#barong tagalog for kids

[salezmanradioz]

Is there anything from the Philippines that everyone likes? Just curious.

I like this ask a ton because I can now expose that yes I'm also a filipino (half) and have lived in the phillippines for a short time.

Agent Phoenix's favorite thing is Maruya! Maruya are fried banana patties and is personally one of my favorite snack to make >:) He's absolutely love the cuisine! (Fun fact: if Polyblank was assgined an ethnicity, she'd be filipino and american!)

Agent Stardust would love Ube Cake Rolls. As much as he doesn't like to admit it, he's a sucker for sweets of any kind. Ube is one of his favorites, especially homemade Ube Halaya! As for Agent Sunflower, he'd like the Barongs in particular. He'd love the texture, lightness and colors of them. He appreciates the material and customization.

[biscuitswiththeb0ss]

jason sudeikis dating a filipina headcanon

a/n: guys i’m not used to writing this stuff so forgive me if this sucks, but this just popped into my head yesterday bc i’m a filipina AND a simp for jason, so imma just leave this here kthnxbye 🫣

• jason asking you how to say things in tagalog

• “how do you say ‘you’re beautiful’ in tagalog?” “ang ganda mo.”

• you can’t help but laugh at his accent as he repeats after you.

• he learns how to say “mahal kita” (i love you) on his own to surprise you

• you ask him if he knows what it means “of course i know what it means… and i mean it.”

• also he started saying “babush” (gay lingo for goodbye) after hearing you say it a couple of times

• he’ll sometimes randomly say it to his friends and they’re just like “huh???”

• calling each other “mahal” (love) 🥺

• you used to call him “beh” when you were friends but wanted to be flirty with him. the pet name still pops up from time to time.

• offering to make him your favourite dish

• him sneaking up behind you and asking what you’re making

• “i can’t smell a thing, but it looks great” he’d say

• he liked it so much that you end up making it for him often

• going to basketball games with jason (and the kids!) bc duh

• karaoke nights with jason and his friends

• jason watching you with such awe and adoration while his friends cheer you on as you sing

• jason singing your favourite tagalog song bc he’s heard it so much at this point he’d memorized it

• you laugh as he butchers the words, but it’s the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen

• singing “shallow” together and KILLING it 😌

• also having lil karaoke sessions together in the car

• jason being overwhelmed meeting your fam for the first time bc there’s so fucking many of you

• your fam automatically liking him from the get-go

• hearing a bunch of ayieeee’s from your relatives whenever jason does something sweet for you

• watching you play with your younger relatives and seeing that you’re so good with kids that it invokes the desire in him to make a baby with you

• “kailan ang kasal?” your cousin would tease the two of you. (“when is the wedding?”)

• jason would ask you what that meant since your face would turn as red as a tomato. “oh, it’s nothing.” you’d reply.

• jason eventually finds out what “kasal” means 

• when the time finally comes that jason proposes to you, he does it in front of your entire fam

• jason looking so good in a barong tagalog at your wedding 😮‍💨

• having a baby together and getting to call otis “kuya” (big brother) and daisy “ate” (big sister) 🥹❤️

idk how to end this, sorry loool

[polynomialpandemic]

A Sun That's Rising- partial redesigns!

As we've been writing STR, I've had the uncontrollable urge to worldbuild (map coming soon), and after speaking with a diversity consultant about designs and how appropriate accuracy to existing cultural clothing vs fantasy world=not the same culture and not wanting to misrepresent, I have started the STR character designs! One notable change is Wind's hair color, but aside from that it fits completely appropriately into EOS.

(Also, I have been picturing them as inspired by these cultures and of these races and appearances since I wrote EOS, this is just me getting the confidence/go-ahead to make their clothing more culturally accurate)

Here's the rough designs I have so far! (for EOS folks- this does contain the STR characters as well, so just. uh. know those guys exist, there shouldn't be any spoilers in here though so dont worry about that. Of the canon chain/EOS guys I've only properly designed 3 so far, but I do have concept sketches for Hyrule as well based on what part of the story he's in, so that's cool. These are also labeled (sometimes) for your convenience. I am mixing real life time periods a bit, but that's Fine, I did want everyone to be '''appropriately''' clothed (i.e. wearing enough clothing that nobody gets uncomfortable, as nudity tends to be sexualized in western culture) so that meant futzing around with eras a bit hahah. Also, reminder that many of these characters are adopted, and therefore I'm not just going 'boom he's south american because thats fun', Ihave thought through the distance and cultural exchange between countries and the origins of their bio families and stuff.

ANYWAYS

WIND!

Wind's design is inspired by Peruvian traditional clothing. The sandals have an extra ref, as I added them to the design later.

TWI!

Twilight's design, like Malon's, is inspired by Indigenous Turtle Island (american) cultures, specifically those located in the plains areas. He is Malon and Time's bio kid.

MALON!

Malon the beloved! As Jingle Dresses are ceremonial, I took some inspiration from them, but am not recreating one, because they are connected to the spirituality and ritual of Indigenous culture in real life, and those cultures and the ones in the story are not the same.

SHADOW!

Here's Shadow in Ao Dai! As I've determined that (specifically East) Hyrule(the country) has partially Chinese cultural inspirations (and is where Castle Town lies,) Shadow's design fits with West Hyrule's culture, which is inspired by Vietnamese culture. I also checked the meaning of colors of clothing and period appropriate dyes, so there's that :D

GROOSE!

As of now, none of you have met Groose in canon, but I Love Them So Much. Inspired by Norwegian cultural clothing.

me: [looks at Groose Skyward Sword] but what if you were a they/them lesbian-

AND HERE'S THE HYRULE THUMBNAIL SKETCHES!

Filipino cultural inspiration for him! Yes, I gave him skirts as well as tunics. They are more interesting (to me) than pants.

NOTE: I will not be explicitly naming all of the clothing items as they are named in real life, when writing the fic. Since 'Tagalog' is the name of an Austronesian language, Hyrule could not wear something called a 'Barong Tagalog,' if Tagalog did not exist in the world.

I'll add on more characters as I sketch them, but I am, as always, pretty busy. I'll go ahead and post the maps next, and then some picrews I did as well, so you all can get a sense of their faces.

[barongtagalogs-blog]

Our kids definitely bring out the happiness in the family. That being said, they deserve the best clothing choice in every event. Barong Tagalog isn’t only for adults, it is also available for children. That is, after Barongs R Us humbly made and introduced their beautiful creations to their dear customers.

Kids can now access a wide array of wardrobe choices. On top of that, the clothing products also go in variety, making it possible to bring out the best style in any event they go to. Furthermore, through the integration of barong tagalog for kids, we also teach and remind our kids about the deep cultural roots of the Philippines.

[maya-chirps]

Plus Size and Plus Size Friendly Stores in Shopee

Since I struggled so much finding plus sizes that fit me and people with larger sizes when looking for clothes and especially feminine clothing, here's some stores I found in Shopee that consistently carry plus size clothes or are specifically catered to plus size people.

I'll also indicate if I've ordered from the store before with an asterisk since some of these I haven't gotten a chance to yet and I will also mark something with two asterisks if I've ordered from them more than once. Also to note is that all of the stores I will be listing have measurements (usually inches) listed per item or on most items and I will also refer to sizes with the measurements as I feel like that's very important for fat people when online shopping.

