NC SG spearheads National Costume Contest
The Terno, the Philippines’ national dress is this year’s winner of the Virtual National Costume Competition spearheaded by the Negros College Supreme Student Government (NC-SSG) last October 30, 2021. The costume was portrayed and worn by Jamaika Salimbagat Bolongaita, a Grade 11 student.
Terno evolved from the Maria Clara or Traje de Mestiza dress, which originated from the Baro’t Saya. It is a combination of western influences with indigenous design and is considered a status symbol of wealth, social class, education, and Filipino femininity.
Bolongaita chose to represent this costume in order to emphasize and give tribute to our ethnic and local costumes that had become customary to tribes in our country, which were worn during the pre-Spanish colonization by the nomads that once fought to defend our mother land. The Terno is usually articulately intricate and detailed, using local products like bamboos, coconut shells, hand woven fabrics, feathers of endemic birds, “abaka” fibers and are adorned with precious stones and metals. These pieces of garments have magnified how Filipino artisans can do marvels.
The second place was won by Eduard Joshua Amorganda, a Grade 12 student who portrayed the different national costumes of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Finally, ranking third among the 16 participants is Aira S. Alejo, from the BEEd department who showed the Chinese costume Cheongsam, also known as the qipao, a type of body-hugging dress of Manchu origin.
The National Costume contest was in line with the celebration of the United Nations’ Week to reminisce the good thing of integration among other countries and in promoting world peace and security. Other activity conducted during this celebration was the Virtual Trivia Game Contest wherein weekly questions were posted on the official FB Page of the NANCI-SSG, and bonafide students of Negros Academy and Negros College have the chance to win 50 pesos worth of cellphone load.
This year’s theme is, “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World”.
