Abstract
Costumes play a significant role in theatrical and television practice as age, gender, socioeconomic status, occupation, and the setting and climate are shown through them. This paper will enumerate some of the productions in which the costumes are included in the collections of two organizations: the Cultural Center of the Philippines, a government arts agency for the performing arts, and GMA Network, Inc., a media conglomerate that is chiefly in the business of producing and airing television programs. Information on the production plot and setting, key players such as directors, actors, production designers, and costume designers, and general descriptions of costumes are presented in this narrative survey. This work serves as a preliminary attempt to trace the provenance of costume sets in the collection of CCP and GMA Network. It may also awaken the need to document costumes as part of institutional collections.
Keywords
Introduction
Being inclusive of all clothes and underclothes; hairdressing, make-up; and accessories: hats, jewelry, hand-carried items (umbrellas, bags, fans) worn or carried by each character in a production, 1 costumes play a significant role in theatrical and television practice. The costumes show the age, gender, socioeconomic status, occupation, and the setting elements of the historical period and climate. Costumes can be manipulated to highlight the character’s image and their nature. These visual elements can also possibly hint at their persona and connections with the other features in the production. Being a vital part of production design, costumes convey the character in performance aside from the acting technique. In addition, costumes also give visual cues about the portrayed setting of the scene: time, culture, and social environment of the story.2,3
The practice of theatrical costume design has been present since the time of the ancient Greeks through the theatrical productions in Europe during the nineteenth Century. 4 Costume design for film and television eventually became the successors of theater costume design. Techniques in television apply theatrical performance with the additional element: the camera to capture the image. Costume design for television considers a few other factors, such as color for a more compelling look on the screen. In most theatrical and television production, production designers manage the costumes, set items, and props procured for their assigned show. In some cases, a costume designer is hired to contribute to productions requiring specialized costumes such as historical and fantasy series. A wardrobe coordinator may be appointed to handle and manage the costumes during theatrical runs or show tapings.
This paper will enumerate some of the productions in which the costumes are included in the collections of two organizations: the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), a government arts agency that primarily serves as a venue for the performing arts, and GMA Network, Inc., a media conglomerate that is chiefly in the business of producing and airing television programs. Information on the production plot and setting, key players such as directors, actors, production designers, and costume designers, and general descriptions of costumes are presented in this narrative survey. This work serves as a preliminary attempt to trace the provenance of costume sets in the collection of CCP and GMA Network. It may also awaken the need to document costumes as part of institutional collections. These valuable collections, found in government, business companies, and artistic organizations, provide historical information about the institution as evidence of its progress and legacy.
Based on initial investigation, there were collections of costumes found in film production companies and organizations, the most notable of which was in LVN Pictures, one of the three major film studios in the country after World War II. 5 However, it is unclear which organization has the costumes collections ever since LVN’s film collection was transferred to the ABS-CBN Archives and the studio memorabilia to the Lopez Museum. 6 There are a few costumes collections found in different museums around the Philippines, including the Ayala Museum’s traveling exhibition “The Evolution of Philippine Costume” 7 and the collections of the Costume Museum of the College of Home Economics (CHE) of the University of the Philippines (UP). 8 Most local museum collections on clothing are gathered as part of exhibitions on indigenous textiles or situated within or alongside artistic, historical, or anthropological collections.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines was founded in 1966 through Executive Order No. 30 by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos to primarily preserve, promote, and develop Philippine art and culture by providing it a physical home and developing the Filipino artistic talent. 9 Built on a sixty-hectare reclaimed foreshore land of Manila Bay in Pasay City, CCP was formally inaugurated on September 8, 1969. Through the years, the Center serves as a venue to encourage the cultivation of the artistic craft and make it accessible to all segments, sectors, and strata of the Philippine society. 10
The mission of CCP is to “be the leading institution for arts and culture in the Philippines by promoting artistic excellence and nurturing the broadest publics to participate in art making and appreciation.” 11 It has several theaters, galleries, and other venues and various activities, programs, and projects that span the country’s regions. The Center also has resident performing companies that represent music, dance, and theater.
