Gays!
Time for Dragdagulan!
Fuck, the train broke down again.
Oh! Super extra!
East Lower Antipolo, actually.
The drag style of Aries, super loyal to the avant garde style.
Something scary and spooky.
I figured, it’s more difficult to be pretty than scary.
Hello!
-Oh my god. -So pretty!
I just got off the train.
I freaked out when I entered Drag Den. A literal drag den!
It’s as if something illegal is going on. Kidding!
Who do you think you’d be up against? What are you expecting?
Whoever they are, don't bother unpacking!
What a threat!
Pack it up, sis. Pack it up, sis, and go.
What’s going on? What’s happening?
We have our next visitor.
Is this a raid? What's going on?
There we go.
Oh, she brought two heads along.
She really brought her wig, sis.
I am Omiko Madali.
My drag name is Barbie-Q. Barbie-Q as in Barbie-Queen.
My drag style is fab and cutie.
Wow, we've just started and we already have our first trans queen!
-How do you feel? -Represent!
Here, we aren’t given that much appreciation.
Now, I will prove that Filipino transgender can slay a show like this.
-Amazing. Look at those boobs. -Of course.
How many CCs are there?
Forever a Concern and a Contrition.
Who’s next?
Who’s there?
Is it the Miss Gay show?
Fuck!
I can't see much, but I can smell her from here.
I started impersonating Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé,
until I found Lady Gaga.
That Gaga impersonation made me viral
that brought me here to Manila, to do what I love.
There you are, my sisters!
See? I told you that we'll see each other here.
Am I right?
-So you really know each other? -Yeah, actually.
I worked with Omi ten years ago.
-Oh my god, are we that old? -Yeah, ten years ago, right?
I was just six years old then.
Super funny, right.
Do you have AC here?
Cheers! I'm Maria Cristina, 28 years old
from the Central Region of Malolos, Bulacan.
It’s Irma Adlawan.
As Auntie Irma, hello, sisters! How are you?
-I knew it! It's gonna be us all along! -I know, right!
Two-faced!
When I met them I wasn't shocked.
I'm like,
is this the best you can do? Kidding!
Guys!
Hello, queers!
A lot of people mistake me as a full-blooded foreigner.
But I’m just a halfie.
-Hello. -Sassa! You’re so gorge!
-Told you. -Incredible.
Your compliments have just been passed on to me.
What am I? A viral disease?
But most of the times, she’s just a sweet baby girl.
I feel like we both came from a…
-…flea market, right? -Correct! We went together.
You had to replace your phone's screen protector.
Here comes our next queen!
What’s good, bitches!
-Hey! -Hi!
Why is it pronounced that way?
It's supposed to be Oda-shey,
but we Filipinos don't get it right.
My friends say it as Odasha.
We shouldn’t mess with pronunciations
because it really depends on the school we came from.
-Which was yours? -Represent.
-I’m from I.S, fool. -What’s I.S.?
There's another one.
It’s Jesus's second coming!
Looks like a cameraman.
It’s time to pray, sis.
I borrowed it.
Nicole Cordoves is a certified ally of the community.
I have summoned you all…
That smelled pretty strong.
What a shocker, right?
Hi, Nicole Cordoves. Hi, Pipay!
-She said it was Pipay! -Congrats!
You didn’t tell me you’re Pipay.
-Let’s not get confused. -Are you Ariana?
Ariana Granada.
I watch Sassa Gurl on TikTok.
She makes me laugh. She always makes fun of herself.
She doesn't care about how she looks!
She is truly inspiring. I want to be like her.
Fuck you! Let me have your eyebrows.
I'll stab you with it. Kidding!
Go, share your drag story.
It’s Shewarma because I’m half-Arab
but I have a Filipino heart, since I grew up here.
Now that we are all there, I want to know,
what do you dread the most in this competition?
When I arrived here I knew things would be different.
We’ll face challenges beyond what we can imagine.
There, someone else is coming.
Oh, another one?
I thought there were eight of us.
There's only room for eight here.
It's a raid!
It's a raid, sis.
Show yourself!
Hey, queers!
Impressive!
Stunned, as in star-struck! I saw a goddess descending.
