Addressing El Niño

these are already affected.

THE traditional clothing of a nation represents its culture, identity and heritage, and symbolizes its unique history and unique sense of self.

A return to traditional styles that are better suited for our climate and carry our sense of identity is something we should seriously consider, and here are some points why.

First, for comfort.

Our bodies change throughout the years, and for many of us, middle-aged spread is often the outcome.

We find ourselves having “thin” and “fat” pants, skirts, and blouses, and at some point we must’ve thought to ourselves, this is costing too much money and trouble.

We also need to consider our tropical climate.

So I looked to pre-Hispanic clothing styles.

Our clothing then reflected the culture of the region and in my mind hearkens back to the Hindu influence we received via the Srivijaya and Majapahit thalassocratic empires. Women wore tight-fitting tops. Men and women alike wore fabrics wrapped around their waist.

Supporting local artisans that create these one-of-a-kind handwoven textiles is essential in order to continue their cultural practices and help them with their livelihoods.

For me, wearing malong is not only a visual representation of my ancestry, but also a statement of pride in my culture and identity, and a demonstration of respect and appreciation for traditional crafts and support for those who create them.

So I decided to incorporate baro and malong into my everyday wear and, drawing inspiration from my Maguindanaon heritage, searched for inaul (“woven”) fabric.

I found some on the “Malong Maguindanaon-Filipino Indigenous Handwoven Fabrics Malong” FB page run

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by Janessa Sulaik,

This young entrepreneur, who is taking Tourism Management at the University of Mindanao-Matina, started selling inaul only last year. With her sister’s kalilang (“wedding”) approaching, she wanted to wear something special. “I was tired of wearing the same formal attire available in malls or local shops and needed some uniqueness,” she said.

She wore inaul to the occasion and got her family to do the same. Now, her main purpose for her shop is to “keep our culture alive.”

Her inaul, which she sources from local weavers, is bought mostly by older clients, many of them based abroad. She has many customers in the U.S. and Canada.

Among the younger set, though, she believes “there is potential” but “it’ll be a long road” for inaul to be in popular use among them.

Janessa says it is rare for young people in her area to wear traditional attire, because they see it as impractical and expensive.

WE ARE encouraged by the Presidential statement earlier on that his 10-month administration has plans to ensure the country’s agricultural sector would not be badly jabbed by the impact of a possible El Niño phenomenon.

He told farmers at an event in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, right in the bosom of the rice granary of the Central Plains, that government officials are crafting plans to ensure that water supply would not be reduced. He ordered the creation of an El Niño unit and told government agencies to prepare for the said phenomenon, as chances of a dry spell continued to increase, which underlined weathermen’s announcement the PAGASA might issue an El Niño alert by May.

In a separate interview, Mr. Marcos stressed the need to ensure the country’s water supply to mitigate the effects of El Niño, adding the government was looking for ways to “convert our dependence of water supply from underground water to surface water,” and one way was to make use of the rainwater and conserve it until needed.

At the same time, we are a bit flustered by the statement of former agriculture secretary and Federation of Free Farmers president Leonardo Montemayor the production of vegetables will be affected by the El Niño phenomenon in the agriculture sector.

President Marcos Jr.’s statement should raise the confidence of not just the farmers but all Filipinos standing on El Niño’s helpless path

Montemayor added El Niño could result in a supply shortage with vegetables in the country, with the real impact of this weather phenomenon starting to be felt from July onwards.

We note the palay harvest for the dry season crop is ongoing. At least the impact on palay is not yet felt, but, according to Montemayor, for other crops that need water, like vegetables,

Lawmaker clears the air

An early Spanish historian I came across wrote that they were “unstitched fabrics.” The malong, tapis, patadyong, and the like are generally described as tubes of fabric tied around the waist.

The unisex malong is the perfect nether garment because it is infinitely adjustable to the wearer’s waistline -- whether we gain or lose weight, or we just had too much to eat, the malong can be retied to fit just right.

It’s also soft and cool, it lets air circulate around our legs, unlike jeans and trousers.

Refer to the Arab robes, abayas - same hot climate, same principle of loose clothing that does not constrict.

The baro was a short cotton blouse, the original cropped top.

It had long sleeves that could be folded back, and a square or round neckline.

Women wore the tapis only at first, then Spanish influence came up with the saya (skirt) for modesty, but the tapis was retained as an overskirt.

The baro and tapis combination may be recognized as a modification of the Indian sari, with its tight top and draped skirt. It’s a look seen all across Southeast Asia.

My second point for wearing indigenous and traditional clothing styles is to assert a decolonized identity.

Philippine fabrics and styles of clothing are deeply steeped in centuries of culture and tradition.

Wearing them is not only a fashion statement, but also a way to honor and appreciate the long history and culture of the Filipino people.

By wearing these garments and supporting the local artisans that create them, we demonstrate solidarity with their communities and spread awareness of their

Inaul, she adds, was once only accessible to those of datu and bai status and is still out of reach of many students today because their price reflects their handmade origin.

She hopes to someday launch a streetwear line that incorporates inaul into modern fashions.

There are laws and policies that advocate the use of traditional fabrics, such as Republic Act. 9242 or the Philippine Tropical Fabrics law that prescribes their use by government officials and employees.

The law was authored by Sen. Loren Legarda, who has consistently promoted the use of traditional fabric and clothing. But the cost of such fabrics make the implementation of such laws difficult.