List under the cut

Formal Clothes

Husi* - Most clothes go up to 46" waists for feminine clothes and up to 52" waists for masculine clothes. Carries modern and traditional formal wear including Filipiniana/Terno, Barong Tagalog, and the traje de Mestiza. Also carries other formal wear as well as formal wear and costumes for kids including plus sizes for kids up to 28" waist for girls and 32" for boys, though only girls have non-costume formal wear available. Will also add, their UN month costumes for kids are a little corny and definitely not accurate.

KasuotangPinoy - Feminine clothes-focused store with most clothes going up to a 40" waistline with bust measurements up to 46". Carries modern Filipiniana/Terno, Lady's Barong, Sayas and some selections of Barong Tagalog for men that go up to a 46" waistline. The shop also carries a lot of traditional fabrics but I don't know the exact sources of these.

Formal, Semi-Formal, and Casual Clothes

Syala Collections - Feminine clothes-focused store that carries clothing sizes up to 46" waists. Mostly semi-formal clothes and office wear but also has formal attire. Designs are often geared towards modernized looks and is much closer to high-fashion styles. The clothes are also more expensive compared to other online stores but is cheaper than some you can get from traditional places. Might order from them soon as another formal option.

Mommy Kikay's Collection - Feminine clothes-focused store, carries mostly casual plus size clothing alongside semi-formal clothes. Also carries swimsuits, active wear, and accessories. Most items could go up to a 46" waistline but some have "over-sze" clothing options that could reach up to 60". Some of the clothes seem to be modeled by the shop owner or people close to her which is nice to see that the shop owner wants to show off the items that they're selling. Might order from them soon as another formal option.

Casual Clothes

Yhanichie Plus Size** - Plus size store that carries casual clothing for both unisex and feminine styles as well as unisex shirts in general. Sizes go up to 60" waists for unisex clothes and up to 58" waists for most feminine clothes. Carries different kinds of clothing including underwear.

Big Fashion PH* - Plus size store that has a lot of feminine clothes that are free size that usually fits people with 50" waists. Non-free size items usually have sizes up to the same size as well.

Ken Big Size - Masculine clothes-focused store with some clothing items listed. Most items consistently has sizes up to 70". I'm also fairly sure that all items are modeled by the owner of the store and it's quite nice to see him trying out the items he's selling.

Teeshirtindustry - Basics shop that carries plain shirts that go up to 27" across one side for adults and 17" across one side for children sizes.

Fandom Casual Clothes

T-TEES Clothing Shop** - Carries shirts that are directly taken from different series. Sizes could fit up to 34" chest measurement across one side. Highly recommend this one if you want a fun fandom t-shirt that directly looks like the shirts you could see in an anime, cartoon, or video game. I even got my dad shirts from his favorite anime from the shop.

Amazedph* - Carries mostly shirt related to musicians and bands. Most shirts go up to 24" across one side. Also has some other fandom shirts including some book-based fandom shirts and some other series including Brooklyn 99, Friends, Grey's Anatomy, and even cartoons like The Simpsons, The Owl House, and Gravity Falls among others.

Will add more if I find more stores. If you have any suggestions for any other store or any comments about these ones listed here, feel free comment it on the post. Hope this list is helpful!

[barongsrus1]

Filipinos jump at midnight on New Year’s Eve as part of a widespread belief that doing so will make them grow taller in the coming year. This playful tradition, deeply rooted in Filipino culture, reflects the people’s mix of superstition, fun, and hopefulness:

The Story Behind the Belief

The practice of jumping at midnight likely originates from the cultural importance placed on height, especially for children. Parents and elders often encourage kids to jump as the New Year arrives, hoping to “stretch” their growth potential.

While there’s no scientific basis for this tradition, it embodies the optimism and joy of Filipino celebrations. Like many other Filipino New Year traditions, it’s less about literal outcomes and more about symbolic gestures to invite good fortune.

Why It Endures

Cultural Superstition

Filipinos hold various beliefs that link actions to desired outcomes (e.g., wearing polka dots for wealth, eating round fruits for prosperity). Jumping for height fits into this pattern of symbolic acts.

Focus on Children

The tradition emphasizes family and encourages children to participate actively in New Year’s festivities, making it memorable and fun.

Playful and Harmless

It’s an easy, joyful activity that adds to the festive spirit, often leading to laughter and bonding.

Connection to Filipino Optimism

Jumping at midnight, like many New Year traditions in the Philippines, reflects the innate Filipino sense of hope and the belief that positive actions—no matter how small or whimsical—can influence the future. It’s an endearing way to ring in the New Year with energy and enthusiasm!

[carlarosenakilah]

Happy Late Buwan Ng Wika to my fellow Filipinos out there :DD

This was supposed to be finished on either August 31 or September 1 in my timezone (PST) however school was on my back TT

But I managed to be ONLY a day late! There was also originally gonna be a bunch of doodles done by me and @ask-lulu-questions of the kids in their barot sayas, barong tagalogs, and filipinianas but school 💔

However I promise that could be done on the independence day of our country :)) (I hope)

Happy (late) Buwan Ng Wika to my fellow Filipinos!

-greetings from mr. and mrs. Rosen :)

[mrskodzuken]

for @/love-amihan...

Since it's August (and we celebrate Buwan ng Wika every August), I decided to make Akaashi-sensei wear a barong Tagalog, via MediBang Paint Pro + Veikk pentab. Also, he's wearing contacts btw UwU

Was gonna make a bonus comic of Bokuto and Mimi in awe as they take pictures of a shy/embarrassed and flustered Keiji (and Mimi saying, "Papa... kasalan na talaga kita (I wanna marry you)~"), but siiiigh too tired + kinda late (even though it's almost 6 pm) to do it ^^;;

The Cat’s General Taglist (form link here): @love-amihan @cemeiia @antisocia1-bean @toge-chan-out @lumpiang-toge @fernisasinner @chaotic-fangirl-blog @buzymanifesting

DO NOT REPOST/REMOVE WATERMARK/USE IN ANY SOCMED SITES WITHOUT PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME, KIDS. REBLOGS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!! :)

My Masterlist

[cloudy-leonhart]

AOT veterans with a Filipino S/O!!

[author note: did I write this as soon as I posted the first part?? yes. I like writing for this, it’s so fun lolol up next, Marleyan Warriors!!]

Summary: not much, just the AOT vets with their filipino S/O.

Gender Neutral Reader.

Recommended Song: Buwan - Juan Karlos.

Theme: Fluff, Modern AU.

TW: Swearing.

Characters: Hange, Levi, Miche, Erwin, Moblit, Nanaba.

Hange Zöe

Honestly they fully immersed themselves in your culture, as you know Hange LOVES learning about new things, discovering about your culture, they probably forced you to go the Philippines with them.

They started asking people for directions in english?? You had to step in translate for them, in which they responded to ask to teach them the language.

Yes they keep a small notebook of words they think are interesting. Yes even swear words are in there, not to mention they absolutely just butcher the way you say it.

One time when you both came back, Hange told Erwin that Bakla was a word for a good man, and they laughed their asses off watching Erwin tell people he was Bakla LMFAO.

They actually visited your province, they met your family and was surprised at the fact that they owned a whole farm, they tried to learn with your siblings on how to harvest rice, they nailed it btw.

they named your carabao, Sawney, and your chicken, Bean.

And respectfully so, your family started to call their animals by the name Hange gave them.

