Why Ben Chan , Lucy Torres-Gomez and Gino Gonzales cried during Ternocon 2018
It was all smiles and applause when a parade of ternos was presented at Ternocon 2018 by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Bench last Nov.11. It was a milestone event, one so beautiful it touched the core of our being, deep down to our Filipino soul.
But there is a backstory to this event. The Ternocon — a terno-making convention and contest — gathered aspiring designers nationwide who were mentored by veteran designers. It also presented the collections of chief mentor Inno Sotto, as well as those of Cary Santiago, JC Buendia and Len Cabili — four of today’s most relevant designers.
On top of the event was artistic director Gino Gonzales, this one-of-a-kind genius who has designed the country’s most beautiful art, culture and fashion events. Gino shares many interesting events that happened in the course of putting together contestants from Pampanga to Davao, including many fun bus rides with the group. A lot of moving events, sweaty and sleepless nights ensued with these contestants faced with the pressure to compete, “but I can also say we were a barkada,” says Gino.
Most moving for Gino was when Bench founder Ben Chan dropped by during rehearsals and cried. “Seeing Ben cry during rehearsals was enough. He was deeply moved and hugged all of us.”
Cary Santiago‘s creativity soars on doves’ wings amid a confetti rain from the clouds.
I asked Ben why he cried. “Naiyak ako because I was touched by the genuine love and selflessness of the people who worked around this project. People in the creative field remain in this field even if they do not earn much from it. They are just passionate with what they do. They remain in this profession because they love what they are doing.”
Ben, who would regularly check on Ternocon’s progress, was too moved that day “by the overwhelming support of the people who worked to make the launch of Ternocon a resounding success. During the run-through that afternoon, while the performers were onstage, I could feel the great energy and good vibe in their showmanship,” says Ben.
“These people are so passionate and so respectful of our culture. If only that energy would echo a million-fold to every Filipino, then our country would be a great progressive nation where we put the needs of our people first rather than ourselves. In my course of travels in places like Thailand and Japan, I have seen how people who take great pride in their culture have a strong sense of national identity. They are motivated to do things that will make a great difference in putting their country first above themselves,” Ben adds.
“Naiyak ako dahil ayokong mawala ang kultura ng baro’t saya sa atin. I hope the young generation is able to take inspiration from what we are doing. This is all for them. We used to be the great pride of Asia for having a rich culture that encompasses more than 500 years. Now we lag behind our neighbors who are aggressively positioning their nation to be the cultural capital of the region.”
After the show, I met up with Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and she had her own words about Ternocon. “It was an event so beautiful it brought tears to the eyes. There was a quiet elegance about it, unpretentious, hushed and so full of heart. Filipino songs sung a cappella, the poignant music from the orchestra, masterful direction. It made me so proud of the work of the Filipino.”
Native dances by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and music by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra String Ensemble under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera were soothing reminders of our heritage.
Lucy, who is a passionate terno lover, gushes: “The CCP was the night’s perfect backdrop. And the star of the night, the terno — beautiful, regal, steeped in history. The very soul of the event is Ben Chan, dreamer and dreammaker. In his heart of hearts is a patron of the arts, always moving and shaking and using his influence not only to awaken Filipinos to love local, but also heighten and preserve Filipino craftsmanship.”
Ternocon obviously is a project of like-minded individuals. Gino explains: “Ben shares a genuine appreciation for our own. And he has a burden to promote the Filipino. I wish there were more like him. That’s the reason we keep doing this. To spark the same ‘pagmamahal sa sariling atin‘ in others.”
While Ben has been promoting the “Love Local” campaign for decades now, even back when it sounded like a cry in the wilderness, Gino too felt the sentiment in New York from 1998-2001, taking his MFA in design at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts under Asian Cultural Council and Fulbright grants. “I got these grants on the condition that I would come back to share whatever I learned. In many ways, I was really blessed. So it was about time I did it for others,” Gino said with a sigh of appreciation.
“I was loving all the shows and exhibits that I saw in New York. But I also felt depressed. I thought: Kayang kaya naman natin ito — using our own culture and experience. Pero bihira ang gumagawa. At lalong bihira ang nanunuod. The terno had a parallel story. Maganda. May kahulugan pero hindi nagagamit. “
Gino’s love affair with the terno began as a theater practitioner. “Badong Bernal (proclaimed National Artist for Theater and Design in 2003) made beautiful ternos in his shop and he taught me everything about it. But it solidified when I was asked to work on the Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s exhibit on the terno. I was able to actually handle all ternos from all periods and see how they were done. I have to thank Inno Manalo for that opportunity.
“I know how live performances have a unique power to move people and change attitudes. We’re using theater to remind people to be proud of who we are and what we wear. We don’t necessarily tell — we show the audience why.”
Ben explains: “Gino was the seed who planted the idea of having a Ternocon design competition that led to the grand event last Sunday. He was also instrumental in promoting the terno through various symposiums he mounted to promote the art of making the terno sleeves across the Philippines. His passion was so burning, he got us all excited. It was a brilliant idea and I thought it could be the start of something we could do again and again.”
CCP chairman Margie Moran-Floirendo echoes the same excitement. “I felt a sense of nationhood participating in this event. I felt that this was an incredibly successful outreach program with workshops held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to instruct aspiring designers on the history and construction of the terno. The contest finalists were then flown to the CCP for intensives with the master designers in early 2018. After Bench’s sponsorship of the launch of the Slim’s book by Mark and Sandy Higgins, Ben’s vision was to take it further to the Ternocon, a project that is aligned with Bench’s ‘Love Local’ campaign.”
As Ternocon’s artistic director and set designer, Gino clarifies: “I am not a fashion designer. I just happen to work in the fashion community as a designer for environments. So it puts me in a unique, non-competitive position. Inno and I thought some ternos would never get finished. We couldn’t sleep and we kept calling each other every night. But we had an incredible bayanihan spirit in the group. When we got to the CCP, the contestants who were already done with their entries did the sewing for the rest. I really need to mention Vince Calicdan from Batangas and Geom Hernandez from Batangas. They never won a single award, but they both helped some of the winners finish their ternos. Inno and I really admire them.
“For Ternocon, I was asked: Why not get more established designers? I say: we need to decentralize from imperial Manila,” says Gino. “It is not the center of the universe. And certainly not the only place that can offer beautiful work. Other regions have so much to share. We just need to give them the means to amplify their voices.”
Having seen so much outpouring of dedication and love for promoting the terno — a national garment that could be on the list of endangered species and kept in glass cases in museums — did Gino ever cry during rehearsals, too?
“Secretly,” Gino answers.
* * *
Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook@milletmartinezmananquil. Email her at mmmananquil@philstarmedia.com.
