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Esme Palaganas is the co-founder of the fashion initiative PHx Fashion Group and Strategic Advisor at ABLANKCD. With a keen interest in the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce, she serves as a Board Advisor at London’s Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice, an ASEAN representative at UNCTAD eTrade for Women, and a Fellow at the Salzburg Global Seminar on Culture, Arts, and Artificial Intelligence.
A former fashion designer, Esme is a member of the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines and the youngest founding Board Advisor of the Philippine Fashion Coalition, where she led industry policy as its Policy Chairperson. She has also served as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at design schools and business universities in both Manila and London. Esme has contributed to publications such as The Philippine Star and Vogue Philippines on topics ranging from business and technology to creative management. More on www.esme.world
In the midst of the global pandemic, the Philippine fashion industries discovered a sense of community in helping each other at a time when the fashion and creative industries were deemed non-essential. One example is when ANTHILL Fabric Gallery found ways of using their handwoven textiles by making commercial zero-waste reusable masks and sending them to the Cebu Crisis Assistance Team. This sense of community and lifting each other up can be encapsulated by one Filipino word: bayanihan.
Bayanihan isn’t limited to the actions of brands and designers during the pandemic. This indigenous Filipino trait [1] has been evident in the Philippine fashion industry through the collaborative practices and business values of its fashion designers such as Len Cabili of Filip+Inna and Wilson Limon of Ninofranco.
Bayanihan is a practical response to both individual and community needs, which, under certain circumstances, would be difficult to achieve if people with meager means did not organize themselves and pool resources [1]. Though individual contributions are highly important, this can be connected to the concept of holism, or the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It emphasizes the power of collective effort and mutual respect. One cannot build a dollar without a nickel, nor 100 pesos without 25 centavos.
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Bayanihan by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco, a mural commissioned in 1962 by Jose Y,. Campos, Founder, UNILAB. Present in paintings by respected Filipino painters, postcards, and other pasalubongs, a common visual to represent Bayanihan is a group of people carrying a house.
The value of bayanihan, a Filipino spirit of solidarity, civic unity, and cooperation, is derived from the word "bayan," meaning town, nation, or community in general [2]. It originates from the Tagalog root word "bayan," signifying a town or nation [1]. According to Gertrudes Ang (1979) in her article in the Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, bayanihan can also fittingly be connected to the word "bayani," which means patriot, referring to a person who sacrifices for the common good, or a hero, and someone who loves their country [1]. Bayanihan is so integral to the Filipino nation that it was widely invoked in organizing efforts in the wake of COVID-19. The Republic Act No. 11469 was called “Bayanihan to Heal as One,” declaring the existence of COVID-19, and authorizing the president to exercise emergency powers and implement support packages, especially for underprivileged communities.
Bayanihan, which literally means being a bayan, alludes to the spirit of communal unity and extends to the creative processes and inclusive considerations of fashion and design businesses in the Philippines.
The Philippines, an archipelago with over 7,107 islands in Southeast Asia, boasts not only geographic diversity but also cultural diversity. Influenced by colonization and trading with the Spanish, American, Japanese, Chinese, and British [3] before gaining its independence in 1898, the Philippines boasts a diversity of cultures in its main trading ports or cities. Aside from external influences, there are approximately 111 ethnolinguistic groups with varying customs and traditions throughout the country. Throughout the years, there are designers who are inspired by regional Filipino customs and traditions. Lenora Cabili of Filip+Inna and Wilson Limon of NinoFranco are designers whose regional upbringing have greatly influenced the creation of their brand ethos and design vernacular.
Bayanihan isn’t limited to the actions of brands and designers during the pandemic. This indigenous Filipino trait [1] has been evident in the Philippine fashion industry through the collaborative practices and business values of its fashion designers such as Len Cabili of Filip+Inna and Wilson Limon of Ninofranco.
Bayanihan: A way of being
Bayanihan is a practical response to both individual and community needs, which, under certain circumstances, would be difficult to achieve if people with meager means did not organize themselves and pool resources [1]. Though individual contributions are highly important, this can be connected to the concept of holism, or the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It emphasizes the power of collective effort and mutual respect. One cannot build a dollar without a nickel, nor 100 pesos without 25 centavos.