They started to cry about the fact that you guys had to go back, and like every time, your mom and dad encouraged y’all to bring filipino snacks back home, in which you did, because you knew that you’d probably miss it when you flew back home.

You guys have a tradition of going to the Philippines for your guys’ anniversary.

THEY SUPRISINGLY LISTENS TO FILIPINO MUSIC

They were the one to suggest Aegis to Levi but they prefer someone like Jireh Lim.

Favourite song is probably, Buko. They love the guitar in it.

Levi Ackerman

He first found out you were Filipino when he caught you packing a balikbayan box for your family back home, (for those who don’t know, balikbayan box is a box full of your country’s snacks to send back to the PH for your family to try.)

He had asked you what it was, and you answered that it was for your family back in the Philippines, in which he responded with helping you, and mainly scolding you about the way you packed it.

“Idiot, pack it like this, so you have more space to place stuff.”

When he first went to the Philippines, he first noticed the cleanliness of the hotels, he looked at you with a ‘is this why you’re so good at cleaning?’ look. 

God when I say your parents loved him, YOUR PARENTS ABSOLUTELY ADORED HIM. He would clean for your mom, and not only that, your mom approved of his cleaning technique, yes she told you to marry him that second.

And that you did, you had your first wedding with you family in the Philippines, and another in where you guys currently lived.

Bye, he absolutely looks AMAZING in a Barong. Your dad helped him slick his hair back.

Your mom and him, bonded of cleaning, sometimes when your mom needs help removing rust on her pans, she calls Levi.

like Hange he and you go to the Philippines for y’alls anniversary. 

Please save this man from the streets, I’m not saying it to be mean but this man almost gave his wallet to a bunch of kids who were hungry.

You gave money instead because you didn’t want your man to be broke lmfao.

He loves seeing you so happy while you’re in the Philippines, he just thinks it’s adorable when you speak your language.

Aegis listener, absolutely no discussion, mans listens to them while cleaning, he listens to “Sayang Na Sayang�� religiously.

when Aegis plays in the house, you know it’s a cleaning day lmao.

Erwin Smith

Please, remember when I said Hange told him bakla was a word for a good man, yes, that’s how he found out you were Filipino, you literally was so dumbfounded, you waited for him in the living room, your friend’s laughing over the phone, man thought he did something wrong until..

“Erwin, can you tell me why you’ve been telling your friends you’re fucking gay??”

Yeah he’s got trust issues now. But he wasn’t that shocked to find out you were filipino, he just thinks it’s neat, he butchers pronouncing shit, he tries to learn filipino jokes??? It’s really bad, like you need to stop him from telling your family to save HIM from embarrassment.

He knows how to cook barbecue lmfao, he sits at your family’s barbecue spot and cooks for them, your dad appreciates the help so much lmao, also he loves drinking the gulaman whenever he’s there, your dad gives it to him for free because, he basically considers Erwin his son now. His awkward, barbecue-cooking, son.

You guys go on hiking in Mt. Butalao, yes you sneak peeks when he’s climbing because his muscles flex, and he sweats. You guys go on a double hiking date with Miche and his S/O all the time.

He was kind of fearful when you went to a province to get in touch with your grandparents, he watched you help their carabao back into their pens, he’s scared of carabaos, don’t blame him-

Surprisingly he’s as good as your dad in basketball, bye I just know the women of your community comes to watch him, he’s ripped, you’re jealous but you don’t say it lmao.

He’s got those jeep keychains lmfao, the fact that he kinda looked like a lost puppy when you’re traveling, like so many people, so little space-

please educate him, he’s confused on everything-

he probably listens to Eraserheads, Huwag Mo Nang Itanong. Yes his ultimate song. 

Miche Zacharias

probably the only veteran that knows what to do?? Beside Moblit?? He knows how to bless, he knows to call your parents nanay and tatay. He also loves going to where there’s a lot of Filipino street food because he loves the smell, he prefers the smell of bananaque over anything, hotcakes are a close second.

mf was scared when your mom suddenly said, “Oh yeah, I kept your childhood spider.”

YOU OWNED A MF SPIDER?? You were all like ‘omg i miss him’ he was a little scared bitch omg.

You had to explain that you would buy them from the local toy store and you and your friends would make them fight each other to the death.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE SMALL- IT’S A WHOLE MF TARANTULA BYE

you know those dyed chicks you get from winning a game, yeah, he was attached to one you guys won, but as always, they weren’t going to live long, I think he sulked for a whole 2 days. He named the chick Richard AHAHA.

ah yes, absolute unit in basketball, yes you and Erwin’s S/O would watch them play basketball together with your guys’ dads. Yes y’all gossiped about how hot they were in tagalog.

Just saying, Miche got some that night. 

He doesn’t fit in tricycles- neither does he fit in jeepneys lmfao- he kinda has to sit on the ground if you force him to fit, in which he has to awkwardly crawl to get out lmfao.

He literally looks godly while hiking, you guys don’t go to your parents’ house when you first arrive, you guys hike.

You guys go whenever y’all feel like it honestly.

“hey hey, reader, Mahal Kita.”

He listens to anything in filipino honestly, he likes chill filipino songs like Tell Me Where It Hurts by MYMP.

Moblit Berner

He’s a researcher, he makes sure he doesn’t disrespect the culture.

he knows to bless and all that jazz like Miche.

Wait but your family loved him as soon as you told them he was a doctor lmfao?? He’s in nursing.

He’s basically already apart of the family, all your little siblings call him kuya Moblit, he absolutely thinks it’s adorable.

when you guys are sending a balikbayan box, he places toys he bought for your little siblings in the box, with a note written and translated by you for them.

Moblit also knows about poverty in the Philippines, he’s apart of an organization where they give to those who can’t afford real food, even when he’s back home with you, he donates from abroad, everyone knows him as the generous kuya.

honestly I can see him as someone who’s also known by your community, people call him kuya Moblit or tito Moblit, it’s very wholesome when a kid asks him to carry them.

This man looks so nice and kind on the outside but when you guys are at your tita’s bday party and there’s a whole mf buffet, he’s a whole beast.

You know when your uncles have like, food stacked on their plate, and like a cup of buko pandan at the side?? yes, him. definitely.

He’s kinda like sasha in this au, he loves the food so much, he probably finished a filipino dish by himself (it’s the palabok)

he’s also a god at making ice candy?? like he’s so good at filling up the plastic with the liquid lmao.

you guys adopted a stray dog in the community and his name was Moblit, your family takes care of him while you guys are back home.

genuinely, it’s mostly wholesome with him, he doesn’t really do anything wrong besides butchering pronounciation.

Moblit probably watches boxing with your dad though, it’s just too accurate not to be true.

More of a movie watcher than a song listener, his favourite movie so far is Four Sisters and A Wedding.

he cries every filipino movie, them do it to you.

Seven Sundays, he cried for days straight.

Nanaba

Nanaba found a filipino flag from your collage years in a box, asked you about it, then encouraged you to visit the Philippines because she wanted to meet your family. 

Okay but your family thought she was a guy because of her hair?? 

your siblings can’t say Nanaba, so they call her Ate Nana.

She was kind of jealous of your bond with your family, she knows she shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help it since her and her father’s relationship absolutely sucked.

And you know this, you had talked with her about it too, it was kinda like a, “are you okay?” and “it’s nothing.”

