The rise of the terno, or rather, its restoration to our collective consciousness, has been nothing short of a cultural awakening. 

At the heart of this movement is the Ternocon, the annual convention and competition that Ben Chan initiated with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, now headed by Kaye Tinga, lifting it off the ground—and out of the baul or old trunk—with some of the finest minds in fashion, led by Inno Sotto, and our creative visionaries like Gino Gonzales.

But while the terno is only a small part of our ongoing search for what makes us unique as a people, what a big small part it is! With our terno wings unfurled, we are soaring to heights we once thought beyond our reach, separated as we are by vast seas and scattered islands, yet connected by the threads of history, memory, and artistry.

This year, Ternocon 2025, the fourth edition of this venerable convention, takes flight anew, intertwining the modern interpretation of the terno with the sensibilities, hopes, and dreams expressed in the venerated works of our National Artists—from Fernando Amorsolo’s splendor in the grass to Ang Kiukok’s raw intensity and figurative expressionism, from Atang de la Rama’s Dalagang Bukid to Leandro Locsin’s floating volumes. 

This deepens the terno’s resonance, making it not just a garment but a mirror of who we are—the way we live, the way we dream, the way we stand together against the relentless tide of time and change.

To Ben Chan, the Ternocon is more than a passion project, it is “our panata (vow) for the Philippines,” as he put it in his opening speech. “This event is close to our hearts as it honors our parents Chan Lib and See Ying, whose legacy is etched in the drawing of a Filipina wearing a terno on the packaging of the humble gawgaw used to preserve the terno,” he explained. “This is a business they established in 1946, emerging from the ruins of war. They named it Liwayway, meaning ‘dawn,’ to symbolize the start of a new day and a new hope for the country.”

Ben was not alone in honoring the vow. This year, Ternocon drew a crowd of the Philippines’ most influential to watch young fashion talents like Peach Garde of Capiz, Bryan Peralta of Makati City, Ram Silva of Iloilo, and Windell Madis of Ilocos Norte breathe new life to the terno, as well as the exceptional interpretations of featured masters and Ternocon mentors Rhett Eala, Lulu Tan Gan, and Ezra Santos.