Although his fashion sense isn’t typically the focal point of his career, Lito Atienza has become renowned for his signature floral shirts. In fact, it’s become a playful running joke that when someone enters a room wearing floral prints, people often exclaim, “Uy si Mayor Atienza.” Talk about the influence he’s had on both fashion and pop culture.
In previous interviews, Atienza spoke passionately about how floral prints can make the world brighter and more colorful. He said they not only affect your mood but also your work ethic, behavior, and well-being.
“We are in a tropical country, and isn’t it the most fitting style for us?” he said during an intimate lunch with the press earlier this week.
Speaking to Manila Standard Life, Atienza shared that he has three cabinets full of clothes, all in floral or Hawaiian prints.
“I buy locally and sometimes have them custom-made. I buy fabrics in Divisoria and have them tailored into shirts. I also buy in Bangkok and Hawaii,” he said. “I can’t tell you exactly when I started wearing floral shirts, but I’ve been wearing colorful prints since I was a child.”
“I would even save part of my allowance to buy flowery shirts that caught my fancy in department stores,” he added.
During our lunch, the former host of the drama anthology Maynila on GMA Network (1999 to 2020) arrived in a white shirt with red floral prints. The sharp-minded former Manila mayor was eager to answer any questions from his fashion sense to the brewing battle between incumbent mayor Honey Lacuna and former mayor Isko Moreno, who has filed his candidacy to challenge the current mayor in the 2025 election.
But Atienza said he has no plans join in the rumble, as it would take most of his energy. Instead, he prefers to focus on making laws that will help others by being the first nominee of the Buhay Party-list, which he established in 1999.
“Many people tell me, ‘Mayor, run again, you’ll win again.’ That’s my fear, I might win,” he said, laughing.
“I can’t handle the job of being mayor anymore,” he admitted to the entertainment media he was speaking with.
“My daughter will run for vice mayor under Isko Moreno, who is making a comeback as mayor. I tell you, Isko is a very good politician. Ask me why I know. I trained him,” Atienza said with a laugh.
Atienza would rather return to Congress with his Buhay Party-list, which he established in 1999.
As the first nominee of this pro-life party-list group, Atienza promised to block anti-life and anti-family bills, such as divorce and abortion, if they win in the 2025 elections.
Atienza served as the 21st mayor of Manila for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2007. He was also the 30th Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2009.