You had to drag her out to family events, eventually, she started to feel like she was apart of the family, she went swimming with the fam, did karaoke nights, she was basically in the family now.

She felt really happy that you decided to help her educate herself in your culture, and that your family openly accepted her into your family.

when you and her married, she wore a baro’t saya for the wedding reception and she looked absolutely gorgeous in them. She took your last name.

Your mom taught her to do the tinikling dance, and she mastered it easily, you of course danced with her.

she kinda had a guilty pleasure of going to McDonalds in the Philippines, SOLELY FOR THE ROOT BEER FLOAT, that stuff be bussin.

she forces you to go to McD’s whenever’s there’s a new flavour released.

Nanaba loves going on the jeepney, she likes the fact that you ring a bell when you have to get off and she does it every time you guys use a jeep for transportation.

Nanaba knows one word in filipino and that’s Mahal, she uses it so weirdly though, but she’s adorable so you let it pass.

“Reader..erm, I mahal?? you?..” 

she’s both a listener and a movie watcher, she listens to more modern filipino singers, like Patch Quiwa.

Favourite movie is when Vice Ganda’s in it, she just thinks all his movies are funny.

[bella-donna418]

Filipino AU HC

A/N: Fun fact: I’m a Filipino yayy :DDD

So I decided to this headcanon with let’s say, “my” (it depends if you ship them too OwO) ships wearing my country’s national outfit/costume which is a “Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog”  😂😂😂

This is actually what I think they'd react/do when trying them out.

Also pics came from google. (I might get sued LMFAOO—)

Also this is couples sooo wearing something quite modernized versions—

These are also customized ones and the boys are simply wearing black pants 😂😂😂

~~~

So Hanji, someone who loves exploring things, decided it's nice to try something out and explore culture.

~~~

Eremika

Ok, THEY WOULD LOOK SO FINE—

While trying it out, Mikasa was feeling weird and felt like she's carrying something at her bottom part 😂😂😂

Eren would be like, "Are you alright?" or like, "Can you even walk with that?"

Mikasa replies with a nod of reassurance.

Her hair is also like decorated with pearl pins (also something we do in Philippines while wearing the Filipiniana OwO)

Eren was just staring at her (especially that her cleavage is showing-) as he put his hair in his iconic manbun (y e s-) and puts the barong on.

So Mikasa got the hang of it and tried walking

She was so slow—probably because it was her first time and the dress was so huge and she was also wearing heels trying not to trip 😂😂😂

Eren was trying not to laugh at her but she looked so funny trying to walk—

He fails and he ends up laughing so hard Mikasa just straight up glared at him making him stop.

So Eren walked towards her and due to the dress being like big, he had to kinda adjust the dress' folds so he can get nearer to her and get her hand so they could walk together.

While walking to their meeting place, Eren was stealing glances at Mikasa's "thing" (this dude is h0rny and thirsty™)

Mikasa then noticed and raised a brow at him—Eren looking at her and smiling sheepishly (got caught redhanded)

She smirks and tightens her grip on his arm making Eren curse softly because of how strong her grip was and it's definitely painful.

"You can stare at it all you want later." She whispered to him grinning—Eren shrugging it off.

Outfit pics:

AruAni

Another fine couple— (who am I kidding they are all fine—)

Annie is wearing the dress and OH MY FUCKING GOD.

SHE LOOKS SO GREAT.

Her hair is down and she has pearl pins at the left side of her hair (like those korean ways of putting hairpins—)

She's just staring at Armin who seems to be quite focused in fixing himself.

Armin then looked at Annie and he was just in awe.

She looked at him—kinda forgetting her uncomfortable situation at the moment.

He walked towards her to give her a hand since she does look like she's carrying the bottom half of her body due to the size of her dress (same experiences with Mikasa 😂😂😂)

Armin was smiling at her while Annie is just blushing madly (let us insert her simping and screaming internally)

"Uncomfortable?" He asked—Annie shaking her head no (even if she is)

He laughed lightly and Annie's grip tightened a bit—Armin definitely knowing she is uncomfortable.

Outfit pics:

JeanPiku

Ok so far... when I try to think of them—my stupid nonexistent ass (yes I'm assless like Eren 😂😂😂) would be like, "first thought, height—"

Pieck prefers dresses that won't reach the floor (because they're hard to drag around)

Jean is quite confused why Hange would decided to make them wear this (Jean I'm offended— jkjk 😂😂😂) for some kind of dinner party she put up.

He'd keep questioning why she decided this was some kind of idea—Pieck always answering them.

Pieck would have her hair down (they're quite wavy) and she'd wear a simple pearl headband (but she so pretty 🥺👉👈)

Luckily, Jean won't have to find himself having to adjust her dress to make room for him to be near (oof for Eren and Armin 😂😂😂)

But their height differences makes Pieck look like she's clinging to a tree when walking 😂😂😂

Outfit pics:

NicoSasha (Yes, I also ship these two)

The usual Sasha, eating beforehand

Her hair would be in her usual ponytail and she's wearing a pearl hair tie

Both of them are just enjoying themselves with this, Niccolo also taking some (Sasha shares her food with him sometimes)

They also did not mind at all

Like Jean, he doesn't have to find himself adjusting dresses to make room for him to be near

Outfit pics:

LeviHan

Ah yes, Hange being the mastermind of this—

Talking about it, Levi was really against this idea—but knowing Hange, he just 'tched' at it since even if he told her not to, she'd still do it

Hange's definitely enjoying it since she kept humming melodic tunes

He wasn't even sure where her idea of wearing "these" came from

Hange's hair was also put up in a simple cinammon bun secured with pearl pins

Levi did find her beautiful in it but he still won't buy it since SHE was the one who thought all of this

And yes, her dress is short (you know already, I said it twice—)

When she'd look at him, a grin forms on her face and was like, "You look great in it!" Levi rolling his eyes and the iconic "tch"

