Over the coming weeks, The Daily Advertiser will be highlighting fashions from cultures that are thriving in Wagga with women leading the way forward.

Annabelle Borja moved to Australia looking for a better life for her family and arrived in Wagga in 2015.

"I am a permanent resident and I just lodged for citizenship," she said.

Mrs Borja said she is proud of her Filipino heritage and enjoys the chance to wear the national dress known as the baro't saya.

"Baro't means the top and saya means the skirt," she said.

"This is inspired the outfit of Maria Clara one of the female heroines in our national heroes book entitled Noli me Tangere, which means Touch Me Not that was written by Dr Jose P Rizal. 

"Maria is a perfect example of a Maria Clara who is very conservative, very refined and very principled who fought for her rights as a person."

Mrs Borja said the baro't saya was typically worn by the lower class as an everyday outfit.

"Now in modern times, we wear it on Independence Day every June 12 and there this is this one week where we celebrate our language every third week of August as well as weddings, functions and political events," she said.

"It used to be the daily wear, especially for those in rural areas until there were fusions and modifications.

"The elite class then started to wear it as well and it's not worn a lot in modern times, but you see modified versions such as in Miss Universe Competitions."

Mrs Borja said the baro't saya is made of pineapple fibre, known as piña, which falls softly when worn and is a "more sophisticated" look.  

"There are also pearls embedded because the pearl is our national gem and that's why I have paired this necklace with the dress," she said.

"The fan is a part of the costume as well and it can be any colour, and often reds or blues are chosen. 

"Piña is not readily available in Australia so normally we export it."

Mrs Borja said she considers Australia her home and while her children have been raised here, she still wants them to be proud of their heritage.

"It's important to go back to your roots," she said.

"We still have the blood of The Philippines and by wearing our national dress, it is one way of giving back and knowing who we are. It's also a way to show our kids and teach them our heritage, culture and past."