From the elegance of true Filipino grace, the ultimate dress-up event in the city has decided to dress down for some reason only known to the organizers. It's a big leap, or to put bluntly, a retro-metamorphosis from the wonderful butterfly sleeves of the Philippine Terno to 'casual elegance'. The butterfly has decided to return to the cocoon.
For years, Hijos de Dabaw is the only venue wherein we get to see the National costume at its full regalia and have a ball. This was one night in every year that the Dabawenyos can truly say that they did dress up formally- in the true sense of the dress code. It's a wonder how this city has come to terms with the idea that formal = long sleeves/dress, semi-formal = t-shirt and jeans, and good gracious God, I don't want to tackle what 'casual' is for the locals. But let's play on and go further down the list of codes. Knowing that we do dress down lower that what the code really means, what's resort/beach wear? Do tell...
Fortunately, out of a ballroom of Dabawenyos, there were a handful of gracious men and women who really opted to dress appropriately for the evening and still come out striking and elegant in their long gowns and evening dresses. Elegance, after all is innate.
Beautiful people can light up a room, no matter where they are. Let’s honor them with a nice spot, now we just have to find the special corner to lure these individuals from the all-seeing eyes of the crowd and take relax snapshots.
From a booth down-graded to an alcove along a less-busy pathway with a most minimalist set-up requested for a pictorial corner, the perceived to be classiest venue in the South came up with an extra-ordinary display only they can conjure. A product of talent, hard work and more importantly, taste. A couple of table lamps, coffee tables... My only concern was no color broke the all-cream/yellow scene, not even the cream-colored-for-function-use-table-for-8 tablecloths that was a bit too big. My heartfelt gratitude for accommodating a request. It must have been too much effort to come up with your version of a classy set-up.
And, thankfully, the Davao beauties were still able to launch more than a thousand ships, especially these ones on the best-dressed list.
The terno was in absentia and so was the Rigodon de Honor. Instead there was a cotillion. It was cute. Maybe it is really time for the much-younger generation to take over the helms of this gathering.
Over all it was a great night, fun-filled. It would be great to see the attendees grow as the number of locals increase as well. Yes, it is the same people we see yearly, but if everyone would see that more than a social gathering, Hijos de Dabaw is a civic organization. This party puts children to school, to name one of the several projects.
So you see the 'same things' yearly at this party. But that's not true. You don't see the smiles of the children you have sent to school and how they have made their parents proud and thankful that while you wined and dined, the proceeds go to a very worthy cause.
And since it's for a good cause, wouldn't it be fantastic to once again wine and dine with style? How about in a Terno? In Barong Tagalog? And instill in your children that more than a party it's helping a lot of people and together, you make Davao a better place.
