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| Photo by Jyruz Hilbero |
With the conclusion of this year’s Miss Universe last January 15, 2023, a large number of Filipinos once again gathered their attention toward the international pageant to root and support for our national contender.
Pageant Culture
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| Photo by Ian Paul Cordero |
Our passion for beauty pageants could probably be traced back [to] the Spanish times. The traditional Santacruzan festival demands that the most beautiful lass in the barrio should be the Reina Elena. That in itself was a form of beauty pageant and that could be the roots of our love affair with beauty pageants.
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| Photo by Gabrielle Maud Vassal |
It was a big thing even then, and the Pinoy fervor for these pageants survived even after the war,” he says, “By then, almost every town fiesta had its queen who was crowned not only because of her beauty, but because of her family and supporters’ ability to sell ballots to fund charity projects. The practice continues to this day in the provinces.
With the rise of the local beau-con, it has become a staple in the Philippine culture to hold such events during fiestas and barangay celebrations where there is a multitude of variations of the pageant. There are male pageants parallel to the traditional female pageants, mini pageants catered to younger children, and drag pageants that are queer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community. Aside from bringing people together, this has been ingrained in our blood as one of the identities that make up the Filipino people.
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| Photo from Binibining Pilipinas |
As to why Filipinos adore this culture? We're just that good at it. Having a rich history of beauty pageantry really trained the Filipino collective on the basics of such competitions. Religious identity also has something to do with it as seen from our celebrations of maiden-oriented festivals such as Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo.
Beauty queens did more than just showcase their beauty; they showed off their intellectual prowess in conveying their messages through Q&A portions. And before we knew it, the Philippines was on the rise in dominating international beauty competitions. These achievements helped the Filipino people not only unite but also solidify the country's national identity of being juggernauts in the realm of beauty pageants.
Empowering Platform
The discourse on the effects of these beauty pageants on women has been a long-standing talk on whether or not this has really a positive or a negative effect on them, and in this case, the Filipina women. A popular opinion is that these kinds of competitions help to become stepping stones in empowering women.
Through the platforms they get, they are able to talk and spread awareness on many issues in society. Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach decided to bring attention to people struggling with HIV and the plights they had to go through during her time in the Miss Universe competition. Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray did the same by giving light to poor children living in the slums who couldn't pursue their dreams due to lack of support and proper education.
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| Photo from Alex D.R. Castro |
This also extends to the first few beauty queens of the Philippines. Purificacion ‘Pura’ Villanueva Kalaw, the first-ever winner of the Manila Carnival was a journalist, writer, and feminist. Even before being crowned the first Manila Carnival queen, she organized a suffrage group back in Iloilo.
The first suffrage bill in the Philippine Assembly in 1907 allowed the first suffrage bill in the country, paving the way for women to be able to vote. Though this wouldn't happen until 1937 when women were finally granted the right to vote. Her reign was truly a wonderful one as it was a step in the right direction in giving women the rights that they should have. She was eventually honored with the Presidential Medal in 1951 by President Elpidio Quirino.
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| Photo from Alex D.R. Castro |
Another example is Paz Marquez-Benitez who won the 1912 Manila Carnival crown. Paz is considered a significant icon in Philippine Literature through her most prominent work Dead Stars (1925) which was critical of the American Imperialism happening during her reign. It was a bold move that eventually inspired many writers to follow suit. She continued her reign with her legacy as a writer and a professor which is believed to have helped train prominent writers to become who they were.
Essentially, beauty pageants have evolved in a way where we can get exposed and be educated about the problems happening globally through the campaigns and advocacies that these beauty queens promote. However, it's not all about just promoting and using their voices on a global platform as some are led to believe. There are other arguments put forward that these kinds of competitions can actually be harmful to a large amount of the Philippine population.
Harmful Objectification
In a 2018 article, Kristine Herrera, a newcomer to pageantry, entered Miss Manila at the insistence of her elders. Not only was there prize money, but they would also have the opportunity to sign as a talent with Viva Entertainment, something that could have helped Herrera considering she herself was a musician. A portion of the cash prize was funded by former Mayor Joseph Estrada. This was quite a common practice even then as politicians and other people in power regularly host and organize beauty pageants for their constituencies.In preparation for the coronation night at the Miss Manila pageant, strict schedules were given to the contestants. From diets, training in walking, make-up, and Q&A, to media presentations, charity work, and photo shoots.
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| Photo from Celso de Guzman Caparas |
Ten days prior to the pageant night, at a media presentation of the contestants competing, Estrada stated that his reason for reviving the Miss Manila pageant was that it was "a symbol of the return of beauty and energy of Manila."
I must admit that this must be one of the most enjoyable benefits of being mayor... Lagi akong dinadalaw ng mga magagandang Pilipina. Nawawala tuloy ang aking problema. (I am always visited by beautiful Filipinas. So my problems go away).
This a clear-cut example of the objectification of women as the pageant was merely an excuse for him to ogle at women for mere pleasure. This perspective makes it seem as if beauty pageants organized by men are tools of the patriarchy that devalue women as objects of amusement.
This coincides with the harmful standards that are perpetuated across Asian countries, especially in the Philippines where the pageant culture is ingrained in our Filipino identity.
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| Photo from Pia Wurtzbach (via Instagram) |
Younger girls getting exposed to the culture grow up with a mindset of the typical beauty standard they see in pageants. Tall, thin, and fair-skinned. At such an age, they are conditioned that if they are not these three things, they are not beautiful.
It also does not help that our national bets in recent years have been mixed with western blood—people who fit these categories. Our exposure to them only contributes to the western notion of beauty. While their wits are what help them through each round, the outward appearances of these beauty queens still play a large part in their success stories.
Is it good or is it bad?
It is not without flaws, but not without benefits either. There are always two sides to the coin that help constitute what beauty pageants intrinsically are. However, with the new age of Miss Universe being owned by Jakkaphong Anne Jakrajutatip, a transgender woman, could this potentially change pageant culture around the world as we know it? Especially in a pageant-rich culture such as the Philippines? Overall, there is no clear answer for now, but all we know is that according to Jakrajutatip,
From now on, it’s gonna be run by women, owned by a trans woman, for all women around the world to celebrate the power of feminism.
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