Miss Universe Gloria Diaz wears a PJ Aranador hablon terno at Central Philippine University High School Centennial Homecoming Reunion

TWO MISS UNIVERSE @ CENTRAL. PJ Arañador designs the hablon, Iloilo's queen of handloom textiles, for the Philippines' first Miss Universe and the 3rd Asian Miss Universe winner, Gloria Diaz, and Iloilo's first semi-finalist at the Miss Universe competition, Louise Vail Aurelio. Miss Aurelio became the first winner of Binibing Pilipinas Universe in the history of the organization to represent the Philippines in Florida for the Miss Universe pageant and the first Ilonggo to give honor to Iloilo in an international beauty competition. 

Miss Diaz will wear a 60's inspired pink hablon serpentina terno with indigenous "senepa/cenefa de boda" ( border) mixed with handbeaded chiffon from India where the designer and Miss Diaz met. The terno is the national long dress of the Philippines. It is characterized with stiff butterfly sleeves.Hablon is an exquisite pedal loom textile that dates back since 1898 at that time Iloilo was the textile capital of the Philippines. It changes its color like a chameleon.

Miss Aurelio will wear another 60's inspired slate blue serpentina terno in hablon with a local "cenefa" motif. All will be hand-loomed in Miagao, Iloilo home to the famous 16th century Miagao church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Through the use of hablon, CPU High School supports to sustain our heritage in the indigenous arts and crafts.

Both beauty queens will wear their hablon at the Central Philippine University (CPU or CENTRAL) High School Centennial King and Queen, Prince and Princess pageant. CPU is one of the only two pioneering American schools established in the Philippines by American missionaries through the Rockefeller Foundation led by William O. Valentine.

Both Miss Diaz and Miss Vail won their titles in the USA. Miss Aurelio is an alumna of CPU High School and was a football scholar. Miss Diaz first film after proclaimed Miss Universe was shot in Sicogon Island in Iloilo.

They will be joined by Miss Amelia de la Cruz, also from Iloilo, past Bibibining Pilipinas runner-up,  Mutya ng Pilipinas winner and the country's first Miss SouthEast Asia Queen, alumna of CPU HS.  Ms Gladys Baban Corder, also an alumna, a campus beauty queen such as Miss CPUR, Miss CPU High School, former Queen of JAro and Five Star  Miss Philippines Caltex runner-up. Younger set of CPU HS alumni beauty queens include Miss Emily Victoria, the current Queen of Iloilo's Dinagyang.

PAGEANT is on August 30, 2013 4-6 p.m.Rose Memorial Hall, CPU. 100 voice choirs and 100 casts of orchestra, bands, singers will be part of the show. PJ Arañador, also from CPU HS, directs. Tickets are now available at Php 150, 300, 500 CPU High School Office. Call at 320-36-85 Alumni Office, CPU HS Principal’s Office 329-1971-79 local 1064. Or text us at 09093315988. Or message us here in our fb account. Alumni batches are encouraged to reserved their tickets ahead of time like many batches have already done so. HURRY!
Details at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=418403634934842&set=a.380582875383585.1073741828.380165525425320&type=1&theater

SUSTAINING OUR CRAFTS HERITAGE TO HELP RURAL LIVELIHOOD COME ALIVE.The Philippine national attire for women is called the TERNO. It evolved from an ensemble called “baro’t saya” ( blouse and skirt), transformed into the “Maria Clara” which in turn was metamorphosed into the “Traje de mestiza.” Terno in Spanish means to match. Traditionally, they use only handloomed textiles suchs as pineapple, banana and cotton fiber. 

Miss Amelia de la Cruz will wear a red orange hablon with classic stripe design.  Mrs. Gladys Baban Cordero, will wear a canary yellow also made of hablon with "bit-bit" inserts. The serpentina terno has a glass-hour silhouette.