DAVAO CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – It’s official.  President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will not wear the barong tagalog when he takes his oath of office on June 30. 

The Davao city mayor told reporters that he considers the barong — the formal attire for Filipino males — as a funeral attire, pointing out that all of his close friends who had died wore the barong to their final resting place.

Last week, The Adobo Chronicles revealed Duterte’s inaugural attire consisting of a red, white and black checkered polo shirt and a reddish-brown leather jacket, modeled by Filipino American singer Bruno Mars, and designed by Colombian artist Alfredo Barraza.

Duterte’s transition team also announced that the president-elect is departing from established tradition by having his oath-taking in Malacañang (the presidential palace) instead of the Quirino Grandstand at Manila’s Rizal Park (Luneta).

Change, indeed, is coming!