Outfit pics:

~~~

A/N: YES FINALLY!!!

Ok ik I kept mentioning pearl clips, headbands, etc.

It's because pearls are the common stuff here and we'd wear them on special occasions that requires us to wear the national costume/outfit (yes in school we used to do that)

Also didn’t know how long this was in my drafts and editing it until now 😂😂😂

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

(Remind me to stop making HCs cuz they're literally failing lol)

(Maka-recognize kung kanino yung 4 na yan may sampung piso 😂😂😂)

[cleverclove]

Bela, please give me some more Filipino gang headcannons. I learned something bad

Aww I’m sorry hun :( if you need to talk I’m always here!

CHERRY GET’S A DEBUT PARTY :D

Steve can’t speak Tagalog but CAN speak Visayan (his parents were from Bohol)

Being a sporty little lad, Ponyboy is REAL good at tinikling

Before…ahem. The accident…uhhh Darry started the Filipino Culture Club at school!

Dally still keeps up with Filipino politics, entertainment, and news! When he’s not robbing someone or jumping kids, he’s probably watching the newest episode of his teleseryes

Sodapop used to try on his mom’s Filipiniana as a child, and that’s how she learned that he was bigender! Rocks both a barong and a filipiniana <3

[megabigfourfangirl]

raya and the last dragon head canons (based on my culture as a SE asian <333)

if you ask namaari if she believes in the existence of fae she'll be like "stfu what are you? 6? grow up" but will whisper chants (tabi tabi po*) while walking in an unfamiliar forest

she'll also immediately pull you away from a mound and scold you because "are you crazy? do you wanna get cursed?"

raya on the other hand, can qualify as a shaman with her knowledge in healing + dealing w the fae like come on, the girl spent years in the wilderness by herself of course she'll pick up a thing or two about it

and benja strikes me as a spiritual guy so like father like daughter

raya teases namaari about this tho bc "i thought you didnt believe in fae"

modern au: raya is a provincial girl while namaari is a city girl (both still rich and "princesses" but raya always smells like the sun** lmao and this is what namaari always pointed out when they were still rivals/enemies)

namaari is great with kids and is always followed around by them

if the bakunawa (moon-eating serpent) existed in this universe: raya absolutely loves banging pots together, just the chaos and noise of it—it's probably the only thing she's good at doing with kids***

in modern filipiniana, both namaari and raya prefer the barong tagalog over the dresses bc i said so <333 (namaari sometimes wears the baro't saya just to spice it up)

they both love and grew up with the story of marilag at magiting and honestly, the parallels? a royal and a warrior couple? yeah****

*tabi tabi po (tah-bee tah-bee po) roughly translates to 'please make way' and it's a filipino phrase used to announce your presence so you dont step on anything you cant see (fae/duwende)

**smelling like the sun is an unpleasant thing (at least in filipino culture, im not sure w other SEA cultures) bc it means youre always out / working in the sun ??? it's very classist

***in the myth (the version i know), to stop the bakunawa from eating the moon, the villagers have to go out every night to bang pots together when the bakunawa tries to eat it. the sounds confuse the bakunawa and doesn't eat the moon for the night

****marilag (mah-ree-lahg) means gorgeous/exquisite while magiting (mah-gi-ting) means brave/heroic (these are the names of the couple)

all i can think of for now :^D this'll also probably the only headcanon post i'll write abt ratld bc i dont like the movie lol (discussion for another day)

[laindependencialuna1899]

Chapter 3: APECtado

Chapter 3 – APECtado

APEC Summit, November 12-19, 2015, Manila, Philippines

It felt lighter for the twins, that’s the summary of this tale. Sure, setting up big time meetings like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit is difficult for its size and controversial budget but the Philippines know how to put up a good show and showcase its glamour and culture. The monster traffic jams are an inconvenience that their people got used to but the kids got their schools off and flights are cancelled and Tala agreed that these are necessary trade-offs for the country to put a good foot forward. Andres, on the other hand, was not delighted to find out that the poor will get swept away from the streets to “beautify” Manila. It angered him and they fought about it before the meeting started. So the 21 expected to attend APEC summit leaders are more important than Filipinos? Tala could not respond. And what about the Lumads [1] and contractualization, ha? She knew in her heart these things were important to Andres and it personally tears her apart choosing between her people and her job. Her twin could still protest all he wants, it was technically still his job and rights but that’s the thing – he can do something, she cannot. That’s what being a country representative is – it’s mostly sitting pretty and uncomfortably at the same time. Being sentient and spiritual beings is counterproductive to their existence if they cannot physically do something to change it, just represent. Still, they go on for they worked hard economically to achieve the “rising star” and “rising tiger of Asia” status.

Tala thought that the American-Chinese political pendulum only applied to her state, her country but it looks like the Summit itself divides like this. If it brings good money and develops the nation more, she pays little mind to the inner workings of expensive meetings of governments and private corporations at the expense and dismay of the Filipino people. If it ends up all in paper, all drawing, just talk, her anxiety as a nation kicks up to a hundred because the Bureau of Internal Revenue does not collect people’s funds out of charity, governments are meant to work and make this money worthwhile and tangible to everyone’s benefit. Also, if it’s all for naught, her body creates a sickening reaction to it real time.

And since the tensions flared up in the West Philippine Sea, yes, she’s been doing the sick reaction a ton.

The family photos that include her as the country representative makes everything worthwhile and it personally makes her happy. The male country leaders and private company representatives wore barong tagalog [2] and the females wore Filipiniana [3] . Since she had to stand out as the country itself, her Filipiniana has to be unique from the others. She told the fashion designers not to go overboard, it’s not a display of Filipino humility, Tala just does not want to stand out in any occasion, ever.

Out of all the creative Filipino minds can come up with modern fashion and the historical Filipiniana, Tala plainly chose the “Tupi” terno blouse and skirt with intricate T’boli embroidery to be APEC family photo attire [4]. She wore an open, almost crop top of a modern version of the bell sleeves, collared and opened up on the end like a slit without buttons, exposing a window to her belly and a high-waisted elephant trousers. The difference is she opted to have the clothing navy blue.

After the family photos taken and several break out of laughter on which camera shall they look, Tala made her way to Yuan, China’s country representative because his President, together with Russia’s Prime Minister is present at this huge international meeting.

“You look good in a Barong Tagalog.” She started, the man conversed with Hong Kong and Taiwan as their Representative and Chief Executive is also present.

China turned around. His hair was long and it swayed as he moved his body. She’s quite certain that there’s a period in his time it was common for men in China to have long hair but then they cut it….maybe for practicality purposes? Tala hopes, her own hair has not grown out since post-World War two and it’s not as if she doesn’t want it long again, it’s just not growing. It’s fine, the Philippines tends to have scalding hot weather.

“I’m assuming that statement is reserved towards the American, she’s over there.” Yuan straightened his posture, with his hands balled and joined together at his back. He eyed his President chatting with Russian representative and sighed heavily and bat his eyes at the noisy American and her President, sighing once more.

“If I wanted to talk to Zihna, I would and it would be no secret. I made my way to you.”

One of the event staffs went to the mic and announced the next venue where the formal talks will be held and the groups and pairs that clustered together walked to the place, still chatting with each other. China walked beside Tala and Tala smiled at him.

“Whatever you get out of this Summit, what belongs to mine is rightfully mine.” Yuan stated.