Bayanihan by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco, a mural commissioned in 1962 by Jose Y,. Campos, Founder, UNILAB. Present in paintings by respected Filipino painters, postcards, and other pasalubongs, a common visual to represent Bayanihan is a group of people carrying a house.The value of bayanihan, a Filipino spirit of solidarity, civic unity, and cooperation, is derived from the word "bayan," meaning town, nation, or community in general [2]. It originates from the Tagalog root word "bayan," signifying a town or nation [1]. According to Gertrudes Ang (1979) in her article in the Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, bayanihan can also fittingly be connected to the word "bayani," which means patriot, referring to a person who sacrifices for the common good, or a hero, and someone who loves their country [1]. Bayanihan is so integral to the Filipino nation that it was widely invoked in organizing efforts in the wake of COVID-19. The Republic Act No. 11469 was called “Bayanihan to Heal as One,” declaring the existence of COVID-19, and authorizing the president to exercise emergency powers and implement support packages, especially for underprivileged communities.
Bayanihan, which literally means being a bayan, alludes to the spirit of communal unity and extends to the creative processes and inclusive considerations of fashion and design businesses in the Philippines.
Bayanihan: Filip+Inna, NinoFranco, and ethnolinguistic groups
The Philippines, an archipelago with over 7,107 islands in Southeast Asia, boasts not only geographic diversity but also cultural diversity. Influenced by colonization and trading with the Spanish, American, Japanese, Chinese, and British [3] before gaining its independence in 1898, the Philippines boasts a diversity of cultures in its main trading ports or cities. Aside from external influences, there are approximately 111 ethnolinguistic groups with varying customs and traditions throughout the country. Throughout the years, there are designers who are inspired by regional Filipino customs and traditions. Lenora Cabili of Filip+Inna and Wilson Limon of NinoFranco are designers whose regional upbringing have greatly influenced the creation of their brand ethos and design vernacular.
Top: Filip+Inna’s Showroom in the Philippines.
“Bayanihan is a practical response to both individual and community needs, which, under certain circumstances, would be difficult to achieve if people with meager means did not organize themselves and pool resources.”
Lenora Cabili, who grew up in Iligan City, Mindanao, was already exposed to the vibrant traditional garments of the Yakan, Higaunon, and Maranao. As a member of the Bayanihan Dance Company, named after the value of bayanihan, Cabili was further exposed to other traditional garments from the rest of the country. This love and appreciation for culture led her to study a Bachelor of Science in Clothing Technology at the University of the Philippines, and to create Filip+Inna, a wordplay on Filipina—a female native of the Philippines.
Though Cabili is the Creative Director, she sees a strong collaborative nature with the artisans she works with. She further states the importance of giving the artisans freedom to create their own designs on the garments. In my interview with her, she commented on “how empowering this is to the artisans, compared to giving them a design to follow.” She elaborated that “once [they] have a relationship established with [the artisans], they come in and work together on designs.”
For Cabili, the value of bayanihan stems right back to the name of the brand. The “+” sign in their brand name extends to the same vision of bayanihan, of working together and having open communication between the design studios and the communities on the ground. In the interview, she states that “bayanihan means having personal relationships with the artisans– it may be in varying degrees of intimacy, but making time to visit them, eat with them, and spend time having conversations with them makes [her] aware of where they are coming from.” Further, “it gives [her] discernment on how to work best with them.”
In addition to this, Cabili sees the brand name, Filip+Inna, that points back to the Philippines bearing a certain responsibility different from an eponymous line. Through their 3Es: empathy (nakikiramay), efficiency (kahusayan sa paraan), and excellence (kataasan ng uri), the studio operations are rooted in Filipino culture at its core. She sees the value of pointing back to Filipino culture and creating the best of what Filipino hands can make to create a positive impression of Filipino craftsmanship.
Though Cabili is the Creative Director, she sees a strong collaborative nature with the artisans she works with. She further states the importance of giving the artisans freedom to create their own designs on the garments. In my interview with her, she commented on “how empowering this is to the artisans, compared to giving them a design to follow.” She elaborated that “once [they] have a relationship established with [the artisans], they come in and work together on designs.”
For Cabili, the value of bayanihan stems right back to the name of the brand. The “+” sign in their brand name extends to the same vision of bayanihan, of working together and having open communication between the design studios and the communities on the ground. In the interview, she states that “bayanihan means having personal relationships with the artisans– it may be in varying degrees of intimacy, but making time to visit them, eat with them, and spend time having conversations with them makes [her] aware of where they are coming from.” Further, “it gives [her] discernment on how to work best with them.”
