CRIS EVERT LATO-
RUFFOLO
Bangkok — The immigration officer stared at my arrival card, looked at me and said, “You too?”
“Excuse me?” I responded.
“All Philippine people coming to Bangkok for Miss Universe. So many,” was her reply. She was not exaggerating.
The entire Philippines is here. Filipinos are everywhere. The flight from Manila to Bangkok was filled with pageant enthusiasts like myself who saved up money and spent months preparing for their arrival here in Thailand to support Catriona Gray for the 67th Miss Universe competition.
This passion for pageants perplexes my husband, who could not understand why we lose our voices (from screaming) and spend resources to support a lady in swimsuit and evening gown.
Nevertheless, he gave in to my request to pay for the Miss Universe ticket; telling him that I will be happy if he purchase it for me as a Christmas gift. It almost cost an arm and a leg.
Quite literally, really. Because 30 minutes after Thai Ticket Major opened the platform for ticket sales, all the general admission slots were purchased.
Two of my friends, who were supposed to join me here, had to cancel their participation. I am on a solo flight.
But I thought of asking friends on Facebook if they know of other solo flight-ers out there.
My friend, Ate Carla De Pio, connected me to her officemate, Matthew Dotingco, who was supposed to travel to Bangkok with three friends but ended up doing this trip alone.
There is a particular language shared by pageant enthusiasts which unites us. It is not just a gay thing — although I have no issues about gays because I love them so much — but one which we share because of a common love for beauty and country.
I have never met Matthew in person even though we both live and work in Cebu. But when we started chatting three days ago, we both felt a connection. I shared my plans to him, including the Angela Dado gown I am wearing on pageant day. Yesterday, after immigration clearance, he posted a photo of himself on Facebook wearing a Philippine sash while holding the Philippine flag. In our chat, he shared a photo of a replica of the Phoenix Mikimoto Crown, which he brought to Bangkok with him.
Matthew is originally from Taft, Eastern Samar, who is now in Cebu working for a government agency. I am nowhere near Matthew in terms of his loyalty and passion for pageants. I do not have a Miss Philippines sash. This person knows his pageants, the statistics, the winners, the turns and twirls. He is a walking beauty pageant encyclopedia.
On the other hand, my fascination for pageants started in 1994 when Sushmita Sen of India was crowned Miss Universe in Manila. Charlene Gonzales was Miss Philippines and landed in the Top 6. My favorite part was the Question and Answer portion. Later, I learned grace under pressure — and the preparations it entails to be able to wear those heels, those swimsuits, and those gowns in front of a crowd.
I was once asked if I feel that pageants portray women as sexual objects. For Catriona Gray and the way she is representing the Philippines, I do not believe so. Check out the videos she and her team created featuring our three geographical divisions — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao — and you would know that she is already the winner even before pageant day.
The Philippines is a consistent frontrunner in many pageants because we do not just send physically beautiful women; we have since produced women of substance whose charisma and intelligence can literally change the world.
This is why beauty queens are in the unique positions to be agents of change. They are given platforms to be heard. They can tap resources to do good. They have supporters to back them up.
Our country’s obsession for pageants can be transformed into productive community endeavors. We see them in recent years with Pia Wurtzbach’s advocacy on HIV awareness, Binibining Cebu 2017 Apriel Smith’s love for sports, and Miss Cebu 2016 Raine Baljak’s call for environmental protection and healthy living.
Pageants receive several criticisms for being superficial. That is true. That is why the challenge for pageant organizers is to develop pageants which are platforms of advocacies and positive change. The obsession for pageants can be channeled to positive outcomes which include beauty queens inspiring and influencing their fan bases to carry out community works and volunteer projects.
There is so much that can be done and Catriona Gray, who is representing the Philippines for Miss Universe 2018, is harnessing the power of social media to unite Filipinos in this time of divisiveness.
Say all you want about pageants. But one thing is clear, it is the one thing that unites many Filipinos apart from food, boxing, and basketball.
Wish us luck out here as we cheer on for Philippines on December 17.