MANILA, Philippines - Filipino fashion has been treading the path of nationalism quite aggressively in the past months, triggered mainly by the deaths of former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino and rap icon Francis "Kiko" Magalona.

From the Philippine islands to the national flag -- and even the face of Dr. Jose Rizal -- it's common nowadays to see people sporting apparel that show their love for country.

To some extent, this fashion trend has been used to promote political interests.

Collezione C2's Philippine map shirts, for one, have been closely associated with Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and running mate Manuel "Mar" Roxas II after they repeatedly wore them in campaign sorties.

Just recently, a so-called limited edition Aquino shirt was launched in line with the President-elect's inauguration on Wednesday.

For the love of Villa

But of course, nationalism in local fashion is not limited to expressing support for politicians and rap artists.

Freeway, one of the country's top-of-mind high street brands, recently launched the Jose Garcia Villa collection, the third of its limited edition series that paid tribute to the country's National Artists.

The latest line, which features pieces in bright and bold hues, tastefully carries Villa's poems as well as his hand-drawn sketches.

"Freeway is proud to feature some of Villa's well-known works as interpreted in the collection," the company said.

A crowd favorite is the "Poem for Violeta" spaghetti strap dress worn by Sheree Gotuaco, chief executive officer of Elite Garments, the company that owns the Freeway, Solo, Ensemble and Twenty-two B.C. fashion stores.

The dress, available in red and navy blue, is priced at P1985.

Cherie Gil, a long-time fixture in Philippine television, was also spotted wearing a Jose Garcia Villa shirt as she read some of the National Artist's poems during the launch.

She preferred the "Una, ang isang tula ay dapat maging mahiwaga" sublimation tee, which is priced at P995.

Other noteworthy pieces include the off-white "Isang Pusa na Natamo ang Pagkasiyam" Chinese-collared dress (P1985), the taupe "Descriptional" empire dress (P1985), the white "The Bird" button-down boyfriend shirt (P1795) and the gray "Elenora Duse" Twofer dress (P1985).

All items come with their own gift packaging, a swing tag of Villa's biography and an authenticity stamp.

The artist

Villa, son of Emilio Aguinaldo's physician, was named National Artist for Literature in 1973.

Carrying the pen name doveglion (short for dove, eagle and lion), Villa was considered a powerful influence in Philippine literature, mainly due to his "comma poems" and short stories.

The multi-awarded artist explained that commas "are an integral and essential part of the medium: regulating the poem's verbal density and time movement, enabling each word to attain a fuller tonal value and the line movement to become more measured."

His niece, Ruby Villanueva Precilla, said people initially found Villa arrogant and intimidating.

She stressed, however, that there is a caring and more humane side to the brilliant and iconic artist.

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For comments and suggestions, e-mail the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com.