While other celebrities focused on dressing for themselves, Francis Magundayao chose to honor Filipino farmers at this year’s ABS-CBN Ball 2019.
With the recent news of the passage of the Rice Tariffication Act, there has been a surge of Filipinos firing up social media highlighting the negative effects of the rice liberalization. And helping raise awareness on this issue is young star Francis Magundayao, who made use of the ABS-CBN ball as the perfect opportunity to hero this advocacy.
According to Francis’ Instagram post, “when I was told of this year’s theme, the first thing I thought about was our farmers. For most of my life, I have been part of a large artist collective, and with it, I have realized that part of being an artist is, to tell the truth.”
Inspired by the legacy left by the late Gina Lopez, the young star was compelled to also share his personal advocacy. “Our farmers have long been oppressed by big capitalist powers, and it’s our duty as Filipinos to raise such awareness,” he explains.
So, how did he shed light on the issue exactly? By opting to wear a beautifully crafted palay-inspired couture coat barong by Paolo Baltazar. When the two initially met, Francis’ vision was to wear a timeless barong that honors the hardworking farmers in the Philippines.
When Paolo Baltazar learned what the star exactly wanted, he brilliantly created a minimalist piece inspired by the details found in the grains of rice. He embellished it with real palay for an eye-popping three-dimensional effect and added the colors of our nation’s flag on the right arm, which was one way of appreciating the hard work and sacrifices of Filipino farmers and show the true Pinoy pride.
On another post of Francis, he encouraged everyone, especially those who are still trying to raise their advocacies to never back down. “Don’t be afraid to stand up for what is right. Let us educate each other with love and respect,” he said, because in the long run, as cliché as it may sound, we are all in this fight together—for our economy and for our collective future.
