VP Sara Duterte, Senator Imee Marcos' SONA 2023 looks inspired by local tribes

MANILA, Philippines – Every year, government officials step up their fashion game on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) red carpet, sporting looks that range from high-concept, haute couture Filipiniana to more literal nods to local garb.

The 2023 SONA was no different, with two officials standing out from the crowd with their ensembles – Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos, whose looks hearkened back to traditional native costumes, but with slight modern twists.

Both dedicated their outfits to tribes based in areas near their home provinces. Ilocana Marcos chose to pay homage to the Kalinga people from the Cordillera Administrative Region. Davaoeña Duterte chose to honor the Moro people, who are found mainly in South Central Mindanao.

Senator Imee Marcos

Marcos turned heads with her bare-shouldered ensemble featuring multiple woven fabrics from the Cordilleras, as well as temporary tattoos that resemble hand-poked tribal ink.

“Bilang isang Lagunawa o Anak ng Kalinga, pinili kong suotin ang kasuotan ng mga taga-Cordillera ngayong SONA 2023 bilang pagpupugay sa makulay na kultura ng ating mga katribu,” she said.

(As a child of the Kalinga, I chose to wear clothes from the Cordillera Region during SONA 2023 in homage to our tribes’ colorful culture.)

IMEE MARCOS. Marcos says her outfit is a nod to the Cordillera Region. Courtesy of Sen. Imee Marcos’ office

CLOSER LOOK. Marcos’ ensemble is all about the details. Courtesy of Sen. Imee Marcos’ office

Vice President Sara Duterte

In a similar vein, Vice President Sara Duterte made sure her SONA 2023 look paid homage to a tribe – the Moros of South Central Mindanao. The ensemble included pieces in various shades of yellow: a honey-toned long-sleeved top with intricate gold buttons, a canary and black malong, and a mustard head wrap.

VP Sara Duterte-Carpio wears Bangala paired with a trouser and a flowing inaul or malong.

She once again honors Mindanao and the rich culture and tradition of its people.

Good job, VP! 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/E4h9OcmEwh
— TIO MORENO (Official Account) (@tiomorenoonly) July 24, 2023

Some netizens, however, were not pleased with the two officials’ sartorial choices, finding them either tacky or politically tone-deaf:

https://twitter.com/jr_dtc/status/1683393212822749185

LAM wears yellow — the political color of their "rivals".

While Sara Duterte and Imee Marcos wear the traditional attire of the Moro and Cordillera people, respectively — among those who experienced human rights violations during the Marcos, Sr. and Duterte regimes.#SONA2023
— Roentgen (@ronaldgem) July 24, 2023