Sending shivers!
Because she’s so beautiful and she has a small face.
She looks like a star!
Cheers!
I got excited, as I feel like it’s me.
I want to win for my family too.
For me, this is what my life is.
So I want to prove to them that drag can get me somewhere.
And Drag Den is where it all begins.
How much?
I’m gonna be blunt. I need the money.
Since I’m the breadwinner of the family.
Turn it up!
Don’t air this show if I lose, kidding!
Sis, it's a drug trade.
Let’s make fun of Filipino camp themewear.
Since I was 17 years old
I have been doing make-up. It's been my work.
So I’m used to this. I know every detail of my face.
I joined Drag Den
because though I've been around for a while,
I’m here to prove something.
I’ve been to lots of competitions on TV,
I'm always the second best.
I know that Drag Den is where I can be the best.
I also don’t want to be complacent because
even if they’re young, they are very talented.
So polished. They have fancier drag stuff.
I'll win not because of what I brought with me,
but what I can bring to the stage.
And I’m excited about this look, because
ever since childhood I've never liked that beast.
I want to prove to them that though I’m a newbie,
I have tricks up my sleeve.
I won’t back down, even if you’re seasoned queens.
I hate it when they look down on newbies
because we bring raw talent.
And we have fresher ideas.
We only have less than 50 minutes.
-Really? -Yes.
So how do you prepare for your look?
I’m actually worried
because this look of mine,
That’s your brand, okay?
-Very fresh. -Fresh beauty like that.
Now?
We only have six minutes, hurry up.
Give us a sneak peek of your concept today.
-Death. -Oh, death.
Drags are very deadly.
Oh, fuck.
So, it's a raid, mama!
-So, what's up? -I’m in a hurry.
I only have limited time, so don’t bother me right now.
-Just kidding. -Shady bitch!
Oh, that’s crazy.
That’s Filipino pride, there.
-You can see the balls. -Truth!
Time’s up! The police are here!
He's the source and now he's arresting us? Dumb fuckers!
Or Mr. President, if you’re a loyalist.
Only in the Philippines will you see pink dogs.
Stray dogs all over fleas!
So, "Plz, adopt me."
Of course, we should adopt stray dogs.
Not just branded ones, just kidding. I mean ones with breeding.
From the highest mountain, down to the deepest sea,
I get out of my cocoon and then step by foot on the moon.
"Nosi… Nosi… Balasi."
I am Sampaguita.
I chose Sampaguita
not like the Sampaguita flower, but Tessy Sampaguita, a singer and rockstar.
She always wears a scarf and a headband.
If you don’t have this, you will be arrested, bitch!
Before I step off this stage,
I would like to leave a little saying:
Face shield… when you see this,
you'll think about the Philippines right away. Gahhd!
Mabuhay!
My costume symbolizes the national jewel of the Philippines,
the pearl.
Do you see any pearls?
You don’t see any?
It’s you, Filipinos. You’re the Pearl of the Orient Seas. Thank you!
But when I saw my fellow queens taking out their costumes,
I guess I will be the first one to get eliminated.
Serving you the national activity of the male Filipino teens, "BATE".
Basketball. Axie. Time out. Enjoy.
What you could buy for 150 bucks,
you can now get for only 50 bucks, and it will make you happy.
They always call me a "baby girl." So own it!
It's crazy that I’m wearing slippers in front of Manila Luzon.
Once you eat me, for sure you’ll shriek.
A stupid eggplant.
That is… oh my god!
That… oh my god!
That brings to life the saying…
"How long is your eggplant?"
Fuck, I messed up.
I chose the eggplant since
it’s the second featured vegetable in the Bahay Kubo folk song.
and Bahay Kubo is our national house.
The national attire for the dead, Barong Tagalog!
Are you gagged?
They say, "Save the best for last."
the show ain't over till you take a bow. I'm Cara Bow.
My national symbol is carabao.
If I were to turn into an animal I'd be a carabao.
It's a hard worker.
It's passionate in what it does.
It doesn't stop until the job is done.
Kidding.
Hey, queers,
-What’s happening? -We’re done!
We managed to finish the first outfit! A round of applause!
