This Filipina Reporter Wore a 700-Peso Dress to the 2026 Golden Globes

Awards season continued with the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, held on January 12. An annual gathering of Hollywood's finest, the red carpet was abuzz with journalists reporting live and chatting with celebrities.

Among them was Filipina-American Yong Chavez, whose career now spans nearly 16 years. The Golden Globes is a fixture on Yong’s calendar at the start of each year, making the ritual of preparing for a red carpet look second nature to her. This time, she reported for duty in a bargain find—one that epitomizes everything she looks for when dressing for the red carpet.

Yong attended the Golden Globes in a floor-grazing gown rendered in a vibrant lime green hue. One of the dress’ key features was its accessible pockets, which Yong says have become essential to her annual coverage. “Pockets are my security blankets,” she tells Preview in a quick chat. “When you’re standing for hours and trying desperately to get talent to stop for interviews in the last minutes before they go in, you have to have your hands free.”

The Filipina journalist says that she procured the gown from a David's Bridal mega sale last December 24. The holidays usually coincide with Yong's outfit planning for awards season, so the online bargain came in pretty handy. The chartreuse gown, which retails for over $100, only set her back $11.95—or approximately P700!—during the sale.

More surprising still, it wasn’t even the most inexpensive purchase Yong made that day. “All in all, I purchased five gowns on sale for about $80, plus tax and shipping. I received the gowns on January 7, just four days before the Golden Globes,” she recalls.

Growing up in the Philippines, Yong wasn’t exposed to fashion firsthand, making the task of dressing for Hollywood events especially daunting early in her career. When she was just starting out, she leaned on the generosity of fellow Filipinos for her red carpet looks. “Oliver Tolentino has very kindly lent me gowns over the years. Alexis Monsanto, Kenneth Barlis, Carlyn Nuyda, and many others, too,” she shares.

As her schedule grew more hectic and fittings became less feasible, Yong turned to bargain hunting. “It truly satisfies the Asian mom in me whenever I find items that are bona fide steals, like the gown I wore at the recent Golden Globes,” she says, adding that she has since become a “suki” at stores like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, and Off 5th.

Beyond gowns, Yong has also grown strategic about her footwear. To keep her feet from getting sore, she slips her favorite pair of studded black boots under her dresses. “We usually stay on our feet for a minimum of five hours,” she explains. “For that, you need comfort.”

After years of reporting, Yong has learned that there’s nothing wrong with wearing the same look more than once. “Even though I am an on-cam reporter, I have become an unapologetic outfit repeater. My job is to tell the story, not to be the story,” she says.

A Carolina Herrera dress with a detachable overskirt has since become a sentimental favorite, particularly because her husband bought it for her. She’s worn it to several events, including when she presented Greta Gerwig with the Best Picture trophy at the Astra Awards, and more recently, when she caught up with Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams at a Golden Globes after-party.

Beyond styling herself, Yong also does her own hair and makeup. “It’s resilience from growing up in the Philippines,” she says, “and audacity from my mother.”