WHY is the Barong Tagalog translucent and how did it become to be the Philippine’s National Costume?
“Baro” is a Tagalog word which translates to “dress”. Barong Tagalog which literally means “Dress of the Tagalog”. During the time of the Spanish occupation in the Philippines, the Filipinos naturally became servants to the Spaniards for generations for over 300 years, from 1521-1898. It includes serving families of the Spaniards who settled in the Philippines, and those families that often included Spaniards who also served in the Spanish army. Now we know the atrocities that happens when a country invades another country, there’s murder, rape, and slavery of people invaded. The stuff that you’d read in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. The Filipinos who seek retribution would then assassinate Spanish officers. It would be hard to control all the Filipinos who were serving the Spaniards to keep checking on them for knives or weapons that they could use to assassinate. The Spaniards then thought of having the pineapple fabric worn by Filipinos every time they serve the Spaniards would be the best way to keep the number of assassinated Spaniards low. The “baro” made of the pineapple fabric was the latest fashion and spread like wildfire and soon many Filipinos were wearing them. It’s believed to have started somewhere in the Manila area or where the Tagalogs were as they are now world-famously known as the Barong Tagalog.
The Barong Tagalog’s popularity only re-surfaced in 1955-1957 as President Ramon Magsaysay chose to wear them during his inauguration and in all other social functions.
In 1975, the Barong Tagalog became the National Attire and June 5-11 is recognized as Barong Tagalog week.