-Right! -Don’t you have anything for us?
Of course I have something for you.
From Snail White, to help you take off your make-up.
Is that a make-up remover?
I’ve put Snail White in your stations to help you remove your make-up.
But I took something in return.
You did what?
I stole from you guys.
So that’s why my things are missing.
Then go!
To be fair, I haven’t tried any cleanser like this. One swipe and it’s all cleared.
In fairness.
You can see the difference.
This is great.
Bam!
Yeah, it was easily removed.
This is the fastest I've ever removed my make-up in my three years of doing drag.
See the dewiness of my face.
Very K-Pop, my skin!
Hey, sis! How are you?
As you can see… You did your make-up so quickly.
Because we had to.
The queen that I’m close with is O-A.
We have a group, Shemod.
Shemod has been around for a year, doing live shows on Facebook.
That’s how we formed our bond.
Every week we do a show with a different theme.
So, I really know O-A. She also knows me well.
To be fair, you still looked like a goddess.
You’re so soft!
Come on, I looked ugly.
-Let’s make it better in the next round. -True.
While the other queens, I couldn’t even.
Which of them?
Brian’s was good but…
We put a lot of effort into our drag and he just came out as a boy?!
Though he was cute.
Hey!
-It’s really lovely. -Shit, I fell off my chair.
-Come on, overthinker. -Stress!
Girl, look at MC!
She’s working hard. It’s obvious!
That’s why she chose to sit there.
I guess you’re all antsy about choosing your work stations.
Let's do it the Miss Gay lotto way!
We’ll draw lots, MC Black.
-Come on! -Ugly ones first! Right, Shewarma?
Sis, let’s go small. I don’t want to be too high.
Hi MC.
Girl, if I won earlier in the draw lots,
-You’ll sit beside him too. -Yes.
You’re such a flirt.
-She's your drag mom. -Stop, I think he has a boyfriend.
Sisses, someone's coming!
I get star-struck with every celebrity.
But with Catriona it’s like…
-Hello Ms. Nicole! Hello Cat! -And we have NAIA here with us also.
Gosh, Catriona. I love you. Oh my god!
Fiesta-inspired too.
What will you wear?
So I really hope I can showcase all of them!
Because if not, I'd be a wreck!
I’m a big fan of Catriona.
Especially her slow-mo turn.
My day would be lacking without it.
Have you already mastered it?
-No! Only you can! -I’ll show you later.
Game!
She’s so beautiful and perfect.
Hope she didn't notice I was star-stuck all along.
They always tease me, "you're so fat!"
It got me thinking what our biggest festival is.
It's the Higantes Festival.
Wow!
I love your inspiration.
Because I don’t care. So what if I’m big? Look at me, I’m very sexy.
I was so productive.
Are you gonna portray an inanimate object again?
Wattah-Wattah Festival.
What’s Wattah-Wattah Festival?
-Secret! Just kidding. -Come on, tell us.
-Just Google it. -Are you bossing me around?
It's San Juan City's water-splashing festival.
It’s the Filipino version of Songkran.
Oh okay, right.
Earlier, I struggled with my spiel. It was my first time on stage.
How will I come back from that?
That’s true! That’s what I did after.
or how perfectly they speak.
It really shows.
Because that's how you make an impression.
I got the idea from my uncle Neric Beltran.
I wore sky-high heelless shoes. Thank you, Bragais.
It really matches my drag personality, which is very dark.
I chose the Balayong Festival of Palawan because it’s not very well-known.
We still have a lot of unknown festivals in the Philippines.
They usually wear matching costumes during the Sinulog Festival, and
have this big ballgown.
But I represented the Santo Niño himself.
I’ll wing it through theatricals with the right footwear.
It will be hard to move in those super high heels!
but it’s my tribute to where I came from, which is pageantry.
And it’s really my dream to wear a national costume.
And who would have thought I'd wear one in front of Miss Universe, Catriona Gray?
Oh my god, NAIA the pageant queen. Really?
I went to San Juan.
I didn’t know the Wattah Wattah Festival was on.
I was in the jeepney, and I was soaked!
They doused us with water.
So it started with my hair.
Min Ortiz styled my wet-look hair.
