MANILA, Philippines — The Indonesian Embassy in Manila, together with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), commemorated 75 years of long-standing mutual friendship through a gala event at the Whitespace Event Center.
Fashion took centerstage with a hundred beautifully crafted masterpieces, as Indonesia and the Philippines, each represented by their respective foreign service offices, celebrated its Diamond Year anniversary of diplomatic ties.
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The two countries celebrated the milestone after an agreement was signed by Philippine president Elpidio Quirino and his Indonesian counterpart Achmad Sukarno on November 24, 1949.
"After our two archipelagos signed the agreement in November 1949, consular offices opened in Manila and Jakarta. It was an amalgamation of diplomacy and a shared commitment to peace, regional solidarity, bilateral relations, mutual prosperity, and people-to-people connections with the aim to aspire to do more and better," said His Excellency Agus Widjojo, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Philippines, in his keynote speech.
Simply dubbed "Two Nations, One Fashion," the event presented the collections of revered Filipino fashion meister Renee Salud and Indonesian fashion designer Merdi Sihombing.
Salud created Filipino silhouettes with Indonesian textiles like Batik, Tenun Ikat, and the Songket.
Indon men generally wear Sarongs (usually with a checkered pattern) with Batik shirts or the Baju Takwa jacket for religious events. Women, on the other hand, wore the Kebaya over their Batik skirts/wraps.
Throughout his career, Merdi has been known for his use of the Ulos textile, a traditional woven fabric from North Sumatra. Both designers painted the runway with their inspired collections.
Filipino men wore the Barong, while the women proudly donned the Terno, especially its modern iterations during special and important occasions.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Singers heightened the drama when they performed classical and neo-classical pieces as the 100-piece collection was presented to invited guests at the Whitespace Events Center, which filled the venue to the rafters.
Noteworthy cultural numbers were performed by the Adicipita Paundrakarna Productions (aka as the Indonesian Dance Co.) and the Bayanihan Philippines National Folk Dance Company.
The momentous occasion was part of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on cultural cooperation with the NCCA and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research & Technology of Indonesia.
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