Duterte fashion was the news

At first I did not think it was necessary to be present in Congress when President Digong gave his first State of the Nation speech. (I prefer to refer to its full name rather than the abbreviated and funny SONA, which sounds too much like SANA). So I left it up to the last minute to decide to be present. I dilly dallied then finally in a flash, I thought it would be unjournalistic not to be present.

After all, this president would not say anything new that he had not said throughout the campaign. I could listen to it on radio or watch him on television. I would not miss anything. Since it was the day before the event, I did not expect there would be one waiting for me. So I had to do some scrambling around to find one gentle soul who might take pity. Sorry but the invitations are all out.

This was a Congress affair so you had to multiply the number of invitations to at least two each. I did get one in the end but I better keep it a secret on what I did. I refer to “a person who looks for solutions” to problems.

I have attended other state of the nation speeches so I was quite surprised that this would be any different except the dress requirement of business suit for ladies. It was odd that it should be required. In fact. It would turn out for me as the big news in the event. How could something otherwise trivial matter so much? Well, it did. President Digong was right – how the women dressed said all that was needed to carry the message of change. But how would I have known that if I had not been present to see with my own eyes the stupendous implication of requiring women to dress simply.

Stupendous is the right word for it – to see congresswomen or the wives of congressmen dress down without their huge diamond earrings and necklaces while the President talks about the poverty of the country. Not especially in a huge hall that is the source of their ill-gotten wealth.

Fashion writers or guests were not looking or ogling what the women were wearing. It used to be that way – the lady lawmakers’ dresses were the centerpiece of the state of the nation event. I saw two or three ladies still wearing expensive gowns and jewelry and looking like Christmas trees but they were exceptions and stuck out in the sea of simplicity of women dressed in “business suits” as the invitation required.

It was a small change in keeping with the Duterte revolution. Yet it was necessary because small things like fashion can grow into unmitigated greed like cars, houses etc.

I hope that kind of requirement will stay on not only for state of the nation events but every time there is an occasion to celebrate our nationhood.

If we must give credit to anyone for “the world turning upside down” by the way women dressed for state of the nation addresses, the credit must go to Senator Loren Legarda. The backless dress she wore in one state of the nation event was just too much. It seemed she was more ready for a fashion show than she was intent on lawmaking.

It was too much to expect serious lawmaking. something that the event should have encouraged. One dress alone did it. What was that song “Little Things Mean a Lot.”

Other state of the nation events became events for judging fashion. There was Binay’s daughter who was laughed at and ridiculed for lacking taste. She should have a fashion designer advised the newsmakers.

At the beauty parlor, the talk was how they loved Duterte because he acts so” naturally.” Maam, nakita ba niyo ba nang inisnob ni Duterte si de Lima? Ay maam, vini viral po. Gustong-gusto namin yon. That was when he was shaking the hands of those on the front row. Na miss niya si Senator de Lima kaya bumalik siya para kamayan ito. But the news was according to the girls at the parlor after the shaking of hands, he had a smirk on his face.

Do you think they said anything like he should not have? No. They said ay talagang gustong gusto namin si Duterte. Siya talaga and lider namin. Among the many things he said which caught the attention of the audience was how he pointedly told the lawmakers, “Hindi naman niyo ako binoto. ”Why pretend when that was the case and why there was overwhelming support for Duterte among the marginal sectors?

There are still six years to come and he would be challenged everyday on how he tackles the problems of the country, but last Monday was a good start when non-fashion became the visual representation of the change we wanted.

I like Nelson Navarro’s posting in FB about how a nation can be destroyed by “ordinary things” like fashion and beauty contests.

“The last thing we need is another cattle show to seal this nation’s reputation as the Venezuela and Colombia of Asia – as in manufactured beauties. Electronic cheating and narcopolitics on top of mass poverty and bad government. The fatal Latin inheritance to be shunned at all costs.

Although he did not mention names, it is easy to guess what and who he was referring to. I am glad that President Duterte is reportedly cool to the idea of holding the Miss Universe contest in Manila.

He will not spend money to host Miss Universe. “Dili ko mugasto,” he was quoted saying. It is not just the money but developing a good sense of values.

The most important news would not come from what he says but on the example he would give in keeping with the state of the nation.