“Ah, I see Chinese men are inherently astute businessmen…and very serious too.” Tala joked. Her eyes explored the people and fellow nations who come from far away places, just to make their presence known for this economic cooperation. “I’m glad to see many attended.”

The Chinese did not understand why she walked up to him, until it clicked. 2016 is her next election. “I see now and I understand well.”

“Huh?” Tala asked.

“I have excellent foresight.” said the Chinese.

They finally made it to the venue of a particularly arranged chairs and staffs hurrying to tests microphones and make sure everything is in order. The floor is busy.

They both stood at the entrance for awhile and stared as country representatives and leaders flooded the venue. “I think you would look good in a red qipao.[5]”

Notes:

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

{Citation Link}

[torendheavenandearth]

1.7

“At the end of thy road, one must remember the golden rule: all things in moderation, and find the balance in all things. There, in minute perfection, you will find God, and you will find him wanting.” -- From the Discourse of the Tambay Swordsman and the Alcoholic Witch.

▼

Makabintang nears the crossroads. “Hey kid,” says Makabintang, peering behind him. He sees Angela is out, sleeping sideways against the kalesa seat. That’s bound to cause some neck pain.

Makabintang moves the kalesa to the right edge of the road and stops the horses, which have been running for almost two hours. There’s a small clearing here, a little embrace from the trees. Here the soft patter of the stream punctures the silence. The sound of the wind slipping through the bamboo causes a song of sadness to ring out from the forest.

Makabintang climbs up and flicks Angela’s face. Angela snorts as she’s pulled back into the waking world. “Ah punyeta. What--?”

“We’re taking a short stop here. You can rest up here. Get down and stretch.” Makabintang then grabs a glass canteen from behind her and walks off to the stream.

Angela watches Makabintang disappear into the greenery. She tries to move, but is greeted by an orchestra of pain. Her neck is sore, her feet sear with red hot spiky agony, her hands feel raw, and her knees have been scraped. Wincing, she gingerly makes her way down from the kalesa and winces as she hits the ground. Her feet are raw: she’s not wearing clogs or any kind of shoes. She makes her way over to the center of the small clearing where there’s a small campfire used by those before. The charcoal has been doused, but it hasn’t been cleared or replaced. They’re going to have to clean off the charcoal and get some new firewood.

A couple of men riding along on horses happen by the clearing. Angela notices that they’re taking the right path at the crossroads. One of the men, wearing a large salakot and barong tagalog, stares longingly at Angela, and Angela looks away, trying her best to act as if she can’t see them. She briefly wonders if she should just go back to her own kalesa and hide. 

The two men stop their horses. One of them--the one wearing a navy blue uniform, has an arquebus hanging from behind his back, and a sabre hanging from his waist--gestures with his head, and the salakot-wearing man nods and slides down from his saddle.

The approaching man is wearing a large cloak that wraps around him, but underneath that he’s wearing large balooning pants, leather shoes, and a fancy striped barong tagalog. His hair looks groomed, and so is his moustache.

Angela squints at them. She sits at one of the logs-turned-benches. 

“Hello, binibini,” says the man, as he nears her. He takes off his salakot. “What is a precious young girl like you doing out here, in the middle of the path?”

Angela breathes out, slightly irritated. She didn’t think she’d get these kinds of people in another world still. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to talk with strangers?” 

“Then let’s change the situation then,” says the man, smiling. “My name is Don Jose Iago de Lacandola. And you are?”

Angela cringes. “I’m 17. Go away.”

“Age is but a number,” says Don Jose Iago de Lacandola. Angela cringes. He examines Angela thoroughly. “It is better if you are not to stay here, in the middle of nowhere. You seem like you have gone through a rough patch. I can take you to my hacienda, which is just over Mount San Roque. I can care for you like a king would care for his princess.”

Angela blinks. She thinks that this can be a good chance to get some good life out of this miserable predicament she’s found herself in. “Are you some kind of… noble?”

Don Jose nods. “I am a principales, part of the principalia of the Kingdom of Perlesensya. Perhaps that will make my offer more enticing. I will care for you all your life.”

Angela squints at Don Jose again. “Why?”

Don Jose manages a small smile. A shy smile. He looks up at the sky and says, “Well, it is not everyday that a Don such as myself would be graced by God the fortune of seeing an exceedingly beautiful maiden sitting out here in the forests. I must protect all beautiful ladies that I come across but…” he looks down on Angela again. “...never have I seen a woman so beautiful as you.”

“But…” Angela reaches up to her horns. 

“Oh, do not worry about that. We can surely hire a surgeon and a healer to surgically remove it from you. We’ve done it before.”

“You’ve… surgically removed horns from people? Why?”

“No horns are allowed in the Hacienda proper, you see,” says Don Jose. “And it’s commonly seen as unnoble within Biringan, the City of Cities. It's just for politeness and so that you can fit in better. Admittedly, that is the only blemish I see in your perfection.”

Angela cringes again. The prospect of having the horns surgically removed is something she’s keenly interested in, but a mote of doubt lingers within her heart.

“There’s a catch to this, isn’t there?”

Don Jose shrugs. “Of course, it would be in my best interest to wed you. Perhaps we can live together in my hacienda, and you can be the loving wife that welcomes me back from military expeditions and other such things! You will have a grand life.”

Angela pouts and thinks. Her forehead creases. She doesn’t quite know what to answer. Not yet, anyway. 

“Come on, girl. Do you not want to be treated like a principales?”

“I do,” Angela says, looking up. “But… I don’t think I can.”

“Oh, lovely maiden, moon of my life, why?”

Angela shrugs. “There’s… something I have to do first. There are people that are counting on me, I think. I’m not sure. But I don’t think I can do whatever I have to do if I went with you. Sorry.” And also going off gallivanting with a creepy older man is out of the question, fuckin’ creep.

Don Jose stops and stares at Angela for a bit. Eventually he sighs and shrugs. He produces a piece of rectangular paper from his pocket and gives it to her. “This is a paper signed by me. If you ever come to the hacienda--Hacienda Lacandola it is called--then show this to the gatekeeper. They shall let you in, and perhaps we can talk at length and help you come to a conclusion.”

Angela snorts. “Sure.” She takes the card. 

“God bless you,” says Don Jose, before walking back to the horse and then shrugging. His shoulders have fallen. The principales gets on his horse and the two of them begin making their way up the mountain. The man that looks like a soldier looks over his shoulder and stares at her as they disappear into a curve.

“Weirdos,” says Angela. She thinks of throwing the paper away, but then decides against it. Perhaps it can help in the future. She looks around her and finds that the baro’t saya she’s wearing has no pockets in them. Exasperated, Angela sighs. Of course they don’t. 

She gets up and walks over to the kalesa and slips the piece of paper into the sheath of the bolo that Makabintang gave her. She stares at her own reflection through the slightly dulled blade of the bolo. There’s still some dirt on her face, from when she fell. Her eyes are red. Is she losing sleep? Her glasses are miraculously still intact. When will they get broken? What will she do if they do? She’s practically blind without them. How will she be able to survive?

The bolo could be a good start, she thinks. Maybe get some training in them and be like a samurai or one of those old Filipino action movies or old Filipino komiks by Francisco Coching. She can manage it, she thinks. She’s always had before.

“I’ll get Makabintang to train me,” she mutters. What is seemingly apparent to Angela is that in this universe, fighting is to be expected at one point or another. At least, for a person like her. So it only makes sense for her to get up and grab some kind of combat training. If not, she’s going to get turned to bloody mush on the ground, and she doesn’t have any plans of dying just yet.

I still need to go home.

