TERNOCON 2027, a terno-making convention and contest, commences with its first mentoring-consultation for the 15 aspirants from August 4 to 8, 2026, at the Clark Events and Conference Center in Pampanga.
Organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Bench/Suyen Corporation, TERNOCON pursues the preservation and promotion of the Philippine dress.
It aims to encourage the use of the terno as a popular form of dress, and inspire and motivate emerging designers to create ternos that are at par with the construction skills of professional designers. Its objectives also include encouraging dialogue and scholarly discussion on issues concerning the Philippine dress and sustaining the growing awareness and interest in the Philippine dress.
Selected from 52 applications, the 15 aspirants come from Luzon – Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Tarlac, Makati and Taguig; from Visayas – Cebu, Mandaue, Roxas, Silay and Iloilo; and from Mindanao – Zamboanga City, Maguindanao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Iligan and Koronadal.
Before the selection, all applicants attended a week-long regional workshop and a one-day Zoom lecture conducted by fashion designers and art experts, namely Dr. Nicanor G. Tiongson, Len Cabili and Gino Gonzales.
To help the aspirants achieve the competition goals, some of the country’s experts in design will mentor and guide them, led by fashion designer Inno Sotto who has been the Ternocon’s chief mentor since 2018. He will be joined by fashion designers Josie Natori, Randy Ortiz and Jojie Lloren, as well as Ternocon’s founding artistic director Gonzales and incumbent artistic director Ricardo Eric Cruz.
Following the theme “An Ode to Nature,” the fifth edition of Ternocon marks the 10-year milestone of the program, celebrating its remarkable impact on the public’s awareness and appreciation of the terno, especially among the young generation.
The first lock-in workshop is presented in partnership with the Clark Development Corporation, City Government of Mabalacat, Department of Tourism Region III, Royce Hotel, and Victory Liner.
The second lock-in workshop is set for January 27 to 31, 2027, and the final competition and cultural show will be on March 14, 2027.
The CCP Cultural Exchange Department and CCP Production Design and Technical Services Division lead the project implementation, with the Ternocon organizing team and the Bench Ad & Promo team.
For more information, visit the CCP website. Follow the official social media accounts of CCP, CCP Cultural Exchange Department, Ternocon, and Bench for more updates and the latest news.
