LOOKBOOK | Black Barong for Buwan ng Wika

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Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) celebrations are one of my favorite occasions to dress up. While most celebrations are confined to schools, I’m glad that our department has made it an annual tradition at the office. Two years ago, I wore a batik blazer for a Mindanao-inspired look but for the most part since 2017, I’ve been wearing a Barong Tagalog—the same Barong actually—just styled in a different way each time. This year, it’s a Barong once again, albeit a new one.

Our Events Committee thought of putting us through hell by way of a choral competition. Though the prize money was laughably small, each cluster really prepared and put on a show. I think people forgot that it was all supposed to be just for fun and somehow took things a little too seriously. We weren’t really singers in our team yet I’m proud to say we managed to perform a medley of Filipino songs in three-voice harmonies, a little choreography, and matching costumes. If all else fails, at least we looked the part.

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Portrait-ready.

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Looks nice, right? Only upon close scrutiny will the price show.

Us guys in the team weren’t really planning on matching outfits but felt a bit of pressure from the ladies, who were shelling out a few hundreds for their costumes. I looked up Barongs on TikTok and zeroed in on this black piece. Good thing everyone was game because it afforded us a coordinated look as a group. I mean, we did look like a legit chorale.

The Barong was cheap at only Php899 apiece. It’s made of thin organza fabric lined with geena cloth underneath. For the price, I really couldn’t complain because quality Barongs cost way more than this. To be fair, it looks nice and elegant, at least from a distance and in photos. Paired it with black pants and black leather clogs.

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Clowning around, as I always do.

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🎼 Dito sa bahay ko, ayokong magulo. Ang aabutin mo palo, palo! 🎶

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Feeling like the Philippine Madrigal Singers with our getup.

And in keeping with the whole Filipiniana vibe, I wore an Ibarra watch as an accessory and picked Batuk by Wren Atelier as my fragrance. Both are Filipino brands that we can all be proud of.

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Batuk, inspired by the traditional art of tattooing called “batok.”

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Modeling an Ibarra watch, or at least feeling like I’m modeling one.

Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!



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