The Philippine Presidents and Their Barong Tagalog Fashion
Hey there! Have you ever wondered why Philippine presidents love to wear barongs? What are the barong Tagalongs that they love to wear very often, and why they love to wear them? Have you ever dreamed of becoming a president? What barong would you wear if you are a president?
When it comes to formal outfits, nothing beats the authenticity and style of barong Tagalog. Its elegant and extrinsic design makes you very honorable and respectful, a trait fit for the president.
It seems that most of the Filipino presidents have their own personal favorite when it comes to barong. Let us discover some of them and see the taste of “his Excellency” when it comes to outfits.
Ramon Magsaysay and the Barong Tagalog
Ramon Magsaysay Wearing a barong with unique design patterns found on his collars and the entire barong.
Although we cannot trace the specific barong Tagalog that President Magsaysay loves to wear, but we can indeed say that it was President Magsaysay who popularized the wearing of barong.
Ramon Magsaysay wearing a half button barong with embroidered design n
After being elected as president in the Republic of Philippines on November 10, 1953, Magsaysay was the first of any Filipino president to wear barong Tagalog in the oath-taking ceremony. After that, you can see him wearing barong Tagalog on most of his official and personal functions. Fond of making barong Tagalog his regular fashion statement,it became the perfect fashion for business and other formal events.
Ferdinand Marcos the Barong Advocate
President Ferdinand Marcos Wearing Barong Tagalog with His wife
Ferdinand Marcos was considered as one of the most intellectual presidents the Filipinos ever had. His sharp memory and articulate speeches were perfectly matched by his sharp look wearing barong Tagalog.
President Marcos wearing Piña Barong with collar
Ferdinand Marcos also loves wearing barong Tagalog while performing his presidential duties. But Marcos used his intelligence pretty well when he designated barong Tagalog as Philippine’s national attire in 1975. This made everything official for barong,making the 5th to 11th of June the “Barong Tagalog Week.”
In this Photo, President Ferdinand Marcos is wearing a floral designed Barong Tagalog
President Fidel Ramos and His Folded Sleeve Barong Tagalog
A military man and one of the people leading the EDSA revolution, President Fidel Valdez Ramos was elected as president after President Corazon Aquino. During those times, Filipino presidents have been wearing barong for many decades already. But what made him distinct was his style of wearing it.
He popularized the folded sleeved Barong Tagalog as his bold fashion statement. It became a new look to the barong Tagalog, making it look seem informal and yet perfectly fits his personality. President Ramos also loves to wear various informal barong pieces while having this informal twist of folding his barong sleeves.
President Benigno Aquino and His Designer Barong Tagalogs
Following the legacy of his father Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his mother, President Corazon Aquino, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III won the presidency in 2010. In his 6-year term as the Philippine president, he was seen in most of his Presidential and formal functions wearing Barong Tagalog.
His style of wearing barong was typical and straightforward. Yet, he would always have that iconic yellow ribbon pendant on the right side of his chest. It was a symbol of their family legacy who fought against the dictatorship.
But aside from his Iconic yellow ribbon pendant, President Aquino, along with his celebrity sister, had taken his barong Tagalog into the next level of Fashion. It may look simple and typical, but it was designed by one of the famous fashion designers in the Philippines. His barong was perfectly designed for him to look simple and more near to the masses.
President Rodrigo Duterte and his Rolled Sleeved and Loosed collared Barong Tagalog
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is known for his brave remarks and unconventional speeches. His presidency was known for his strong force against drugs. Along with his rugged personality comes his rugged style of wearing Barong Tagalog.
President Duterte seems to have found inspiration on wearing barong. It was similar to President Ramos but with a distinct style. He would roll up his sleeves and lose his collar, giving him a unique rugged informal look. He would even go down to a more unconventional style of wearing barong Tagalog by partnering it with maong pants. Some would even call it “maong tagalog.”
The choice of style, design, and the way presidents would wear their Barong Tagalog always depends on their personality. We have different leaders with different personalities, temperaments, and advocacies, and their choice of barong Tagalog fits them well. This shows that barong Tagalogs can perfectly blend not only to various occasions and events but also to different persons in the society.
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