?If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. ?Baz Luhrmann

MANILA, Philippines?Sometime between filming ?Romeo + Juliet? and ?Moulin Rouge,? Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann released a pop-arty, five-minute music video entitled ?Everybody?s Free To Wear Sunscreen: The Sunscreen Song,? whose spine-tingling lyrics and simple, spoken-word style set many tongues wagging.

Apparently, the song?whose words managed to move the world with its poetic litany of practical advice?was already the subject of an urban legend, way before the Baz Man set the words to music. In the lawless swamp of prehistoric cyberspace, a student circulated an e-mail chain letter containing a so-called commencement speech of Kurt Vonnegut for the MIT Class of 1997.

It turned out to be a hoax. (Kofi Annan delivered the graduation address that year, and Vonnegut was probably busy doing book tours of his last novel ?Timequake.?) The real author was Mary Schmich, a young female journalist of the Chicago Tribune, who was inspired to share some discursive advice on living without regret, most of which was grounded on merits of, well, wearing sunscreen.

Save for the face, however, a safe (and less sticky) alternative to sunscreen are sun protection garments?and we?re not referring to the baggy T-shirts and maong shorts that many bashful, beach-bound Pinoys like to sport over their board shorts and bikinis. Clothes with built-in sun protection?or UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor)-rated swimwear?seems like a swell idea, especially in a sun-drenched archipelago such as ours.

Fortunately, we don?t have to jet off to Hawaii or Australia to get our hands on these sought-after products. The SPF Clothing Store (which, fittingly, stands for Sun Play Fun) carries a drool-worthy range of Philippine-made swimwear whose fabrics have their own sunblocking action?and they?re chemical-free, at that. The lycra and supplex that SPF imports have been approved by the Australian Radiation Laboratory for having a UPF of 50+. Their swimsuits are also incredibly light and quick-drying so you won?t get the chills after taking a quick dip.

At half the price of most foreign brands, SPF offers a sweet deal for sun seekers of all stripes, and of all ages. Apart from stylish UPF-rated bikinis, tankinis, board shorts, and one-piece children?s sunsuits, they also sell a wide selection of rash guards, flip-flops, legionnaire?s caps, waterproof bags, mesh cover-ups, sun hats, and, as expected, a line of advanced protection sunblock (including current tanaholic favorite, Maui Babe).

One thing?s for sure, you can definitely trust them on the sunscreen.

SPF is located at Glorietta 4, Alabang Town Center, and Robinson?s Galleria. For inquiries, call 850-2713, 752-7013, and 637-8591.