The Production Design Division of the Cultural Center, operating under the Theater Operations Department, is primarily concerned with the development and institution of theatrical design and stagecraft as a well-defined and integral field in Philippine theater. The Division supports CCP productions and events of its resident companies and other local theater groups by providing design and stagecraft requirements. The Division also extends its expertise through design and theater technical consultation. Along with set design, planning and fabrication, it also offers costume design and fabrication services. 12 The Production Design Division is headed by Ricardo G. Cruz, a notable production designer for various productions for ballet, theater, and music. It has four units, one of which is the Costumes Section.
CCP Costumes Collection
The Costumes Section acquires items for its collection through deposit and donation. Acting as the repository of production design assets of the Center, the Costumes Section receives costumes from selected in-house productions of the Center, most of which are theatrical. These costumes are handed over to the Section for safekeeping and storage. Filipiniana ethnic and colonial attire and European period costumes comprise the bulk of the collection. There are also 1980s casual clothes and footwear, ballet shoes, and a few hats in storage.
Through the Costumes Section, CCP also accepts donations from individuals, with the donated objects not directly part of a CCP production. Some anecdotes of persons whose parents or grandparents died or a family leaving to migrate abroad are colorful stories behind the donated collections. The personal collections of Juan Ponce Enrile, then-Senator and a former board member of the CCP, including around 7,000 items comprising dresses, coats, and accessories, were donated more than a decade ago to the Center. The Section only receives costumes and related accessories and does not acquire design sketches, photographs, and other documents or records related to the items in the costume collection. As the objects are government property, a simple accession inventory of the collections is maintained to comply with the Philippine government’s requirements on managing its properties. As of writing, there is no specific document or set of collection management policy guidelines governing these two acquisition methods. Decisions on deposit of CCP production costumes and rules for accepting donations are not stipulated.
Today, a rough estimate from one of the staff suggests that the collection of the CCP Costumes Section amount to almost a million pieces of garments, footwear, and accessories. Aside from its extensive “Kasaysayan ng Lahi” wardrobe, the Costumes Section also has period costumes, European dresses, and coats for formal occasions and outfits for various performances. Based on the Building Evacuation Procedure of the Production Design Center (PDC) building, the most valuable item in the collection is a 1950s wedding gown designed by National Artist 13 for Fashion Design Ramon Valera, donated by an acquaintance of the PDD Director.
The CCP Costumes Collection may well qualify within the ICOM definition of the museum, 14 being a permanent part of a non-profit, government agency that is open to the public. The objects in the collection were organically acquired from the concluding productions of the CCP, with some selected to be part of the Production Design Division’s exhibitions. As a product of CCP’s mandate to cultivate and promote Filipino artistic and cultural expressions, the Costumes Collection is considered part of Philippine art history and cultural heritage.
Kasaysayan ng Lahi
The inauguration of the Folk Arts Theater on July 7, 1974 was highlighted by Kasaysayan ng Lahi (Eng. “History of the Race”), an impressive parade featuring highlights of Philippine culture and history. The festival was a grand spectacle highlighting peoples, places, and events in the history of the Philippines through parade floats with actors and actresses portraying heroes and principal players in Philippine history. 15 This immense production was organized by Former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos in line with her efforts of awakening the Filipino identity through the promotion of the folk arts. Parade participants come from public schools—both teachers and students, and from foreign cultural communities based in Manila to represent characters in episodes of Philippine history. Musicians, dancers, and performers also showcased indigenous performances of music and movement.
According to Carolina De Leon, staff of the Costumes Section of CCP, most of the items used in the Kasaysayan ng Lahi are ethnic and traditional costumes for children and young adults. Wardrobe for various ethnic groups from the Ifugaos of the north to the Badjaos and Maranaws of the south also were used in the festival. It may be implied that the dress customs and practice of cultural groups and the ethnic minorities who participated in the parade have influenced their wardrobe during the event. Still, no literature states a person in charge of the costumes and the production design for the historical floats.
