The first lock-in workshop-mentoring of Ternocon 3 held last week at the Teachers’ Conference Center in Batangas City culminated last July 10, 2022.
For the last day of the workshop, the finalists completed their toiles (an initial version of a garment) for the competition and presented them to mentors Joey Samson, Dennis Lustico and Chito Vijandre with Ricky Toledo. In the evening, a closing program was hosted by the City Government of Batangas at the Sampaguita Farm where CCP President and officer-in-charge of the Artistic Director’s Office Margarita Moran-Floirendo was present along with Atty. Reginald Dimacuha, Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Mayor of Batangas City. The 1930s balintawak ternos made by the finalists were worn by the dancers of Likhang Sining Dance Company in a special Subli dance performance.
Ternocon Artistic Director Gino Gonzales acknowledged the continuing support of the CCP and Bench thru the generosity of Ben Chan, Chairman. He addressed the finalists and emphasized “Ternocon allows its participants to undergo a process that involves attitude change, as we are not merely addressing fashion or dress issues. Our country has so many problems, and we simply cannot solve everything. As designers, you can be part of the solution by dealing with issues within your backyard. When you grapple with the national dress and make it for your countrymen, you make a significant contribution to the nation. At TERNOCON, we all come from different backgrounds and perspectives, different religions, different regions, different political inclinations… but what unites all of us together is our love for country, and I think this should be your primary motivation for creating ternos that will be showcased at the CCP stage in the final phase of this competition. Love for country.”
In her closing message, Ms. Floirendo stressed that “Ternocon has somehow made a good impact on how Filipinos of today think of the terno. We have seen a remarkable increase in the number of Filipinas wearing the terno for many different occasions. Despite this, we all know that we still have a long way to go in fulfilling our mission. But with everyone’s support and cooperation, we can succeed.”
The 12 finalists are: Amor Albano (Ilocos Norte), Glyn Alley Magtibay (Oriental Mindoro), Bon Hansen Reyes (Rizal) and Gabbie Sarenas (Rizal) from Luzon. Bree Esplanada (Cebu), Karl Nadales (Iloilo), Al Rey Rosano (Negros Oriental) and Marc Carcillar (Iloilo) from Visayas. Glady Rose Pantua (Zamboanga) and Ron Santos (Davao) from Mindanao. From the National Capital Region (NCR), Yssa Inumerable (Parañaque) and Cheetah Rivera (Quezon City). The three semi-finalists who are from Batangas and NCR are Geom Hernandez, Dee Javier (Manila) and Daryl Maat (Caloocan).
Ternocon 3 is a joint undertaking of CCP thru its Cultural Exchange Department and Bench/Suyen Corporation in cooperation with local partners, Batangas City Government and the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc.
The next round of consultations (face-to-face and online) will be in August-September, while the 2nd part of the workshop-mentoring will be in October 2022. The final competition with cultural show is slated for January 28, 2023 at the new CCP Black Box Theater or Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.