She brings the bolo over to the log she sat on and pondered. She wonders how life is, back at home, back in horrible Metro Manila, with the shitty transportation system and the even shittier government. That distant wish for home hit her like a truck. Sure, it was hell, but at least that place didn’t have, like, huge demons and angels and explosions and supernatural kung fu or whatever. If this is heaven, then she’d rather be cozy back home in hell.

She sighs. She wonders how Kristina is doing. One of her best friends. She was supposed to go and have a study date with her the next day, eating and drinking at their favorite cafe along Aurora Avenue. A hidden gem. But no. She was abducted by human-trafficking angels instead. Angela wonders if she will ever get back home. She decides that if she ever does go back home, she will.

In fact, she decides that she’ll do all of this, survive and get strong and hop around with Ang Nilapastangan and Makabintang, just to find a way to get back home. Her mother is waiting. Her little brother is waiting. They are all waiting for her to get back home.

“Oyoy, what was that commotion a while back?” Makabintang’s voice floats out of the trees. Angela looks up and sees him walking out, with three canteens full of water, which he carries with a makeshift flat plane of wood that he found out within the forest. He goes over to the horses and gives them something to drink.

“Some principales,” Angela replies. “Can I ask you a favor, Makabintang?”

“A principales? Did he say his name?”

“Don Jose something something Lacandola.”

Makabintang pauses. He turns to stare at Angela and his eyes go wide. “Lacandola? Are you absolutely sure?”

“Oh what, is he like, super important or something? Is that it?”

“Yes! Yes he is! Lacandola is one of the royal houses of the Kaharian!”

“What?”

“There’s not a lot of them, really. Only nine left: Sulayman, Lacandola, Ache, Colambu, Tupas, Paiburong, Sikatuna, Cabungsuan, and Namwaran.” Strangely enough, Angela recognizes some of those names. Names that she’s seen her friends have, or mentioned in old historical texts. Another weird note that imprints itself onto her mind.

“And this is important to me… how?” asks Angela.

“You shoulda taken the offer and took me with you!” Says Makabintang. “We’ll be rich and living large!”

“I doubt they’d allow a duwende to live in with them, though,” says Angela. “Don Jose already said that he’d have my horns surgically removed.”

“Yeesh,” says Makabintang, and then waves his hand dismissively “But whatever, you’re probably right. Come on, let’s get back on the road.”

Angela opens her mouth to ask something more, but a low guttural bellow resonates from somewhere else, freezing her words in her throat. She and Makabintang stare at each other, eyes completely wide, bodies frozen.

And then the kimera leaps out from within the shadows between the trees.

There’s a moment of absolute fear blossoming from the well at the bottom of Angela’s soul. She leaps to her feet, brings out her bolo, and faces down the kimera even as it leaps through the air and pins her to the ground.

“Makabintang! Help!” She screams, and the fear in her voice is like the shattering of glass. Makabintang rises and brandishes his own bolo. He sinks into the earth and then erupts from a mound to the left of the kimera, sending him cannonballing straight into the kimera’s side, bolo first. The bolo sinks, the kimera screams. 

It flails about, sending Makabintang flying from it. This time, it doesn’t underestimate Makabintang. It leaps toward him as he slams against a tree, grabs him mid-bounce, and then slams him against the tree once again. 

And then with a single, savage movement, rips Makabintang’s head from his body with its kimera dog mouth.

“Makabintang!”

▼

Ang Nilapastangan is faster than horses.

Upon her bellowing strides of smoke and flame--a neat little trick she’d picked up when traveling with a tigbalan--she crosses the length traveled by the kalesa in half the time. Despite the dewy morning, the road is not damp enough to let wheel tracks be embedded upon it, but that’s okay. Ang Nilapastangan told Makabintang where to go. She knows where they’re headed. 

She just hopes she’s not too late. She just hopes she catches up before they go past the crossroads. But Makabintang knows that. Makabintang is a wise duwende, and he’d know to stop by at the crossroads to wait for her.

That is, assuming nothing worse follows after them. The kimera… she can’t brush the thought of the kimera from her mind. It wasn’t there when she looked around. Last time she remembered, halimaw don’t just disappear when they die. It’s popular to use the materials harvested from hunting them for equipment and items.

So where did it go?

Ang Nilapastangan bellows-pumping stride eventually reaches its peak, and she reaches the crossroads at almost a quarter of the time a horse-drawn carriage like the kalesa would. When she gets there, however, the kimera’s maw rips Makabintang’s head from his body.

Ang Nilapastangan’s fury is silent, and the world has told her that she must be silent. She blurs forward. Now right beside the kimera, and thrusts her hand--which is in a knife-hand position--straight through the kimera’s chest. She then inserts her other hand through that same hole, and then rips the kimera in two, vertically.

Chunks of meat and blood scatter across the clearing. Angela scrambles away from the blood and meat, bolo still in hand. Her eyes are wide, her breathing rapid. She feels like she’s going to puke, but she can’t look away from the fantastic gore caused by Ang Nilapastangan.

Ang Nilapastangan hurls both parts of the kimera into two different parts of the forest. Throwing it so strongly that it sends waves of air rushing out. She throws it seemingly so that the two parts of the kimera are as far from each other as possible.

She looks down upon the headless corpse of Makabintang, ripped and savaged. The blood of beings like Makabintang don’t seem to be red like human blood. Their blood is one that is yellow-ish, like the sap of trees, nearing gold. 

Ang Nilapastangan scowls. Angela stares at Ang Nilapastangan.

▼

Ang Nilapastangan digs up a grave for what’s left of Makabintang’s body with her bare hands. She is silent, and when Angela looks over at her, her face is blank. Not in that blank kind of way when someone’s loved one dies and you don’t know how to react. Her face is exactly like her face the first time she saw her. As if the death of Makabintang, the only person that she seems to speak with, doesn’t faze her.

Ang Nilapastangan makes an effort to make the grave like a mound, like that of his house. And then, at the top of the mound, she places a single sampaguita flower that she finds nearby.

With that done, she gets on both knees and then bows. Her hands are clasped together, as if in prayer. Angela wonders if she should follow in what she’s doing. Even just to pay some kind of respect to the weird duwende that helped her. But, she feels too awkward, and decides not to.

Eventually, Ang Nilapastangan finishes the procession. She doesn’t do any kind of sign of the cross or anything. She simply lifts her head and then rises to her feet. She turns around and says: “I’m filthy.”

Angela blinks. “Um. Yeah. You’re covered in guts and blood.”

“We can’t afford to bathe yet,” she says, with an almost… complaining tone? Angela can’t help but tilt her head in slight confusion. 

Angela also notices that as she’s talking, her burning crimson feet and hands are slowly subsiding. Her black and red eyes are dissipating. She closes her eyes and she breathes out. When she opens her eyes again, her eyes are normal. They’re no longer black and red, but a beautiful white and ash gray.. She, more or less, has the visage of a human. 

Save, of course, for the horns.

“Come on. Barangay San Justo is a bit more travel.” She walks over to the kalesa and unlatches the horses from the wagon. She then reaches into the wagon and brings out a pair of saddles. Fraying at the edges, but working more or less. “Ah, the horse carer remembered my request. Good.”

Angela walks up to Ang Nilapastangan. “We’re not going to ride the kalesa?”

Ang Nilapastangan shakes her head. “We’re going to ride the horse instead. Do you know how to ride one?”

▼

Angela and Ang Nilapastangan ride down the path. They’ve gone down the westward road. “The east road leads up to a mountain trail that leads to Barangay Sampotsi. There you will find Hacienda Lacandola,” Ang Nilapastangan said. Angela told Ang Nilapastangan about the encounter she’s had with Don Jose, but Ang Nilapastangan doesn’t reply or respond to it.

Now, upon the trail, there is a slight awkwardness. The only time Ang Nilapastangan has talked to her is to teach her the ropes of riding a horse. She’s ridden one before when she went to Tagaytay and Baguio, but riding one on her own without the guide of some kind of caretaker is a new experience. Surprisingly, she got the hang of it rather quickly, and soon the two of them are on a canter. Ang Nilapastangan took the horse with the black coat, while Angela chose to ride upon one with a chestnut brown coat.

