When Freeway came up with the Nick Joaquin T-shirt, I was first to get one for myself and wore it all the time. Although I had to practically keep my eyes open during Filipino class in high school when we pored through Filipiniana literature, I had come to realize later in adulthood how lucky we all are for the gift of this literary genius. Imagine such gripping prose and poetry emblazoned on your chest for everyone to see; makes for a great conversation piece or an ice breaker when you find yourself in a crowded bus or waiting for an MRT train. Now comes Pinoy Lab with their Ninoy and Cory Aquino series. For those of us who have a nationalistic bent, this is a must-buy. Got mine from MOA branch. Other T-shirt brands have gone nationalistic as well. Flying slightly under the radar are:

Artwork

Quirky, designs inspired by pop culture plus a very affordable price tag make Artwork one of the few places you can get genuine Filipino-designed shirts. Their latest line is the Inday/Juan series, which comes with a free Juan Doodle book when you purchase two. Their Do Not Iron Art-eest Series, was launched at the 2nd Annual Artwork T-Shirt design from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, an event put together designs by top t-shirt artists. Stocks are replenished every two weeks so there are fewer chances of meeting someone wearing the same shirt as you do. Artwork is available at G/F Glorietta, 2/L Trinoma and 3/f SM Manila.

Favola

Endorsed by Hero Angeles, Favola T-shirts (available online at www.favolashirts.com) is a project of the Pag-Asa Social Center Foundation, Inc. (PSCFI) and the Favola youth in Tagaytay. The idea for Favola, “fairytale” in Italian, first took root when a German friend of Frank Schmelzer, director of PSCFI, visited the center in 2004 when it was operating purely as a drop-in center for local children. The friend asked if the center could make T-shirts for a project he was doing back home. Schmelzer found a local person who knew how to print silkscreen and began training kids at the center. The first order was successfully shipped to Germany. At first they designed T-shirts that promoted tourism in Tagaytay but later took on a funky and quirky edge. They feature other scenic sights in the Philippine archipelago and use traditional Filipino icons such as the tarsier, turning them into stylized symbols. The students are given a lot of leeway when they conceptualize so designs tend to reflect individual personalities and their unique take on life as they see it. Check out the Pinas Tribal shirt which retails for Php 265-275.