early Philippines settled in colonial society, they were subjected to numerous affronts to their dignity and sensibilities by their colonial masters.  When the Spaniards colonized  the Filipinos, they had to make it abundantly clear who was in control) through the imposition of a dress code. Men were not allowed to tuck their shirttails in . That was the mark of his inferior status. Second, the cloth material should be transparent so that he could not conceal any weapon that could be used against the masters . Third, was a precaution on thievery, pockets are not allowed on the shirt.

By the turn of the century a new middle class began to merge among the Filipinos. These were known as the principalia. They mastered Spanish laws and were able to obtain title to lands. They became successful in business and agriculture and …they were allowed to vote. They had all the trappings of power and status, but for one undeniable fact: they still had to wear their shirtails out, if only to remind them that they were still Indios (natives)

What the Spanish authorities did not smother was the Filipino’s determination to psychologically conquer their colonial masters through improvisation and reinterpretation. For example, Filipinos were forbidden to use imported silk and fabrics for their Barong.   So with the delicate material of luminous silky rich mixture, much finer than silk, they hand-embroidered the front with exquisite abandon.

 

The Barong Tagalog gained its power, prestige, and status when President Quezon, the first Filipino President declared it the National dress. The status of the lowly inferior Barong, thus became another symbol of the Filipinos’ "resistance to colonization”.

 

In contemporary times the Barong Tagalog is the power dress. Every visitor and foreign dignitary invited to a Malacanang Palace state function must, by necessity, invitations, specifically come in "Barong".

 

The Barong thus evolved from the mark of native inferiority, then to a peaceful symbol of rebellion, and lastly, as a token of our independence from our colonial sovereign.  Reflections of Asia

On my next thread, I will post the pictures that we took during and after the Graduation Ceremonies held last March 30, 2008