MANILA, Philippines – For saying that former first lady now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos invented traditional Filipino dress "terno," Philippine bet to the 65th Miss Universe, was placed in hot water anew.
During the preliminary show on Thursday evening, a video clip of the Miss Universe candidates’ fashion show of terno in Vigan, Ilocos Sur was shown. While describing and featuring the Filipino design, Medina mistakenly cited Marcos as the originator of the terno.
"The terno was actually invented by our former first lady, Imelda Marcos. She invented these butterfly sleeves and they use this as covering their face. It is called terno because it’s all one piece Medina said in the documentary video.
Medina’s statement then drew attention from netizens and earned mixed reactions, making “Maxine,” “terno” and “Imelda Marcos” among the top trending topic on Twitter Philippines on Thursday night.
Several netizens disagreed with Medina’s statement and bashed her online, while others appealed to Filipinos that instead of bashing her, they should just correct her statement and unite to support the country’s representative.
Still waiting na bawiin ni Steve Harvey yung statement ni Maxine re: Imelda invented Terno. #MissUniverse #Philippines #ImeldaIsNOTtheTerno
— BeyondSands (@BeyondSands) January 26, 2017
Ate Maxine, andami nang kinuha sa atin ng mga Marcos. Wag mo na rin ibigay yung credit sa pag-imbento ng terno. KKLK. #ImeldaIsNOTtheTerno
— Mayee (@fozeewozee) January 26, 2017
Maxine Medina made a wrong statement about the terno. She needs to be corrected not bashed.
— Gideon Pena (@gideonpena) January 26, 2017
Be a kabayan in the universe. #Philippines
Chaka nung nasabi nya sa terno pero bes kota na tayo sa pambabash. Suportahan na lang natin siya! Laban Maxine! #MissUniverse #Philippines
— Kristan Valencia (@kristanleana) January 27, 2017
Others said Medina might have meant “popularized” and not “invented” since Marcos is known to be wearing ternos at public and social gatherings, making it closely associated with her.
Guys! Just to clear Miss #Philippines statement that "Imelda Marcos invented the terno" maybe Maxine meant "popularized". #MissUniverse
— Arnex (@arnexism) January 26, 2017
On the National Commission for Culture and the Arts website, it was described that National Artist for Fashion Design Ramon Valera, gave the country its “visual icon to the world via the terno.” Valera contructed the terno’s butterflysleeves, which became terno’s defining feature.
The Southeast Asian Studies Northern Illinois University, meanwhile, foudn that the "terno" which means “match” in Spanish was not invented by a single designer.
“It was the handiwork of not just one couturier but a coming together of the innovations of many. The Filipino terno alludes to the matching of blouse and skirt, joined at the waist to form a one-piece creation, with both bodice and skirt made of the same material,” the university’s description of the costume read.