Ms. Thailand Chalita Suansane took to social media to share photos of her in a modern Barong Tagalog top decorated with a simple black belt, and white bell bottom pants. (/SCREENGRAB FROM MISS THAILAND’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT)
Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas on Wednesday opposed the hosting of the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines, calling it an objectification of women and a cover-up of the country’s societal problems.
In a prepared statement read during a press conference, Brosas said the hosting was a “manipulative and deceptive tool that projects an image of peace and stability to cover up the creeping influence of fascist repression of poor women’s rising protests.”
Brosas said the beauty pageant is an “expensive exercise to lull the people and the international audience into a false sense of wellbeing and celebration” amid problems in society such as unfair trade relations and the plunder of natural resources in the countries the beauty queens represent.
Brosas said the militant women’s party-list group opposes any form of pageants and festival that objectify women.
“Gabriela opposes pageants and other festivals that exploit women and as these are tools to commodify women and use the competitions to promote commercial use of women’s image in marketing products and services on a globalization-oriented trade regime,” Brosas said.
Brosas said this year’s hosting of the Miss Universe pageant is “yet another attempt to package the Philippines as a lurid tourist destination for cheap, easily exploitable women.”
She said the Philippines should not join such pageants.