PHILIPPINES—Following years of high demand for the Philippines to have its vibrant and thriving drag community be put front and center of celebration with its own show on a mainstream platform, we’re finally getting our first-ever drag reality competition as Drag Den and Drag Race Philippines announce their pioneer seasons, and open auditions. The whole community of Filipino drag is ecstatic about the news, and even happier about the fact that we’re getting two shows, roughly around the same time period.
Drag Den initially announced their show in July with RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Manila Luzon as its host when it premieres on WeTV. The team shared the news on social media with a splashy video from Manila Luzon, a witty, glittery invitation, and a teasing remark to anticipate auditions to be the country’s first Drag Supreme. Nothing more was disclosed about the nature of the show, but many fans have speculated that it’ll be a competition akin to that of the Drag Race franchise. Then, in August, Drag Den stirred the community once again when it announced the audition mechanics, making it an all-digital affair with a special partnership with TikTok.
Days later, the international competition of RuPaul’s Drag Race unveiled the long-awaited news of a Philippine-dedicated show. Streaming on the WOW Wonders Plus platform, Drag Race Philippines made the announcement alongside its audition call to be the “First Drag Race Superstar from the Philippines”, inviting queens to submit their applications at http://dragraceph.com/.
With these announcements broadcasted right after the other in just a number of days, Filipino fans are raving in excitement. Some have also added a little bit of drama into the mix with theories of a beef between the two shows, with Manila Luzon, known All-Star competitor and RuPaul’s Drag Race legend, and she’s working separate from the internationally-celebrated drag culture pioneer.
However, the beloved drag queen herself has quickly expressed her excitement for the two shows’ reign on Philippine entertainment, which effectively shut down the gossip on any drama between the two.
In truth, regardless if there’s any real conflict between the two shows or not, we’re just incredibly excited to see Filipino drag queens get the opportunities they deserve to truly showcase their craft, and celebrate their charisma on major platforms. The country’s drag community has undoubtedly flourished throughout the years, and even more so despite the challenges brought forth by the pandemic and its live show limitations.
Yet, the art of drag continued to push on across the Philippines, with many from the industry migrating their shows and audiences to the online space. After over a year of these challenges, it’s no exaggeration to claim that the Philippine drag community is ready to battle it out on a real stage.
The Internet, especially fans of the community, are already rolling out the memes in preparation for it:
Having two Filipino drag shows premiere and run roughly around the same time means double the fun for us, the audience, who have long been waiting for the day drag culture and the community it celebrates get mainstream attention. It also doubles the opportunities for our local queens to be seen and celebrated on, which really means it’s a win-win for the community as a whole.
Now that auditions are open for both shows, it officially marks the beginning of what we hope to be a colorful next few months or years thanks to drag!
In case you missed it, you can audition for Drag Den Philippines here, and Drag Race Philippines here.