The Philippines’ first edition of the hit drag reality competition show definitely took us to the moon
Like all things, everything must come to an end. After running for two months, the maiden season of “Drag Race Philippines” has crowned its first Filipino drag superstar. Out of the 12 competing drag artists, Precious Paula Nicole emerged as the winner, embodying what the show is looking for—charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
“Drag Race Philippines” has showcased how world-class our Filipino drag artists are. And in the true spirit of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the local version of the show produced many gag-worthy moments. As we toast to the closing chapter of its first season, let’s look back at some of the scenes that made us cry, laugh, and grab some popcorn as we witness numerous dramas unfold.
Viñas’ tuwalya entrance look
“Drag Race” traditionally opens its season with queens donning over-the-top looks for their entrance to the workroom. But everyone’s jaw dropped when Viñas DeLuxe came in wearing nothing but a shower towel.
Marina-Xilhouete drama
It is inevitable to bring outside drama to the workroom. On the first day of the competition, the feud between Marina Summers and her former drag mom Xilhouete was already put to the table, providing many uses for the shade sound effects throughout the season.
‘The shoes!’
Season one’s drag contestants are true superstars. With that kind of group, judges will definitely nitpick on everything down to the smallest detail. As for Prince, it was her wrong choice of shoes that made her the porkchop of the season.
‘Where are the flowers?’
The first meme of “Drag Race Philippines” was born on its second episode when host Paolo Ballesteros cannot hide her reaction toward contestant Corazon’s Sagalamazon look.
Pop-off Ate! girl group pasabog
Episode three undeniably presented one of the best challenges of the season. The contestants were tasked to write, sing, and perform a pop girl group anthem. With her charm and energy onstage, Turing was hailed as the winner of the challenge.
Anak ni Janice
The runway of episode three played with the category “Shake, Rattle and Rampa,” showcasing the contestant’s take on local mythology and folklore. Trend Alert! Many of the queens gravitated toward the tiyanak, but no one took it more seriously than Davaoeña queen Gigi Era.
Precious Paola Nicole's Regine Velasquez impersonation
With more than a decade of experience in drag, Precious Paula Nicole has mastered the art of impersonation. In episode four, she presented just that by mimicking Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez.
Lady Morgana's confetti lip-synch gimmick
While it put the queens’ heads on the chopping block, the Lip-synch for your Life challenges them to be creative to remain in the competition. For Lady Morgana, her confetti trick proved to be her saving grace, not until she didn’t do it in the fifth episode and she went home.
What is camp?
Viñas is true a campy queen and that’s what she served on the fifth episode’s runway with her pink robe, exaggerated hair rollers, and a glittered facial mask. Unfortunately, the judges didn’t buy it, which irked many of the show’s fans.
Snatch Game
Snatch Game is one of the most awaited segments for any “Drag Race” fans. One of the standouts of episode six was Marina Summers with her impersonation of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo complete with a neck brace. Another queen who stood out in the Snatch Game was Eve Le Queen with her performance as Rufa Mae Quinto. Her “Mr. Tampalpuke” banter with Paolo was so unexpected it was hilarious. But it was Xilhouete’s genius parody of Dr. Vicki Belo that stole the spotlight, making her the winner of the challenge.
Double shantay of the season
While others soared in the Snatch Game, some of the queens bombed. Contestants Brigiding and Minty Fresh failed to impress the judges with their performances as Elizabeth Ramsey and Maria Sofia Love, respectively, which led them to lip-synch "Amakabogera" by Maymay Entrata. The two were both saved, making the first double shantay in the herstory of “Drag Race Philippines.”
‘This is trash’
Another design challenge pushed the queens to think outside of the box when it comes to crafting looks. In episode seven, they prepared for a ball using items from Divisoria to make their ensembles. Unfortunately, Eva’s vision didn’t translate well on the runway. Her look was called “crafty,” “atrocity,” and “trash” by Filipino designer and judge Rajo Laurel.
Basahan eleganza
Who would have thought basahan could be so chic? Minty Fresh proved that she is the fashion queen of the season with her basahan ensemble in episode seven’s Shop Shops Ladies Ball.
‘Naaninag ko ‘yung mukha ni mama’
One of the emotional moments of the season was courtesy of Precious Paula when she put her brother in drag for episode eight’s Twinning challenge. While applying makeup on her brother, the queen got emotional as she was reminded of her late mom.
Xilhouete and Xhadow
Winning the Twinning challenge is Xilohuete with her makeover on her partner, baptized with the drag name Xhadow. What made her win even more iconic is Paolo addressing how Xilhouete likes to give a speech a lot.
‘Champion’ music video
“Drag Race Philippines”’ top five—Eva, Marina, Xilhouete, Precious Paula, and Minty—got to experience another staple segment in the “Drag Race” franchise, which is to shoot a music video. Looking like boxers fresh from a battle, the queens shined by performing RuPaul’s “Champion” in the severely illuminated video.
That empowering finale lip-synch
Marina and Precious Paula lip-synched “Sirena” by Gloc-9 during the season's grand finals. With no backflips and other acrobatics, the top two queens presented heart and passion on the main stage celebrating Filipino LGBTQIA+ love and spirit.
Paolo Ballesteros’ sickening looks
Every week, Mama Pao served spectacular looks, a testament that she is the Philippines’ true Queen of Transformation. Some of our favorites are her butterfly couture by Ehrran Montoya, Erjohn dela Serna’s indigenous eleganza, and that gilded armor ensemble by Roman Sebastian.
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