BATTLE OF THE BARONGS

It took me my full six-year term abroad to realize it -- Foreign Service Posts' annual Independence Day pictures are so much more awesome than Foreign Service Posts' annual Christmas pictures.   Maybe it's the historical significance of the occasion, the absence of photoshopped winter wonderland backgrounds, or the simple truth warm June weather = full Filipiniana > > > > ugly sweaters.  Whatever the reason, Philippine missions around the world upped their fashionalista game and were all like, it's on...like kalaya-ON.

LONDON

See, right there.   Other embassies and consulates shouldn't even think of bringing anything weak, not when my house just went frickin' epic.  I want to weep, run through a wall and get an Aguinaldo haircut just looking at it.  A diorama of this belongs in the Ayala Museum.

WASHINGTON

Ok fine, other missions brought it too. This picture's perfect symmetry, chair arc and comfortable fitting of so many people in obviously limited room width are particularly impressive.  High degree of difficulty.  

OTTOWA

Panalo ang backdrop.  Les Mis ang dating.

YANGON

Hand-on-Heart Stairs Cascade.  Yes.

CANBERRA

Hand-on-Heart Stairs Cascade while Ambassador rocks the Ray-ban. HELL. YES.

HONG KONG

Sturdy chair-wall of officers holding back the rising tide of civil servants behind them, waiting for the right time to open the floodgates of public service.  Dam.

WELLINGTON

Speaking of gates and fences. . .Hi, neighbours across the road!  Just lining up and having a flag-raising over here!


MILAN 

Sun's out, Polo Barong Guns out

PORT MORESBY

Call me a sentimental sap, but there's something quintessentially Filipino about holding a flag ceremony on a basketball court.

MANILA

Along those lines...'sup 'Dray.

This is not to say all Independence Day pics have to be so formal and uniform.  Sa araw ng kalayaan, you can take a few liberties (har!)    

NEW YORK

Instagram filtered.  Of course they did


CAIRO

Shot from below, assuring the viewer that the subjects are in total control of the situation.  Or maybe the tripod was just a bit short.  

SEOUL

Fish-eye?  Fish eye.


MOSCOW

The alternate road jerseys may not be traditional Filipiniana, but if you look closely you'll see the individual shirts working together to communally form an even larger Philippine flag.  On Independence Day, even casualwear practices Bayanihan.  

NAIROBI

And when the alternate road jerseys are this dope, even mis-timed jump shots are perfectly acceptable

KUALA LUMPUR

Selfies? No.  Selfie-noys? Yes.

And of course....there will always be....for 116 years and counting....ang walang kamatayan..."WACKY" 

RIYADH

More "Mabuhay!" than "Mag-wacky!", but the waving arms and circular formation ended up looking like a close-up of a gorgeous flower.  Well done.

VANCOUVER

Once you go plaque, you never go back


TORONTO

I count at least five different gang signs.  Yet they all get along.



(AND COMING FULL CIRCLE BACK TO) LONDON

"Papayag ba tayo magpatalo sa pag-wacky mga kapatid!?!"

"BLOODY HINDI!!!!"

Mabuhay!