Noli Me Tangere
The Cultural Center also produced a teleplay of Noli Me Tangere, one of the two most well-known and highly acclaimed works of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. Formally launched on June 29, 1992, the telemovie has thirteen episodes directed by National Artist for Film Eddie Romero. 16 The original text is translated to Filipino by Jorge Arago, Nicanor Tiongson, and Rolando Tinio. Noli Me Tangere is set in the Philippines during the colonial reign of the Spaniards. The story revolves around the main character Crisostomo Ibarra, a returning student who tries to help his countrymen and, in return, is treated as an outlaw. 17 Through the myriad of characters appearing in Noli—friars and government officials; business people and the elite; an insane mother and a wise thinker; indigent townsfolk and outlaws, it effectively exposes the cancer of Philippine society to its people so that anyone with a cure could address it. 18
With an all-star cast headed by Joel Torre as Ibarra and Chin-chin Gutierrez (billed as Maria Jose Arnaldo) as Maria Clara, the telemovie aims to loyally follow Rizal’s 1887 novel in both story and design. Rodell Cruz, a prominent production designer, is responsible for production design for this project, while Eric Pineda and Eric Cruz, both experienced in the craft, oversee costumes.
Classical operas
CCP has produced popular classical operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, La Traviata, and La Boheme to educate the Filipinos in appreciating theatrical art forms, organize opera organizations, and elevate the theatrical performance standards in the country. The costumes of these productions are kept in the Costumes Section of the PDC.
The Center showcased Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, a four-act opera presented by the Opera Company of the Philippines in January 1984. With the Italian libretto penned by Lorenzo da Ponte and translated in English by Ruth and Thomas Martin, the opera buffa was overseen by its executive producer National Artist Lucresia Kasilag, with Dalisay Aldaba as artistic and musical director. The opera is set in the latter part of the 1700s in Count Almaviva’s castle in Seville, Spain. The main characters include, among other characters, Count Almaviva and his Countess; Susanna, the Count’s maid; Figaro, the Count’s valet; a housekeeper, and a page.
The scenery and costumes were designed by Salvador Bernal, a prominent production designer, according to the Figaro (1984) performance program, who is “noted for executing set and costume designs which pulsates lifelike reality.” Eighteenth-century gowns and accessories were used, such as long, curly wigs, full-skirted jackets, and cravats for noblemen, while court gowns and dresses with corsets and petticoats for their women counterparts. Costumes for other characters, such as maidservants and menservants, were less extravagant yet still in tune with the setting.
GMA Network, Inc.
GMA Network, Inc. traces its roots to its AM radio station, which started its broadcast in 1950. After eleven years, it opened its television station TV Channel 7, under the Republic Broadcasting System. It switched to its current corporate name in 1996 to reflect its diversifying role in national radio (DZBB 594 AM and Barangay LS 97.1 FM), television (GMA 7 and GMA NewsTV 11), and other auxiliary businesses related to its media practice. It has subsidiaries dedicated to marketing services, new media (e.g., multimedia content and Web-related services), set design and construction, music and movie production, and television syndication for foreign networks.
GMA Network’s corporate purpose is stated as, “We enrich the lives of Filipinos everywhere with superior entertainment and responsible delivery of news and information.” 19 While GMA News and Public Affairs (N&PA) is handling the news and information, the Entertainment Television Division (ETV) of the Network is charged with producing top-quality entertainment programs to enrich Filipino life.
GMA Network Costumes Collection
According to Leila Bago, GMA Network Production Services Specialist, the company’s costumes collections are purposed to be “the main repository of all acquired costumes of the Entertainment TV Department.” Along with creating a complete catalog system for all wardrobe-property of GMA, the collection is envisioned “to provide an extensive range of costume selection for all genres” to serve the entire spectrum of the Network’s production needs.
Through the years, the collection amounted to a rough estimate of more than 10,000 items, if not tens of thousands of clothing, from casual clothes; occupational clothing and accessories such as medical personnel and law enforcers; coats, gowns, and dresses for formal occasions; dance attire such as tights and leotards; period and race costumes such as 1970s fashion and Chinese costumes; to costumes of superhuman and supernatural characters. The collection also has various hats, headgear, and other handheld accessories.
