How Not to Go Broke Over Your Filipiniana

This is a special post for the ladies, especially to those of you who will make it all the way to the Oral Exams.  I really hate to break it to you, girls, but taking the Foreign Service Officers Exam isn't just about investing your time into something that could possibly change your life forever.  Honestly, taking the FSOE also means investing your hard-earned cash into the uncertain.  Allow me to highlight this if you're not from Manila because apart from the Qualifying Exams, you need to psyche yourself for the inevitable truth that the rest of the other stages will take place in (*drum roll*)--yes, the capital city.  The only exception might be if there is a substantial number of examinees from any of the next wave cities in the Philippines like Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, or Davao.

I'm not just talking about spending for plane tickets, though--which is already a given.  And mind you, the flights don't come cheap since the changes in test schedules can be both abrupt and unexpected.  I've had batch mates working abroad who needed to rebook flights just to accommodate the exam schedules and everyone knows that those elusive promo fares pop up months before your desired travel date.

It wasn't until the Orals when I realized that the other item that requires you to dig deep into your pockets is your outfit for the Formal Dinner.  The Formal Dinner is the finale of the entire FSOE.  This happens on the third day of the Orals and is coupled with the Public Speaking Exam.  I swear I've never felt more nervous in my entire life.  I was so nervous my knees were shaking involuntarily and I could feel a cough trying to crawl up my throat.

Anyway, the Formal Dinner has a particular dress code.  The gents are required to wear either a coat and tie or the classic barong tagalog.  The women, on the other hand, can either choose between an evening gown or a Filipiniana.

Almost all of the ladies in our batch donned resplendent Filipinianas.  I chose an evening gown though for the reason that I was pressed for time and I was seriously scrimping.  In fact, I opted to take care of my own make-up, and I opted for a hairdresser who can help me whip up a classic chignon for only Php 300--quite a steal, considering I was staying in Makati at that time.

This post is for the ladies who have all plans of scrimping their budget for the Formal Dinner getup without having to sacrifice quality.  A few designers here and there might get iffy about this little cheat sheet but what the hey?  Every girl needs to know how to dress to impress without busting her bank account--especially if it's only a one time event.

If you're the type who wants to wear a classic Filipiniana without borrowing one from a friend or spending more than Php 5000 to buy a new one, the secret is no secret at all.  I realized this little cheat when I was placed in a situation that required me to come in a Filipiniana for an event that was about to take place roughly a week after I had received the invite.

What I basically did was to pick out one of my read-made long gowns (something I purchased on a discount at a mall in Cebu) and had my designer friend, Josip, transform it into a Filipiniana by simply adding Filipiniana sleeves that perfectly matched the original evening gown.  This only cost me less than a thousand pesos for everything from the materials to the labor.  The great thing about this was that I wasn't only able to save big bucks from having a brand new Filipiniana sewn for a one-time event, I was also able to recycle a gown I had only really worn twice since the day I bought it.

So if you really want to don a Filipiniana for the Formal Dinner without breaking the piggy bank, you can simply grab a nice RTW gown (make sure it looks decent and respectable enough) from your favorite boutique or department store and simply have the classic Filipiniana sleeves sewn on them.  The best type of gown for this transformation are the spaghetti-strapped or the strapless gowns.  This gives your designer or seamstress enough room to give your gown a new lease on life.  There are several gowns that cost less than Php 3000.  I even tried picking up a very elegant one for only Php 800.  Sleeves can cost you anywhere between Php 300-600.  Just make sure you pick someone who knows how to make and attach those beautiful sleeves.

The moral of the story is that a little creativity can go a long way.

Dress to Impress

The Oral Exams is the make or break stage of the entire FSOE process.  Here, you don't just need to sound like a diplomat but you need to look the part, too.

Believe me, dressing for the part will do a lot for your self-esteem just as much as matter-loading will.  Here is a quick visual illustration of what to wear during the crucial parts of the exam.  For a start, you don't need to bust your bank account for this.  You just need to be resourceful enough.  Invest in good suits and formal outfits only when you've already gotten in.

Personally, dressing up was my favorite part of the exam :)

*ALL PHOTOS ARE FROM THE WIRE

Oral Exam

If you loved the flow of the Preliminary Interview, the Oral Exams will be a tad different.  The Oral Exams is a more challenging version of the Preliminary Interview because it won't only test how much you know, it'll test how fast you can think and how well you can say it.

The Orals is divided into three parts spread out across three days.

The first part is the panel interview where you will be grilled by career diplomats, ambassadors, heads of departments, experts, professors, academics, and even artists.  You will not only be asked about the things you wrote in the CV you were asked to submit (this is a different CV from the one you were asked to submit during the PI).  You will be asked about anything and everything your panelists can and will think of.  This could range from explaining your take on what the Philippines is doing about China to how you can make tangible improvements in say, Tourism.

Once you enter the room, greet your panelists and shake their hands.  Sit down only when you are asked to.  Answer all their questions in English.  Do not stutter.

The second part of the exam is the debate.  The format is reminiscent of the British Parliamentary format but it could also pass for an All Asians format.  Your panelists are your adjudicators.  They will choose your side and your topic.  If in the morning you were given the Government side, you take the Opposition side in the afternoon.  Whatever you do, do not speak for less than a minute.  Develop your arguments well.  It's best to explain at most two arguments so that you will be able to talk about them at length.

If you do not have any debating background, contact your school's debate society and take your chances on a crash course.  You might also want to check out videos of debating championships in Youtube to get the feel of what a debate is really like.

The last and final round if the Pubic Speaking round which also doubles as the social graces exam.  Brush up on your fine dining etiquette and dine with utmost class.  You will be judged by how well you know your social graces and how natural it will seem to you.  You will be judged by your choice of clothes and how you are able to easily chat up the persons right next to you.  This will require a lot of practice so get some while there is time.

The Public Speaking round is a bit more challenging.  You will be asked to pick a roll of paper from a fish bowl which will contain the question or situation you need to answer.  You will be given a minute to prepare and three minutes to speak in front of everyone.  The catch here is that you won't exactly know when it's your turn to speak until the time someone taps your shoulder and tells you that you are up next.

Questions will mostly revolve around Philippine Foreign Policy and current events.  The trick here really is to sound confident without being too overbearing.  Personally, the first time I read my question, my mind just went blank.  Figure out a work around if you get a bad case of stage fright.  Otherwise, just think that there is no wrong or right answer.  You just need to talk with a lot of sense.

It'll take quite a while before the results of the orals will come out.  Until then, take a break or a nice vacation because after you've gone through the last part of the test, you just really have to clink champagne flutes with some pals simply at the thought that you survived one of the most challenging tests there is.