APEC Tags Barong Tagalog as "Peasant Shirt"

[chua_riwap]

Sobra naman ito.........


RP Cries Foul as APEC Tags Natl Costume as 'Peasant Shirt'


The Philippine government has called for clarifications after the organizing committee of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Sydney, Australia branded the Filipino's national costume for men as a mere "peasant shirt."

"It’s very important that the clarification be made. I’m not sure about the origin personally but at the moment it’s is practically the people in high society and government, this national costume is being used by heads of state," said Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, himself a delegate to the summit.

An APEC media backgrounder said the "barong Tagalog" is a peasant shirt.

The Barong Tagalog, which was the official outfit of the leaders' summit in Manila in 1996, is the Philippines' national costume for male.

The APEC press release that was disseminated to international media was used as a backgrounder on the gathering's official outfits from 1993 to 2006.

Cecile Alvarez, executive director of the Philppines' National Commission for Culture and the Arts, meanwhile, said the press release might have cited an “undocumented” history which dates back in the Spanish colonial era.

Alvarez said the Spaniards allegedly made the “underprivileged” Filipinos wear the barong Tagalog to make sure that the locals were not carrying any weapons under the thin clothing.

She, however, said that such claims are undocumented.

Alvarez added that the barong Tagalog was worn by Filipino politicians during important occasions back in the days of former president Manuel Quezon.

For his part, popular fashion designer Rene Salud said that barong Tagalog is more than just a clothing because it is a cultural symbol.

[torque2006]

Foul. Wala pang news? Kala ko kinausap ni bunye yung Australian Government.

[StraightSix]

Ano ba source ng balitang 'yan?

[empy]

baka akala nila pareho yung barong tagalog at yung guayabera (sp?) :hihihi:

[claRkEnt]

sumobra namang in-depth (although insufficiently done) ang pagkaka-research nung APEC Media Backgrounder. In fact, Even the heads of different states prefer barong pag nandito sila sa asia kasi nga presko. and they love its uniqueness.

[nicolodeon]

Historicaly, the barong tagalog was indeed a form of a, well, paesant shirt. During the Spanish colonial times, the Spaniards the wanted the native men to wear the barong so that they (the natives) would be "distiushable" as locals, not Spaniards. For a bit more of the history of the baro (as what the barong tagalog was called during the pre-spanis times, go here. As you would see on the link, the baro or barong was indeed worn by peasants during that era.

I do agree, however, that the barong of today is far from being a peasant wear: it is a simble of our nation that we (the Pinoy menfolk) proudly wear...well, maybe not all of us out there (May mga cynics sigurado dyan, he he he...)

Now, for that Aussie thing I would like to give the people from down under the benefit of the doubt i.e. they might have not meant any slander or offense - maybe they were just were "quoting" info that they had just Googled. Then again, some Aussies are known to look down upon Filipinos (I've experienced this several times). However, of they did intened to malign the barong, then it may warrant a negative reaction for it would just like be like slurring the kimono, in which all Japanese would be offended.

[pajerokid]

agree with Nic. Indeed, the barong naman initially was a peasant shirt. Although these days we use it for the office and for special occasions. I think that's just an over reaction on someone's part.

[fearless]

baka naman nagkamali lang ang pagkaprint at kinulang lang ng isang letter,baka naman "pleasant shirt" ang ibig sabihin, hindi "peasant shirt".

Nice one.

[OTEP]

Historicaly, the barong tagalog was indeed a form of a, well, paesant shirt. During the Spanish colonial times, the Spaniards the wanted the native men to wear the barong so that they (the natives) would be "distiushable" as locals, not Spaniards. For a bit more of the history of the baro (as what the barong tagalog was called during the pre-spanis times, go here. As you would see on the link, the baro or barong was indeed worn by peasants during that era.

I do agree, however, that the barong of today is far from being a peasant wear: it is a simble of our nation that we (the Pinoy menfolk) proudly wear...well, maybe not all of us out there (May mga cynics sigurado dyan, he he he...)

Yep. Historically, barongs were indeed used by commoners.

Ganun talaga, the status of something can change over time. Land Rover Defenders were initially used as farm implements and military vehicles. But I highly doubt that any of the brand-new Php3M Defenders that Land Rover sells to it's Filipino clients today ever get turned into a John Deere or is sent to Basilan.

Even those expensive meals at hotel restaurants with the suffix "-ala Pobre" were once commoner's meals.

I don't really think there should be much fuss about that barong issue.

[nicolodeon]

Yep. Historically, barongs were indeed used by commoners.

Ganun talaga, the status of something can change over time. Land Rover Defenders were initially used as farm implements and military vehicles. But I highly doubt that any of the brand-new Php3M Defenders that Land Rover sells to it's Filipino clients today ever get turned into a John Deere or is sent to Basilan.

Even those expensive meals at hotel restaurants with the suffix "-ala Pobre" were once commoner's meals.

I don't really think there should be much fuss about that barong issue.

Yep, I agree. I just wanted so share links to inform our friends out there that the barong or baro started out as a commoners outfit - and that there's no need to over-react, which some of us out there might do.