Most of the pieces were used in defunct productions of GMA ETV, such as from the so-called “fantaseryes” or fantasy television series, namely Darna, Encantadia, and Mulawin. Items coming from film productions of GMA Network’s film-making subsidiary GMA Films, such as the epic film Jose Rizal are also part of the collection. Though not discussed in this paper, it is relevant to note that batches of casual wardrobe also came from production numbers performed in the defunct musical, game, and variety shows such as the weekly concert-show SOP and the daily morning show Sis, among others. Production designers and costume designers who have worked with the various extravagant and ornate costumes for GMA’s notable productions include Rodell Cruz, Chito Sumera, Conrado Santos, and Gino Gonzales for the Network’s epic series Amaya.
Jose Rizal
A critically acclaimed film, Jose Rizal had been a bold undertaking by GMA Network through GMA Films. 20 The film, released on the Centenary of Philippine Independence in 1998 and premiered in theaters on Christmas Day of the same year, is the official entry of the Network to the 1998 Metro Manila Film Festival. Equipped with a fiery and expressive screenplay, the film is directed by Marilou Diaz Abaya and features Cesar Montano assuming the title role. 21
Being a biographical film set in the late 1800s when the Philippines was a colony of Spain, costumes range from the traditional Maria Claras based on Rizal’s Noli, the attire of government and church officials, party dresses of their time, as well as the day-to-day camisas and baro’t sayas. Leo Abaya oversaw production design while Mike Guison designed costumes. Guison also did costume design for the Rizal film Bayaning Third World among his other production design projects.22,23
Zorro
The Network also produced period series such as Zorro, a Filipino adaptation of Johnston McCulley’s The Curse of Capistrano set in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period in the 1800s. 24 Having its pilot episode aired on March 2009 in GMA-7’s primetime block, Zorro was one of the costliest productions of GMA Network during that time, according to Wilma Galvante, GMA Senior Vice President for ETV. In a press release, she further noted their efforts for the production design for a top-notch output. 25 Like the movie Jose Rizal, the series also featured Filipiniana period attire during the Spanish era aside from a hint of influence from Spanish dresses for lead actresses. Rodell Cruz is responsible for the production design of the series, and Leo Abaya designed the costumes for the series. 26
Fantaseryes
Costumes of half-human, half-creatures from GMA’s widely known fantasy television series are within the management of the PSG. Half-human, half-eagle characters from the series Mulawin (aired 2004-2005) with wings made from feathers and the half-human, half-snake Kamandag (aired 2007) based on the Carlo J. Caparas graphic novel, along with other fictional humanoid creatures designed by Bill Gustillo and under the direction of award-winning production designer Rodell Cruz 27 also fill a section of the collection storage.
Aired in 2005, Encantadia is a grand tale of four divided kingdoms, each holding a precious gemstone with mystical powers that promote the delicate balance in nature. The four stones symbolized the fundamental elements of earth, wind, water, and fire and were kept and protected by four sisters from one kingdom, Lireo called sangres—Amihan, Danaya, Pirena, and Alena. A dispute between the sisters for the crown of the Lirean kingdom generated conflict and imbalance, putting the kingdoms of Encantadia in danger (Vinuya, 2018).
Known for its use of a strange, fictional language called Enchanta, Encantadia also is prominent for its creative costumes by Benny Batoctoy under production designer Rodell Cruz. 28 Warrior-like costumes are worn by the sangres with forms relating to the elements they represent—red and orange waves of fire for sangre Pirena, feather patterns forming wings in flight for wind sangre Amihan, autumn-colored leaves and animal fur for earth sangre Danaya, and weed-green-colored costume studded with sea stones and a shield made of scale and fin patterns for water sangre Alena. The sangre costumes are placed on mannequins and are on display at the GMA Network lobby. Along with the outfit of Darna, another Network production, the four sangres are displayed as part of the Network’s studio tours.