In addition to this, Cabili sees the brand name, Filip+Inna, that points back to the Philippines bearing a certain responsibility different from an eponymous line. Through their 3Es: empathy (nakikiramay), efficiency (kahusayan sa paraan), and excellence (kataasan ng uri), the studio operations are rooted in Filipino culture at its core. She sees the value of pointing back to Filipino culture and creating the best of what Filipino hands can make to create a positive impression of Filipino craftsmanship.
Left: Filip+Inna for Vogue UK. Photographed by Onin Lorente.Right: Filip+Inna’s Creative Director and Designer Len Cabili at Amsterdam’s Wereldmuseum.
Cabili deliberately distances herself from mainstream fashion and its repercussions. Instead, she continues to focus on the craft and luxury factor of the products she works on with her artisans, and embodies the spirit of bayanihan in her projects, which have a positive impact on the communities she works with.
Championing sustainability and regenerative livelihood through collaboration with Green Releaf, her advocacy Yuta, a Visayan word for “land,” works with local artisans and their families to couple their existing traditions in farming with the principles of permaculture, ultimately so that they can develop their own regenerative ecosystem. [4]
Beyond creating beautiful garments, Filip+Inna leads with community empowerment and represents Filipino craft to the rest of the world. Recently, The Wereldmuseum, formerly known as the Tropenmuseum, in the Netherlands, which focuses on world cultures and cultural diversity, acquired five pieces of Filip+Inna Pina Collection for an exhibition. [5]
Cabili’s mindset of community and collaboration to create one whole is also evident in the products and processes of designer Wilson Limon for his brand Niñofranco. It started in school as a thesis for the Fashion Design program at the Philippine Women’s College, Davao City, in Mindanao, and involved reinventing the traditional garment of the Bagobo Tagabawa. This led to a collection that reflected the rich culture of the Bagobo Tagabawa using technology in contemporary ensembles. The brand NIñOFRANCO fuses modern fashion with the tradition of Mindanaoan heritage from different tribes: Bagobo Tagabawa, Blaan, Mandaya, Tagakaulo and T’boli.
Championing sustainability and regenerative livelihood through collaboration with Green Releaf, her advocacy Yuta, a Visayan word for “land,” works with local artisans and their families to couple their existing traditions in farming with the principles of permaculture, ultimately so that they can develop their own regenerative ecosystem. [4]
Beyond creating beautiful garments, Filip+Inna leads with community empowerment and represents Filipino craft to the rest of the world. Recently, The Wereldmuseum, formerly known as the Tropenmuseum, in the Netherlands, which focuses on world cultures and cultural diversity, acquired five pieces of Filip+Inna Pina Collection for an exhibition. [5]
Cabili’s mindset of community and collaboration to create one whole is also evident in the products and processes of designer Wilson Limon for his brand Niñofranco. It started in school as a thesis for the Fashion Design program at the Philippine Women’s College, Davao City, in Mindanao, and involved reinventing the traditional garment of the Bagobo Tagabawa. This led to a collection that reflected the rich culture of the Bagobo Tagabawa using technology in contemporary ensembles. The brand NIñOFRANCO fuses modern fashion with the tradition of Mindanaoan heritage from different tribes: Bagobo Tagabawa, Blaan, Mandaya, Tagakaulo and T’boli.
NinoFranco’s Creative Director Wilson Limon with the T’Boli community of Mindanao.
“...bayanihan is all about working together to reach a goal, where no one is left behind, and everyone contributes their strengths to uplift the entire community.”
Limon sees his brand as a vessel for the collaboration he undertakes with these communities of artisans, rather than viewing them merely as manufacturers or suppliers. In working with ethno-linguistic communities, Limon takes a diligent approach to research, as his understanding may not be the same as the communities. In my interview with the designer, he shared that in the Philippines, “we have a diverse culture, and we must respect the differences in our practices.” He adds, “that is why we conduct research before engaging with communities in order to address cultural appropriation properly,” and that “it is important to coordinate with government offices or people who closely work with these communities."
The value of bayanihan is at the core of the creative process of the brand. In his own words, he says that “bayanihan is all about working together to reach a goal, where no one is left behind, and everyone contributes their strengths to uplift the entire community." As a designer working with ethno-linguistic groups in Mindanao, he sees bayanihan in the willingness of the communities to extend support and foster an environment, where each individual can excel and contribute to the success of the community.
The value of bayanihan is at the core of the creative process of the brand. In his own words, he says that “bayanihan is all about working together to reach a goal, where no one is left behind, and everyone contributes their strengths to uplift the entire community." As a designer working with ethno-linguistic groups in Mindanao, he sees bayanihan in the willingness of the communities to extend support and foster an environment, where each individual can excel and contribute to the success of the community.