Frankly, I'm not a least bit worried about what foreigners say. I've been around and I've had my share of being slurred and most of the time, I just smile at them and shake my head.

There are a lot of more important issues out there that we as individuals and as a nation should give attention to than fuss and rant about some news article about a barong being "mislabeled".

[dprox]

RP Cries Foul as APEC Tags Natl Costume as 'Peasant Shirt'
An APEC media backgrounder said the "barong Tagalog" is a peasant shirt. ...
Cecile Alvarez, ... said the Spaniards allegedly made the “underprivileged” Filipinos wear the barong Tagalog to make sure that the locals were not carrying any weapons under the thin clothing.
She, however, said that such claims are undocumented. ...

That the barong was used in the Spanish colonial era as an instrument of oppression may be "undocumented", but who documents peasant history, anyway? The only history the Spaniards found worthy of documentation were accounts relevant to the Crown. On the other hand, it's easy to "lose" documents, especially if - for whatever reasons - there's something you want to whitewash.

My own hypothesis is that the Barong had Indian and Chinese roots, which the Spaniards found they could use to their colonial advantage. "Christian" dress codes may have been imposed by Spanish authorities and missionaries in place of the indecent Indio hubad and bahag look. Or maybe there wasn't any official "decree" on Indio garments. Fashion has a way of just happening, and the what's in and what's out are usually more tacit than enforced.

More often than not, the clothes you wear depends on affordability. Here's the kind of talk I imagine Insulares and Peninsulares uttering: "Vosotros indios no hay capacidad de comprar nuestras robas, entonces, hanggang barong lang kayong mga hampaslupa kayo!" Sabay irap ng mga matapobre! Yes, the barong had humble beginnings, that's for sure.

But the situation has since evolved:

Today, every visitor and foreign dignitary invited to a Malacanang Palace state function must, by necessity, and dictated by protocol, be dressed to the nines in a Barong Tagalog. The invitations specifically say come in "Barong" instead of the traditional "Coat and Tie". Thus, every one invited to dinner at the Presidential Palace and in many Filipino homes will unknowingly and unwittingly have to experience directly, what it feels to have to wear his shirt tails out, to suffer the indignity of having the material of his barong transparent so that he can not conceal any weapon; and horrors, to be accused directly of incipient thievery by having no pockets in his barong to put the silver. So, when El Senor Spanish Ambassador is invited to a state dinner, you can say, "Ah, what sweet revenge!" [SIZE="1"]~ History Of Barong Tagalog by Cezar Estrera[/SIZE]

Through the years, Filipinos ingeniously transformed this bane into a totally exquisite and elegant - even global - fashion icon, uniquely Filipino (just like the Jeepney in the auto design field, once-upon-a-time).

That APEC organizing committee is still living in the colonial era.
They should update their knowledge of Asian history.
Maybe it's an indication of what their mindset actually is - colonial -
and what they are really after.
[SIZE="1"]
More: Barong Tagalog[/SIZE]

Totoo yung sabi ni nicolodeon. A lot of those people "down under" are matapobre din,
kaya I sympathize with our kabayans down there.
.

[shadow]

ok lang at least tayo yun damit lang, hinde katulad ng mga aussie na mga "undesirble elements of society" ang ancestors....hehehehe

[shadow]

I think hinde naman lahat din ng aussie is matapobre, I've been to OZ several times na and I never felt na they look down on me, well...just like any other nationalities there will be bad apples.

[Galactus]

Methinks this is an over-reaction. May nausong damit dati na ang tawag ay peasant blouse, pero yung mga nagsu-suot halos lahat may kaya naman.

IMO, hindi siguro tayo dapat balat-sibuyas sa mga bagay na ganito. Hindi na siguro kailangan pang magpadala ng note verbale ang DFA sa Australia.

[kinyo]

alam ko na kung saang bansa dapat i-exile si malu fernandez ...

[hubertq34]

for me... peasant shirt or not its the way we carry ourself... kahit ano naman ang suot natin kung pangit naman ang ugali eh di bali wala ang meaning ng barong. sa tingin ko di tayo dapat maging sensitive sa topic na ito.

[Isuzoom]

ang barong...peasant, mayaman, bata, matanda, kawatan, congressman, estudyante, kasal, birthday, burol, negosyo, trabaho...etc...etc swerte tayo meron pa tayong barong, yung iba bahag.

[drey]

Okay lang yan...

Mga APEC na yan mukha namang mga WAITER!

[b1rken5tock]

dapat ay wag tayong maging balat sibuyas...

gaya ng definition ng filipina sa greek ay domestic helper/maid...

gaya ng mga manunulat gaya ni malu fernandez...

yang mga yan ay pinapabayaan na lang at inde dapat pinag aaksayahan ng panahon....

para inde OT: baka naman pleasant at nawaglit ang "L"...

[jpdm]

Well, what can we do? These guys think they are superior than us and its so easy for them to brand and belittle our national symbol like the barong.

Ive heard in the news the speech of Australia about agriculture and industry. Like the way they describe our barong tagalog, our agricultural products are also denied entry by Australia...infested daw. And thats how our APEC partners see our "importance'" in the groupings....