Drag Race Philippines a Filipino Version of ‘RuPaul Drag Race America’
Rupaul Drag Race is an original American competition series the program follows RuPaul’s quest to find “America’s next drag superstar.”
A drag artist will soon make “herstory” as the first Drag Race Philippines champion. This week, the reality competition show premieres on Discovery+, HBO Go, and WOW Presents Plus. Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc. co-produces the show with World of Wonder Productions, Inc. The series’ executive producers are Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles.
“We bring some of the world’s most popular brands to our Filipino audiences and Drag Race is the perfect example of this… We are all so excited to finally have a homegrown local version of Drag Race featuring some of the most fabulous Filipino drag artists.” Daniel Tan said the HBO Max Vice-President and marketing for Southeast Asia.
“They are not just drag performers, they are drag artists from all around the world,” he added.
According to the article of Business World, In the first season of Drag Race Philippines, 12 drag queens will compete for the title of the Philippines’ first “Drag Race Superstar.” They are as follows: Brigiding from Mandaluyong City has appeared in Pride parades and drag events both in the Philippines and internationally.
Corazon, a crowned pageant queen with a long list of titles on her sash, is a makeup artist and designer who has won pageant titles in male bikini contests, provincial Miss Gay events, and talent shows.
Eva Le Queen, from Marikina City, worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Singapore for eight years before abandoning her corporate job to pursue her dream of becoming a drag artist — she finished first runner-up in Singapore’s Drag It Out All-Stars competition only four months after she began doing drag. Eva’s Drag is influenced by literary and film villains. She is a resident queen at Nectar Nightclub and a co-founder of Drag Playhouse PH.
Gigi Era, a Melbourne native, is well-known in the Australian drag scene for her death-defying stunts and real hair wigs. Gigi was a former dancer and flight attendant based in Dubai. She has returned to the Philippines to represent her hometown of Davao.
Lady Morgana has been doing drag for 15 years and is well-known for her comedic and hosting abilities. During the day, she works as a financial advisor.
Marina Summers’ drag name derives from her love of the beach in Makati City. She began performing as a drag queen in 2019, and her debut single, “I Have Arrived,” was recently released on Spotify and iTunes. She is a regular performer at Nectar Nightclub and one of the founders of Drag Playhouse PH.
Minty Fresh is a model, designer, pop singer, make-up artist, and performer from Quezon City. She is a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and regularly performs at Nectar Nightclub.
Precious Paula Nicole of Camaries Norte has been performing drag for over 11 years. She is a professional dancer who performs at the O Bar. She is also known for her comedy routine and impersonations of singers such as Mariah Carey, Beyonce, and Regine Velasquez.
Prince, from Calumpit, Bulacan, is well-known for her make-up transformations on social media. Prince, who is new to the Philippine drag scene, worked as a social media strategist before joining Drag Race Philippines. Prince’s drag is heavily influenced by science fiction and animation, and she believes that “extraterrestrial” looks have a place in Philippine drag. Prince is also a co-founder of Drag Playhouse PH, and in addition to drag, she runs her own make-up and merchandise line.
Rizal, who is from Cainta, has been a professional drag artist for over seven years and currently performs at the O-Bar. She is also a vocal supporter of body positivity.
While attending university, Vias DeLuxe of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, began doing drag. She is a member of the Divine Divas, a drag group that rose to prominence during the pandemic by staging digital performances and live streams around the world. She also runs a wig shop.
Xilhouete is the Creative Director and one of the owners of Nectar Nightclub in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. She is an advocate for the legacy of the drag queens who paved the way for the Philippines’ drag community.
The article mentioned that, throughout the competition, the 12 drag queens must channel their creativity and confidence through photoshoots, talent shows, lip-sync battles, and other segment challenges. Every week, the contestants complete mini-challenges and compete in a main competition. Their weekly performance will be evaluated episode by episode.
The show is hosted by actor Paolo Ballesteros, who is also a co-host of Eat Bulaga!, the Philippines’ longest running noontime show. He has also appeared in films such as Die Beautiful, in which he played Trisha, a transgender pageant queen whose dying wish was for different celebrity transformations to occur in his wake. At the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, he won Best Actor for the role.
Jiggly Caliente, an American singer, actress, and drag performer who competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 and RuPaul Drag Race All Stars Season 6, is one of the show’s resident judges. KaladKaren, a writer, presenter, and producer who impersonates newscaster Karen Davila, joins her. In the first season, guest judges include photographer BJ Pascual, comedian John Santos, and fashion designer Rajo Laurel.
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