GMA Network also has costumes akin to the European period used in Grazilda, which premiered in September 2010. Based on the characters of the famous fairy tale of Cinderella, the series has the evil stepsister of Cinderella as the main character of the story. The fairy godmother cursed Grazilda to suffer the consequence of her wickedness by transporting her to today’s modern Manila and letting her experience what it feels like to be a Cinderella. Grazilda features fairy tale costumes for its fantasy world, Fantasia. The designs are reminiscent of eighteenth Century European period dresses of high collars, long jackets, and petticoats using intricately detailed textile for fabric. Jerome Ang and the Young Designers Group designed these costumes elegantly styled for the contemporary TV viewer. 29
The Problem of Provenance
As established earlier, these collections can be treated in the same way as museum collections. More than mere company assets, they require adequate care and attention as they are part of the broader spectrum of cultural heritage collections. Costumes are a precious part of a heritage that goes along with performance and audio-visual media. Costumes may also be treated as records for records are defined as “documents regardless of form or medium created, received, maintained and used by an organization (public or private) or an individual in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business, of which it forms a part or provides evidence.” 30 Costumes are in the medium of fabric and textile. They are maintained and used for their business functions, and they eventually become part of historical evidence of the organization’s operations. Ultimately, these underlying perspectives pose a challenge for personnel handling costumes collections. Though it may be difficult at the onset, setting time to work on the items will be an effective start in setting up structures and solutions for the present issues. Initiatives should be taken so that the organization’s problems and concerns would be made known to care for and promote their valuable treasures.
An issue in the two costume collections earlier discussed is the insufficiency of documentation relating to the provenance of the items in the collection. It would be constructive to manage the collection if a historical background for the items would be available. The provenance of the costumes, including which production used the items, who wore which item, and when the items were used, are helpful in assessing their value and worth.
Another issue that adds to this concern is the lack of a comprehensive collections management policy for CCP and GMA Network. Ideally, the collections management policy shall detail the overall purpose of collecting, acquisition, disposition, lending, handling, storage, access, and recordkeeping. 31 The fundamental processes can be further expanded as a collections care policy to include statements on legal obligations, a comprehensive conservation program, and a risk management program, among others. 32 Though a few documents provide some of the above processes, the collections will be effectively managed and strengthened through a documented set of policy guidelines.
It would also be helpful to acquire copies of design sketches and compile clippings, photographs, and video material showing the use of the costumes to enhance documentation and further appreciation of their value. The knowledge of the provenance of a costume piece may potentially increase its market value due to its uniqueness and nostalgic nature. Ultimately, it will also increase the level of the item: from ordinary pieces of clothing to museum pieces to be acquired and preserved through time.
Curating the Costumes Collection
After the process of appraising and selecting items to preserve and which are to be made available for rent, CCP and GMA Network may include costumes as part of their heritage collections, proving their worthwhile existence and contribution to promoting first-rate theatrical and television production design. An exhibition may be curated, or a museum may be set up to showcase the creative ability of the Filipino in costume and production design. It may also be a tool for setting examples and standards in wardrobe for specific periods and types of people. Selected items may be used as a separate study collection to provide a pedagogical tool for studying costumes, their parts, and their functions and uses. These collections may also become a vehicle to tell a narrative of the organization’s existence, to tell how far the production organization had been in production design as well as the practices, techniques, and technologies they use to depict an authentic atmosphere for a play, dance, or a television series.
Aside from generating income through gate receipts from exhibitions, a display of unique and noteworthy items may create a meaningful connection with the viewer and the production. Exhibitions can remind audiences of the experience of watching such shows, the stories, the events, and the morals behind them. Showcasing the objects themselves, from the well-loved, the popular, and the awe-inspiring productions in theater and television may be one solution to promote the collection and the units managing them. This may eventually transform the costumes in storage from mere company assets to valued institutional collections.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
Prof. Patrick D. Flores, Curator of the Jorge B. Vargas Museum & Filipiniana Research Center, University of the Philippines Diliman, for the guidance in developing this paper.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
