Filipinos are known to be big—no, huge—fans of beauty pageants, and it’s easy to see why. We love our fiestas, and pageants are like giant feasts, with parades and costumes and cheering on women who wear crowns, just like in a Santacruzan. We stay awake for the Q and A portion because we admire and like to celebrate those who speak English fluently, as much as we like to make fun of people who don’t.
But more than anything, it’s because we like to think, year in and year out, that we have a good chance in the race, to be considered the most beautiful woman in the world—no small thanks to the OG beauty queens of the 60s who started it all: Gemma Cruz-Araneta, the first Asian and Filipino to win Ms. International in 1964, and Gloria Diaz, the first Filipino to be crowned Ms. Universe in 1969.
It is worth noting (before missosologists call us out) that Monday, July 19, was the 52nd anniversary of the day Diaz won the Ms. Universe crown at Miami Beach, Florida, USA. It is also worth bringing up that we are, again, in the thick of preparing for a big pageant as Miss Universe Philippines just announced this year’s 100 delegates which includes Maureen Wroblewitz, first Pinay to win Asia’s Next Top Model, and Kisses Delavin, teen star and “Pinoy Big Brother” second place winner.
The politics of pageants
But beyond the pomp and pageantry we see on screen, the more interesting parts of beauty contests really are those that happen behind the…