The path is mostly quiet, save for the soft sound of the wind wafting across the trees. The rustlign of branches, the whistle of small zephyrs. The temperature is not too bad. Humid, of course, but the sun is not shining directly at them so the heat is bareable. Angela realizes how much she prefers the temperate, humid climate of the more tropical countries than the more extreme degrees of other countries. She’s glad that they have that climate here, and much cooler than in Metro Manila too, since this place is presumably not choked by pollution and microwaved by climate change.

Their canter is brisk, but not to slow. Its a perfect pace for Angela to ponder upon the things she sees as she travels across the path. The broken twigs on the ground, the kabalyero trees that seem to be more popular here, sending the red petals of their flowers cascading down to the soil. The random snake coiling about a trunk, or flying lizard leaping from one treetop to another. A squirrel scurrying down a tree. Numerous birds flying above.

A soft wind sends fallen dead leaves flurrying into a small tornado, instilling into them once again, a semblance of life.

However it's not the kind of abounding, almost choking, multitude of animals Angela thought she would encounter. It’s strangely serene. The animals here seem to be alone: Angela can’t help but wonder why she only sees one squirrel, and one flying lizard, and one flock of birds. At this point, she’s expecting to be assaulted by an onslaught of mosquitoes and flies, but none come. Maybe one, and it isn’t even a mosquito.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Angela blinks. She looks up at Ang Nilapastangan. The path ahead is long. There’s a patch of the road further down that is shadowed by a canopy of tree branches. “Yeah.”

“It used to be even better,” says Ang Nilapastangan. 

Angela waits for Ang Nilapastangan to explain further, but she never does. 

After a bit of cantering, Angela speaks, “I’m sorry about Makabintang.”

“Don’t be,” she replies. “You had nothing to do with it. And Makabintang would’ve been honored to go out that way.”

“Wasn’t he your friend?”

“He was. He was the only friend I had and the only one that didn’t freak out when I said that I was the winner of the Hagdanan and that I came to that village to hide away from Biringan. He was a good friend. But he was going to die, I think, one way or another. It always happens.” The wistful tone is almost cliche to Angela.

“You were hiding?”

Ang Nilapastangan nods. “It’s the only way for them not to kill me, or use me.”

“Use you?”

Angela doesn’t get a response to that either. 

With a sigh, Angela continues with, “If only I knew how to fight.”

“Don’t worry about  the ‘ifs’,” says Ang Nilapastangan. “It’s done now. Move on. That’s what’s important. That’s how you break chains.”

Another silence. Angela decides not to engage anymore with Ang Nilapastangan. Maybe she’s still grieving, and just doesn’t want to show it to Angela so that she doesn’t break her tough-girl demeanor? Either way, Angela loses the will to converse. She looks around her again, and nothign much happens. Not a lot of animals come out. For a world that is the center of the multiverse, she thinks that it should have a lot more colorful animals. Not just a single squirrel and a snake. And some birds.

They ride for a few more hours, passing through numerous canopied sections of the road: the parts where the branches of the trees embrace overhead, as if to provide shelter and shade. The sun doesn’t shine down directly at you within the canopy, and the wind is chilly. As they canter along, her mind begins trailing, looking for more distractions. She wishes she can have her phone right now, numb her mind against her Twitter feed or chat with some friends. But then she remembers that those friends are universes away.

Eventually, to pick up the pace, Ang Nilapastangan tells Angela to gallop and follow her. Angela nods, prodding the horse forward and then balancing herself on her knees. Ang Nilapastangan taught her this just a few moments ago. She remembers what she’s taught: use her knees to steady herself, don’t pull on the reins, lean forward. And she does. 

The horse goes forward, and it runs quick and true. It seems as though it’s doing its best to accommodate for Angela’s inexperience. Even though her gallop isn’t as fast as Ang Nilapastangan’s, it's enough that Ang Nilapastangan is always in view.

▼

After a few more hours of riding--which was painful for Angela, having to look around all the time--Angela finds that the road they’re sat upon crests up to the top of a hill. When they reach it, Ang Nilapastangan stops the horse, and so does Angela.

There, from the hilltop, they see Barangay San Justo. A quaint little town with the same wooden houses mixed with stone houses, and with a church in the middle. It is surrounded, of course, by dense trees, some of them breaching the gaps of the town and growing between houses and roads. There is a small wall on both the north and south sides of the barangay, made of earth and wood.

The hilltop road bends down into the southern exit. 

The barangay, strangely enough for the middle of the day, is quiet.

“We will look for the albularyo here,” says Ang Nilapastangan. “And then afterwards, I will help you.”

Angela blinks, looking up at Ang Nilapastangan. “Help me?”

“Get stronger and win the Hagdanan. It’s the only way, if you wish to be free.”

Next Arc.

Return to the Table of Contents.

[equalseleventhirds]

was looking some stuff up to write a sad bit abt filipino!martin at his mother’s funeral but i wound up seeing a picture of a barong tagalog and just fucking violently throwing myself into memories of the few times my mom had us kids wear formal filipino clothes and how jealous i was of my brothers wearing barong... i wanted to wear them so much but i was stuck in a dress... i’m cry i want a barong now... for me...

[barongsrus1]

Embarking on the journey of children’s fashion, we unveil the exceptional charm of Barong Tagalog styles tailored for the younger generation. From casual cool to sleek formal looks, each ensemble encapsulates the essence of contemporary kid style. Join us as we explore five distinctive looks that redefine how the Barong Tagalog can effortlessly elevate a child’s wardrobe.

Casual Cool Gen-Z Style

In our first look, the Short Sleeves Boy’s Barong Tagalog 8150 takes center stage, adorned with a straight collar and cuff buttons. Paired effortlessly with The Children’s Place Boys Stretch Chino Pants, the ensemble exudes casual coolness. Complete the look with black leather tassel loafers and a Bailey Boys ID Bracelet for a touch of Gen-Z flair.

Classic Formal Elegance

For those special occasions, the White Organza Boy’s Barong Tagalog 8194W steals the spotlight. Featuring a Chinese collar and cuff buttons, this ensemble is completed with a traditional four-button front design. Pair it with basic suit pants and leather derby shoes while accessorizing with a leather effect buckle belt for a look that epitomizes classic formal elegance.

Sleek Monochromatic Fusion

Our third look introduces the Boy’s Gray Barong Tagalog 8335, a fusion of formal and sleek design. Adorned with a traditional straight-point collar and cuff buttons, this barong pairs effortlessly with twill pants. Elevate the ensemble with Hats Kids – Gårda Trilby (black) and Ruff ‘n’ Tumble black leather boys’ formal shoes, offering a contemporary take on a timeless classic.

Pop of Color Formality

Introducing the Boy’s Monochromatic Aqua Blue Barong Tagalog 8332, designed with a traditional straight point collar and cuff buttons. The traditional four-button front and classic formal fit are accentuated with textured suit pants and lug-sole penny loafers. A playful pop of aqua blue adds a youthful charm to this formal ensemble, perfect for those who seek a classic look with a twist.

Cool and Kid-Friendly Semi-Formal

Our final look features the Jusilyn Boy’s Barong Tagalog 8109 in Ivory/Natural, boasting a Chinese collar with black piping and a cuff with stripe black piping. The full-open button front pairs effortlessly with black formal shorts, culminating in a lightweight and stylish semi-formal outfit. Complete the look with suede lace-up shoes, offering a cool and kid-friendly vibe that stands out on any special occasion.

From casual cool to sleek semi-formal, these five unique Barong Tagalog looks redefine children’s fashion, showcasing the versatility and charm of BarongsRus Boys’ Barongs for the younger generation. Let your child’s style shine with these contemporary and delightful ensembles, blending cultural pride with modern flair.