CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY- A new arts and culture initiative created by three of Mindanao’s Best and Brightest Creatives aims to rocket the island’s rich tradition to the mainstream consciousness.
Dubbed FORMA, Vibrant Mindanao Design Commune, it is the brain child of Jerome de la Fuente with Chris Gomez and Shine J. Casiño.
Concept
“For centuries, Mindanao has been celebrated for its vibrant tradition of craftmanship rooted in its rich cultural heritage. Skilled artisans from across the island have passionately handcrafted unique products utilizing endemic materials, telling a captivating story of the region’s artistic mastery and its people’s creativity and resourcefulness,” said De La Fuente, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Cagayan de Oro (COHARA) and the General Manager of Limketkai Luxe Hotel where FORMA is located.
“The FORMA Design Commune presents a curated showcase featuring Art, homestyle and fashion pieces from esteemed artists and designers from the island of Mindanao.”
Dela Fuente is recognized for his leadership in promoting the city to the rest of the Philippines and abroad. His previous exposure as Managing Partner at 360 Hospitality & Lifestyle Solutions and Divisional Director of Sales & Marketing for Hilton International allows him to leverage his global perspective in tourism marketing and business promotion and development.
His partners in FORMA are both two-time winners of Habi Kadayawan, a fashion design competition that’s one of the major events of the Kadayawan Festival of Davao City. It celebrates the cultural heritage of Mindanao by highlighting the fusion of tradition with contemporary design.
Chris Gomez was adjudged the Habi Kadayawan 2023 Grand Prize winner in the Commercial Fashion Accessories Category with his “Panolong Clutch Bag”, while Shine J. Casiño’s “Higalaay Splendor” finished as Second Runner up in the Luxe Apparel category. Casiño was previously a runner-up in the Luxe Apparel Category, while Gomez was a finalist in the Fashion Accessories Professional Category in the 3rd Habi Kadayawan Design Competition.
Gomez is an award-winning Filipino artist known for winning the grand prize in the water based media category of the 2012 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) Awards. He is also recognized for his work in product development and as a mentor to designers and artisans all over Mindanao. He is actively involved in the local design community, advocating for creative development and helping designers navigate career challenges.
In addition to his MADE award, he is a recipient of the 2024 ACES (Award for Continuing Excellence in Service) and is known for being featured by Metrobank Foundation for his contributions to art and design.
A self-taught fashion designer, stylist, eventologist and society PR, Shine J. Casiño wants to bring to bring the Mindanao Look to the World following another breakthrough milestone in her journey which includes stops with mentors Melvin Lachica, the late Cesar Gaupo and Avel Bacudio.
Top Row: Shine Casiño’s Filipiniana Moderne Collection bespoke for FORMA. Bottom row: Shine Casiño’s winning Mindanaw Look in Habi Kadayawan 2019 showcased the Maranao Okir and Langkit motifs in the Mindanao Silk of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. (Photo courtesy of Alniah A T Decampong-Magoyag)
This entails modernizing the Mindanaw Look focusing on the colorful tapestry of Mindanao’s history and culture; fusing and matching various elements of Mindanao’s various cultures not only for materials, colors, but also fashion accessories.
For instance for her Habi Kadayawan 2019 entry, Casiño drew inspiration from the Maranao Okir and Langkit motifs and made liberal use of the Mindanao Silk being produced in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
Vibrant Mindanaw
“This has long been a dream of mine. I met Chris Gomez at a 2016 exhibit uptown and asked if he as interested to do a project together to spotlight creative people from Mindanao and showcase their talent,” De la Fuente revealed. “This is part of a campaign for Vibrant Mindanaw: to showcase the artistic side of the people from Mindanao which has always been sidelined by Luzon and the Visayas in the mainstream, to encourage people to come and visit Mindanao, do business with the people of Mindanao, and establish their companies here.”
He asked Gomez to invite the artists and designers interested to join the project and he provided the space for the exhibit.
Aside from himself and Casiño, FORMA’s inaugural showcase curated by Gomez features the creations of Kagay-anon Designers Melvin Lachica, Gil Macaibay III, Mark Christopher Yaranon, Joshua Guibone & Kiko Domo; and Davaoeño Designers Christopher Zamora, Kathryn Fanlo, and Edgar Buyan.
The featured Brands includes Neil Rafisura’s Salay Handmade Shapii of Salay, Misamis Oriental; Nicole Cabanlet‘s Indigenous.ph and Catherine Kionisala-Fabello’s Cami Candles of Cagayan de Oro City; Bae Arlyne Desabilla Salazar’s Lubogan Bagobo Tagabawa Women’s Pangulabe Association (BIBATAWA) of Toril, Davao City; Nuraine Ampatuan’s Hilyah, and Pitet Castillo’s Great Gifts PH of Davao City; and Mary Asley Cooper’s String Fairy of Iligan City.
Malong of Mindanaw
One of the initiatives De la Fuente is eyeing is to showcase the Malong because it signifies what Mindanao is all about.
A malong is a traditional, tubular-style wraparound garment from the Philippines, traditionally worn by many ethnic groups in mainland Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, such as the Meranaw, Maguindanao, and T’boli.
It is a versatile piece of cloth that can be worn in many ways, such as a skirt, dress, headscarf, blanket, or for carrying a baby, and is also used in traditional ceremonies from birth to death. The fabric is often handwoven with intricate geometric designs known as okir and langkit, the colorful strip of tapestry commonly used to join pieces of fabric to create a single, broader section of malong landap, the traditional tubular garment of the Meranaw.
The use of wraparound skirts is a common feature across Southeast Asia. Similar garments are worn in other parts of the Philippines (where they may have different names like tapis) and in countries like Malaysia and Thailand.
Hindu-Buddhist cultural influences introduced concepts like the sarong (which malong and similar skirts are related to) to the Philippines, but these were heavily modified after the Spanish arrival in the 16th century.
While machine-made versions inspired by the malong can be found in other regions, the traditional, hand-woven malong with its distinct patterns remains a symbol of the cultures in Mindanao.
“I want to design a collection for men, like a barong tagalog in Malong. To start I am going to Marawi to invite the School of Living Traditions under Princess Alonto Pacasum Lucman to get this going,” De la Fuente said.
The Marawi City School of Living Traditions is a dedicated facility and program aimed at preserving the rich Meranaw cultural identity. It operates as a community-managed learning center where master artisans impart traditional knowledge and skills through non-formal, hands-on workshops in traditional crafts like langkit weaving (a vital part of Meranaw heritage), okir making (intricate designs), tiyatag (native delicacies), and brass making.
The initiative aligns with the national School of Living Traditions program established by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which is recognized by UNESCO for its efforts in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The Bangsamoro Commission on the Promotion of Culture Heritage (BCPCH-Lanao del Sur) under Commissioner Robert Maulana Marohombsar Alonto collaborates with local government units to facilitate these activities.
“If this works well, I will expand this in the Limketkai Mall,” De La Fuente disclosed. “We are also planning to do an Art Centre in the Garden in collaboration with the University of Science & Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in collaboration with their Architecture and Engineering professors and students.”
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