My name is Panama - IPAT's Tourism Commercial

     The video that I post was Panama’s first tourism commercial that I remember. It was created to promote the tourism for the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 1986, celebrated on July in Panama City.
     I remember at that time, the responsible authority for tourism in Panama was IPAT (Panamanian Tourism Institute), today, ATP (Panama’s Tourism Authority), and the government was under the dictatorship of General Manuel Antonio Noriega.
     "My name is Panama" or "Mi nombre es Panama" was the promotional slogan of tourism which is now a trademark that sells Panamanians items such as molas, woven on clothing; cartoons alluding to Panamanian folklore and culture, and printed on t-shirts in multiple colors; and national handicrafts http://www.mynameispanama.com/.

     Venezuelan contestant Barbara Palacios Teyde, in her response to the jury at the Miss Universe in 1986 said: "We must highlight the great work that Panamanians do when they have foreign people in their land, as in our case, we, the misses of this pageant. I think it should be emphasized at all times that they not only have beautiful lands, but the Panamanians are people, beautiful people, who always offer a lot of warmth. I think that is very precisely that slogan that says: My name is Panama!!!”

Our National Costume and Fantasy Dresses: Winners on Beauty Peagents.

   National costumes are indicative of the culture and folklore of the origin of the place. In Panama, the national costume of Panamanian women is called “Pollera”.
   Panama has excelled in many international beauty pageants by the laborious work of their artisans, expressed in every “pollera” or fantasy dress culture, folklore and history.

   Thus in 1986, the Panamanian delegate at the Miss Universe Pageant, Gilda Garcia Lopez won Best National Costume Trophy with a “pollera”, embroidered in black thread and flowers design patterns. Then, other Panamanian hopefuls to the universal beauty medal, have chosen to wear the “pollera” on future editions, leaving Panama prideful with each pollera’s flying on the Miss Universe runway. They were: Lia Victoria Borrero, wearing a sewn (“zurcido”)and embroidered pollera in red shades, with orchids and butterflies designs; and Carolina Dementiev, wore a cross stitch embroidered pollera, in red and orange threads.

   Panama has been awarded in beauty events by the fantasy dresses that delegates have worn, similar to those that are made for carnival, in which exotic birds feathers dominate. The artisans are inspired by art, culture and traditions of Panama, as well as flora and fauna. Among the successes that have been obtained making these original designs have been: Miss Universe 2004 Best National Costume, a creation inspired on Indians’ gold art, called “Huacas”, designed by Rogelio Gonzalez; Miss Earth 2008 Best National Costume, costume inspired by the Guaymi Indians’ clothing and pottery designs paintings; in Miss Universe 2009, designer Randol Chin wins best national costume, with a design inspired by Portobelo’s Devils, worn by Diana Broce, Panamanian delegate on that event.

   Finally, Liseth Diaz wins Miss Continente Americano 2009 Best National Costume, wearing a design inspired by the Native Indian princess Anayansi, who helped Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, The South Sea discoverer, now Pacific Ocean. The confection was conducted by Rafael Morán and the gold pieces details were made by Jose Alberto Sosa.