The Creepy Yeha-inspired bra and panty were by Salem Fuchsia.
Gotcha!
You might be surprised what I’d put out on stage.
I was nervous, as I hadn’t practiced it with the shoes.
It has ten-inch heels. And I was walking backwards.
So I might have fallen.
I’m proud because you could have gone with the traditional route.
You made my heart happy. You really did.
I am shaken!
-We did it! -Everyone was on point!
Congratulations to all of you.
How does it feel to be one of the favorites?
Of course I feel validated.
My hard work was appreciated.
I’m super thankful for that.
-There goes our first episode! -Sassa Gurl's back!
Are you proud, mama?
Of course, I’m gagged! You all ate!
Who do you think served the best look? Who's your biggest competition?
Shewarma.
She’s super polished with her costumes and everything.
Considering she’s a newborn drag queen, I was floored.
My god, ten years of drag and this is it?
-Come on, ma! -Give it to me.
But hey, I love this costume because my partner made it.
That’s sweet! Goals!
I feel that my biggest competition is Luka.
Because camp is my weakness.
And I know that her camp is something I can't match, no matter what.
-I feel it’s Omiko, -BarbieQ.
Because I’ve watched almost all of you.
But not Omiko. I don’t know what she could do, since I don’t know her.
I also choose BarbieQ.
She doesn’t know herself. She doesn’t know her capacity.
You’re ridiculous!
I’m proud of my effort.
I was able to show what I wanted to.
Shewarma?
Of course!
Her dress is so extra, come on!
If you win, you will compete in a one-on-one battle
and whoever loses will be eliminated. Like, what the fuck?!
I’m choosing this queen not because she didn’t do well.
I just feel that we are in the same situation right now.
It’s hard to dance in our heels.
I’m going to choose…
Fuck. You can't see it because they're covered,
but my eyes rolled so hard, they went 360!
I can’t take this. Why is this happening?
Whoever gets eliminated, I'll be crying a mess.
They're both my sisters!
In the tradition of a life-threatening, bone-breaking, barangay showdown.
The important thing is
you serve us your best ball-breaking performance.
It's Dragdagulan time!
Get ready for the wrath of a shawarma onion.
And I thought this show was for underdogs?
How come you’re just a dog?
Shut up, bitch! Where's your neck?
Come on, let’s go!
It’s time to rumble, homosexuals!
Who will you bet on? I’ll put money on Shewarma.
Look at how huge she is, looks like the doll on Squid Game.
Look at these gays all worked up.
I was seething at Shewarma.
Come on! Use the ball!
Good thing, Shewarma's right in front of me.
You, bitch! Like that.
Shewarma deserved that, because I should have won, just kidding.
So that’s how it’s going to be.
Alright, they’re getting hyped to use the ball! Bogsh!
The bitch dodged it off.
These gays are getting violent!
Look, oh! There! It hit her.
What am I being targeted by these bitches?
I was being pretty. Why target me?
My god! Be careful with Santo Niño.
Oh good lord, she still has to crusade later.
Even Jesus was not spared.
I feel that it’s a hazard. An actual hazard.
I was actually yelling, "Push her!"
If I were her, I’m willing to ruin my dress just for Dragdagulan.
The sequins fell off. She still has to return that to her designer.
My gosh, she was wrecked by the ball.
Her head spun like an exorcist.
I can’t get over that.
Shit, I thought I was done!
At first I was like, "Fuck you. Serves you right."
When I looked at her and saw her face,
I felt sad because I still love my sister.
Too bad! Just kidding!
-Group hug, girls. -Group hug!
It’s a relief. No-one’s being eliminated.
Our designers will not be disappointed because we’re still here.
Manila, you got me.
Now that I'm given another chance, I won't take it for granted.
You’ll see what Shewarma could really do in Drag Den.
Manila, don’t do that again, okay?
Don’t do that again. It’s scary.
I was happy because I made the right choice in joining Drag Den.
This is what drag competitions should be.
Insane!
I’m happy because there was no bad blood.
She seems okay competing with me.
And she still chose me. Sweet.
I was touched and I was teary-eyed.
Thank you, divas.
Salamat, pose!