At SONA 2023 red carpet, party-list representatives wear fashion pieces showing their advocacies

At President Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos Jr.'s second State of the Nation Address, Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel and his guest Dyan Gumanao, Gabriela Women’s Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas, and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro wore painted fashion pieces that symbolized their respective advocacies.

Wearing a barong painted by Albert Raqueno, Manuel said that the barong is inspired by the bravery of Philippine hero, Andres Bonifacio.

“Inspired po ito ng katapangan ni Andres Bonifacio at pagpapakita ng ating tunay na pagmamahal sa bayan, at paano hinahangad ng kabataan yung mas maayos at nagmumulat na edukasyon sa ating bansa,” he told GMA News Online at the red carpet.

Manuel brought along Dyan Gumanao, a survivor of abduction under the current administration. Dyan wore a sash painted by her partner Armand, featuring faces of abduction victims.

“Suot-suot ko po ngayon ang lahat po mga naging biktima din po ng abduction at enforced disappearance sa ilalim po ng Marcos Jr.-Duterte na administration,” she said.

Dyan added, “So ngayon po, nananawagan din po kami ng [paghingi] ng hustisya, at pagtigil na sa pagaatake sa mga kasama naming aktibista, unyonista, at iba pang mga progresibo.”

Rep. Brosas wore a pink ensemble, with the lower part of her top painted by Michael Joselo.

The art piece featured women workers who fight for increased salaries such as farmers and fisherfolk. On top of the women is a crocodile wearing a barong.

Rep. Castro wore a black painted skirt inspired by the calls of workers and government employees for higher salaries. It was also painted by Joselo.

“Substantial ang pagtaas ng sweldo dahil hindi pa tayo nakakabangon sa economic crisis,” she told GMA News Online.

“Ang mga manggagawa at mga government employees ang talagang nag-bear ng brunt ng economic crisis, kaya dagdagan dapat ang sahod,” Castro added.

The red carpet ahead of SONA was quite the departure from recent years, what with ternos in refreshing floral designs overtaking the serious and and more formal get-up of SONAs past.

Sen. Imee Marcos came with henna tattoos to match the traditional Cordillera wear she donned, while VP Sara Duterte paid tribute to Moro tribe with her outfit.

Marcos delivered his second SONA at the Batasang Pambansa Complex on Monday.

Classical opera singer Lara Maigue led the singing of the national anthem. 

Dyan Gumanao, Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas wear painted pieces that represent their advocacies.#SONA2023 @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/dyOcItF1jS

— Nika Roque (@rqNIKA) July 24, 2023

— LA, GMA Integrated News