Article by Troi Ramoso Graphics by Alissa Coden
August 24, 2022
𝑴𝒂𝒃𝒖-𝒉𝒆𝒚𝒚𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅-𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔!
𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 premiered its first season last August 17, 2022, on streaming platforms such as WOW Presents Plus, HBO Go, and Discovery+ with new episodes released every Wednesday. The Philippines was greeted by a back-to-back premiere episode, introducing the 12 stunning queens competing for the Philippines’ Drag Race Superstar title. The first batch of queens to enter are 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧, 𝐄𝐯𝐚 𝐋𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐆𝐢𝐠𝐢 𝐄𝐫𝐚, 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐕𝐢ñ𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐗𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞.
The first episode showcased the queens’ talent in a variety show called TITE, or the Totally Impressive Talent Extravaganza, and a mini challenge doing a post-apocalyptic hero photoshoot with celebrity photographer, 𝐁𝐉 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐥 in the camera. Meanwhile, in the second episode, the queens were tasked to make a look inspired by the Flores de Mayo celebration using actual flowers as their materials.
Aside from the 12 talented queens, for the first time in Drag Race herstory, the franchise is joined by two trans women judges in the panel. Namely, the local television personality 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧, who is well-known for her impersonation of new anchor Karen Davilla and Filipino-American drag queen 𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞, who was part of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 and All Stars 6.
Along with them are other permanent judges who will be in the rotation of world-renown designer 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥, celebrity photographer 𝐁𝐉 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐥, and actor-impersonator 𝐉𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬. And of course, the show is hosted by our very own mother — 𝐏𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬 or 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐨 in the show.
Other celebrity guest judges to appear in the panel are 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐮𝐩 𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐫, 𝐁𝐨𝐲 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚, 𝐏𝐨𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳, 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞, 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 2015 𝐏𝐢𝐚 𝐖𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐳𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐳.
Tune in every Wednesday to witness the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent of our fellow Pinoy drag queens and watch who will reign as the Philippines’ first Drag Race Superstar who will take home a one-year supply of One/Size Cosmetics by Patrick Starr and a cash prize of one million pesos!
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