NIñOFRANCO CRUISE 2025. Photographed by Belg Belgica and styled by Jodinan Aguillon.
Limon also extends his work beyond his own brand by being a consultant for the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industries of Region XI. He further empowers the groups he collaborates with by building capacity in design. In addition to the livelihood provided by his brand, Limon also sees the importance of looking after the succeeding generation who lack education and livelihood opportunities. Limon states that "we gather resources for the children’s school supplies and assess the kind of opportunity and livelihood programs that can be given to the women of the communities."
It is evident that the enthusiasm of the Creative Directors of both Filip+Inna and Niñofranco stems from the values and creativity of the communities they collaborate with. The existence of one is dependent on the other in a positive way that both Limon and Cabili share in their ways of working.
As far back as 1979, academics like Gertrudes R. Ang had posed the question, 'The Bayanihan Spirit: Dead or Alive?’ We may not be carrying houses on our backs anymore but forty-five years after Ang's article, the bayanihan spirit is still well, alive and evident in the experiences of both Cabili and Limon.
The way Limon, Cabili, and other Filipino designers individually work has impacted the perception of the industry on a bigger scale. Market spaces that highlight craft and collaborative work have been growing with craft fairs such as HABI Textile Council’s Habi Fair, Katutubo, Artefino, and the Office of the First Lady’s LIKHA, which brings together the public, brands, and craftspeople, and opens up new business and creative opportunities for all. However, this interaction can also heighten the risk of homogeneity if designers rely solely on readily available skills and craft techniques without pushing the boundaries of innovation. As the Philippines becomes more interconnected through the rapid adoption of social media, reaching craftspeople even in remote areas, designers are faced with a responsibility to continue to innovate and protect the values of craft and tradition.
The whole industry has been improved through the sum of its parts, actively and individually pushing innovation through collaboration with communities with the bayanihan value at its core.
It is evident that the enthusiasm of the Creative Directors of both Filip+Inna and Niñofranco stems from the values and creativity of the communities they collaborate with. The existence of one is dependent on the other in a positive way that both Limon and Cabili share in their ways of working.
Bayanihan: And then what?
As far back as 1979, academics like Gertrudes R. Ang had posed the question, 'The Bayanihan Spirit: Dead or Alive?’ We may not be carrying houses on our backs anymore but forty-five years after Ang's article, the bayanihan spirit is still well, alive and evident in the experiences of both Cabili and Limon.
The way Limon, Cabili, and other Filipino designers individually work has impacted the perception of the industry on a bigger scale. Market spaces that highlight craft and collaborative work have been growing with craft fairs such as HABI Textile Council’s Habi Fair, Katutubo, Artefino, and the Office of the First Lady’s LIKHA, which brings together the public, brands, and craftspeople, and opens up new business and creative opportunities for all. However, this interaction can also heighten the risk of homogeneity if designers rely solely on readily available skills and craft techniques without pushing the boundaries of innovation. As the Philippines becomes more interconnected through the rapid adoption of social media, reaching craftspeople even in remote areas, designers are faced with a responsibility to continue to innovate and protect the values of craft and tradition.
The whole industry has been improved through the sum of its parts, actively and individually pushing innovation through collaboration with communities with the bayanihan value at its core.
Resources: Bayanihan
Ang, Gertrudes. “The Bayanihan Spirit: Dead or Alive?“ Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society 7:1/2. 1979.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Project Bayanihan. http://groups.csail.mit.edu/cag/bayanihan/
Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited. January 1, 1975.
Fabella, Mac. Paying it Forward: How Len Cabili is Championing Filipino Artisans and Regenerative Livelihood With Smart Infinity. Last Modified May 20, 2020. https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/ideas-education/len-cabili-and-smart-infinity-on-championing-filipino-artisans
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam. https://amsterdam.wereldmuseum.nl/en/about-wereldmuseum-amsterdam
Zialcita, Fernando. Universalizing Local Values through ‘Lifting Up'. Ateneo de Manila University: Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications. 2020. https://archium.ateneo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=sa-faculty-pubs
Jocano, F. Landa, The History of the Filipino People.
Corpuz, O.D. The Roots of the Filipino Nation: Volume 1. June 30, 2007.
Issue 13 ︎︎︎ Fashion & Politics
Issue 13 ︎︎︎ Fashion & Politics