Janessa calls on the national and local government to support inaul weaving and the promotion of its use.

“[Sana] maging kasing-uso ng inaul ang piña,” she says. “Kapag Pinoy kasi, Filipiniana using piña ang unang naiisip. Inshallah, masali ang inaul.” She suggests that the government streamline and cut down processes and paperwork that add to the cost of creating and trading inaul. As an advocate of local fabrics and their industries, I believe we can be of support by adopting traditional fashion in our daily garb. One suggestion is to start by wearing malong. There are versions for every budget, such as the cotton batik ones that go for less than P200.

What’s important is for us to begin normalizing wearing such clothing in public (again) and revive their regular use.

* * * Dr. Ortuoste is a board member of PEN Philippines, member of the Manila Critics Circle, and judge of the National Book Awards. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO / Email: writerjennyo@gmail.com

A VIDEO that went viral last week showed Sen. Cynthia Villa raising her voice as she confronted a group of security guards and the president of the homeowners’ association of a subdivision in Las Piñas City where she resides. The issue: the installation of steel barricades on a public road within the BF Resort Village (BFRV).

The lawmaker has since clarified she did nothing wrong.

Several subdivision residents also defended her after the verbal tussle with Euan Rex Toralballa, newly elected president of the BF Resort Village Homeowners Association, Inc. (BFRVHAI), who is said to have opposed several of her projects inside the village.

Villar and her legislative staff rushed to the site along Aventine Hills Street upon learning that Toralballa, accompanied by security guards, installed steel barriers on the road in front of her composting and vermicomposting project.

“I don’t understand why these officials of the BFRVHAI closed it off. That’s for the people,” said Villar, who has been a resident of BFRV since 1976.

BFRV is a gated subdivision in southern Metro Manila. It was a project of Banco Filipino (BF) before it was abruptly closed by the government in 1985.

Villar’s composting project in Las Piñas, inaugurated in 2017, processes kitchen and garden wastes into organic fertilizer. The composting facility helps the city attain zero waste management goals. In the video, Villar insisted the barricade should be removed:

“Tanggalin niyo yan!” She was even heard in the video telling Toralballa, “pinipersonal mo ako!”

“We are not doing anything bad,” she said in a television interview.

Prior to the April 17 incident on Aventine

Hills Street, village resident Loida Rafal disclosed the Villar family had donated millions of pesos for the construction of the bridge which had been approved by barangay officials and the homeowners’ association.

However, for unknown reasons, Toralballa and the new directors in the homeowners’ association opposed the construction of the bridge. The bridge is supposed to connect Las Piñas and Bacoor in Cavite.

The lawmaker’s staff is also planning to plant trees this month in the open spaces around the composting and vermicomposting facility and to have the sidewalk paved with concrete.

So how will this controversy—or noncontroversy, depending on how you look at it— play itself out?

However, Toralballa and his security guards padlocked the entrance gate going to the project, Rafal said.

Because of this, she said, trucks with ready-mix cement could not enter the BF Resort Village, resulting in delays in project completion.

Rafal said with Toralballa’s directive, Villar’s project managers could not even purchase construction materials from hardware stores inside the village since Toralballa and his men had threatened to close the hardware stores.

The viral video showed another village resident, Maribel Laguidao, saying Villar did not hurt the security guard but only ordered him to leave.

Earlier on, Climatology and Agrometeorology division chief Dr. Marcelino Villafuerte II of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)’s Impact Assessment and Applications Section, said the weather bureau might increase the El Niño alert status in May.

“Overall, if there is an issue with water due to lack of rains and high temperature, it affects the water for vegetables. Farmers should make sure their crops receive enough water,” Montemayor noted.

We understand the increasing anxiety of farmers, since the drought will not only affect the crops, the high temperature will also affect animals.

There is also a greater possibility that more problems will erupt like a red tide.

Montemayor is on track when he says we really need to be prepared, pointing out, as chaser of a thought, the water for irrigation is also affected, particularly with the continuous drop in the level of Angat Dam, which supplies the requirement of at least 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

But President Marcos Jr.’s statement should raise the confidence of not just the farmers but all Filipinos standing on El Niño’s helpless path.

“As a matter of fact, Villar is fighting for the welfare of the people.”

That video clip, she said, showed that Toralballa was trying to provoke ugly reactions from the senator. “Pinipikon nila si Senator para magalit habang naka-video.”

The controversy started in July last year after the newly-installed village administration posted security guards at Onelia Jose St. who then moved to prevent Las Piñas resident-holders of the “Friendship” stickers from freely using the street that connects to the Zapote River Drive leading to Cavitex and the bridge that leads to Bacoor in Cavite.

Under the new traffic scheme, nonBFRV residents, even if they are Las Piñas residents and holders of “Friendship” stickers, will only be allowed entry and exit via Onelia Jose St. if they will buy the BFRV sticker worth P2,500 per vehicle.

The move by the new BFRVHAI administration is said to have created confusion among Las Piñas residents in other subdivisions and villages since they have been enjoying free access to the friendship route since 1995.

It was in 1995 when the city government of Las Piñas issued an ordinance directing developers and homeowners’ associations in the city to allow the public to use their streets free of charge as alternative routes (the so-called “Friendship Route”) to ease or decongest traffic along the Alabang-Zapote Road and other main streets in Las Piñas, and imposing penalties for violations.

So how will this controversy—or noncontroversy, depending on how you look at it—play itself out?

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)