The walled city of Intramuros and Luneta are the first stops of first-time tourists visiting Manila. The sunsets are still glorious viewed from the breakwater on Roxas Boulevard, but the general area has lost much of its luster.

In a bid to draw more tourists and create jobs, the Tourism department and the Intramuros Administration (IA), with Manila’s 5th District Rep. Cristal Bagatsing, has come up with a design competition called “Balik Saya.”

“Balik Saya” is a play on the word skirt (saya), which is also the term for joy or happiness. Up-and-coming designers were asked to reimagine the “maria clara” or the traditional baro’t saya. Not to be confused with the terno with its stiff, meticulously constructed butterfly sleeves, the maria clara is looser, less structured, and consists of a top, panuelo and skirt.

“‘Balik Saya’ was originally only for the youth, but there were a lot of queries from seamstresses and out-of-school youth who were interested to join,” Bagatsing said. They then decided to open applications to residents of Manila’s 5th district.

 

 

Forty applicants sent two sketches each of the modern maria clara; this number was whittled down to the final 16. The finalists were each given P50,000 to complete their designs in time for the May 28 event at the National Museum of Natural History.

Designer and mentor Jojie Lloren said that of the 16 finalists, a couple stood out. “I had to help streamline the others because their designs were a bit busy. Since it’s a design competition, there will be some short skirts, but no high slits or plunging necklines.”

Bagatsing hopes that the interest in Manila and the maria clara will go on even after the culminating event.

“We now champion an advocacy for everyone in the district to further develop their appreciation for cultural heritage,” she said in a statement.

 

Panel of judges

The “Balik Saya” fashion design competition will be judged based on design, workmanship, wearability and originality. Each finished design should incorporate at least 25 percent of indigenous fabrics like piña, jusi, inabel and hablon.

The panel of judges includes designer Inno Sotto, National Museum director Jeremy Barns, model Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, designers Criselda Lontok and Randy Ortiz, and a representative from SoFA Design Institute.

Five winners will receive cash prizes (P100,000 for the first prize), an apprenticeship at Rustan’s, and a workshop from SoFA Design Institute. A special award will be given the “Most Promising Ready to Wear Design.”

Students from Adamson University, La Concordia College, De La Salle University, DLS-College of Saint Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Lyceum of the Philippines, Mapua University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Normal University, Philippine Women’s University, Santa Isabel College, St. Paul College, St. Scholastica’s College, Technological University of the Philippines, Universidad de Manila and University of the Philippines will also participate.

In a separate but related event, an exhibit of terno and baro’t saya by designer Patis Tesoro is ongoing at the Destileria Limtuaco Museum, Intramuros, from May 17 to 26.