‘Drag Race Philippines’ is the blueprint for the franchise’s future
Why the Philippines' iteration of the worldwide phenomenon flawlessly exceeds its peers
The cast and host of "Drag Race Philippines" season 3.
HBO GO ASIA/WORLD OF WONDER
Words by Andre Lawes Menchavez
When every episode of a competition show ends with the entire judges’ panel crying because someone is going home, you know there’s something special happening.
Drag Race Philippines has had three incredible seasons in its arsenal that have left fans across the world falling in love with these drag superstars from the archipelago. As the series showcases the high calibur of drag in the Philippines, it’s become a standout international season that leaves viewers with a different feeling after every episode that we aren’t accustomed to when watching its more popularized American counterpart.
One aspect that makes Drag Race Philippines so incredible is the show’s unwavering commitment to showcasing both the enigma of Philippine drag artistry and the thriving culture that feeds it.
We get to see these queens take on Philippine cultural themes on the runway like Viñas DeLuxe’s manananggal look on season one’s Philippine folklore runway and Captivating KatKat’s genius egg train on season two’s ulam-inspired runway. The show’s intentions feel genuine in bringing viewers into the world of the Philippines with each runway, every episode acting like a portal into the vibrant worldview of a Filipino.
Even the mini-challenges on each episode are often iterations of party games played in the Philippines, like the infamous season one mini-challenge of “palosebo,” in which the queens had to climb up a long greased up bamboo stick and be the first to grab a flag, or the iconic season three mini-challenge when they played “tumbang preso” and each threw slippers in an attempt to knock down cans.
Seeing a drag queen climb slippery poles or tip over old cans may not sound great on paper, but they’re distinct, clear cultural references. These games’ evident connections to the cast’s upbringing, and the eclectic Philippine humor the queens incorporate while playing, all make Drag Race Philippines some of the most enjoyable viewing in the franchise—even if you have no idea what is going on. And that alone speaks volumes to the power of this series.
It’s also so easy to fall in love with this show when you get to witness such a strong range of drag styles every week. It amazes me how in season two, we got Arizona Brandy’s iconic performance, in which she literally starts eating her contacts while RuPaul sings, “She’s playing tricks with her eyes” and then in the next episode we had Bernie and Captivating KatKat performing an emotional ballad lip sync together as two strong trans women on the stage that resulted in a double save.
You never know what to expect from Drag Race Philippines, which is fitting given the chameleon that is Philippine drag—and the world continues to love it. We’ve had a huge star blow up from the Philippine franchise, Marina Summers, after she dominated on RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K. vs The World earlier this year. The latest season of Drag Race Philippines, whose finale aired Oct. 9, is also the highest-rated franchise in the world on IMDB. The show has even created viral hits, like season one’s girl group song “Pop Off Ate,” that rivals its franchise peers as one of the best girl group songs from the show, ever.
The show has become a catalyst for people to start keeping an eye on Philippine drag, becoming more and more enamored as every season goes by with a new batch of excellent queens.
But I feel the most defining factor of what makes Drag Race Philippines so special is beyond the drag, the challenges, or its global achievements—there’s something about its heart.
As a superfan who has seen almost every season of all the international franchises and was practically raised on the American version, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like the deep connection between the cast and crew when watching Philippines (Drag Race España might come close).
For one, the host of Drag Race Philippines is Paolo Ballesteros (or Mama Pao) and is arguably one of the greatest hosts in the franchise. There’s a tangible motherly connection between her and each contestant, evident in the way that she acts as a judge and mentor to them. It’s heartwarming to see her get emotional every week when someone gets eliminated—emphasizing that these contestants aren’t just reality TV characters, they’re human beings with dreams.
It feels like every time someone walks off the stage, their pain of losing the crown leaves a visceral pain for Mama Pao—as well as the rest of the judging panel, who are some incredible judges as well. Former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Jiggly Caliente and award-winning actress KaladKaren are two trans icons who sit alongside Mama Pao, who while oftentimes give critical feedback, still give off an energy of being ate’s (older sisters) to the queens.
It’s also not hard to pinpoint as a superfan that it feels like Mama Pao, while even in a higher position of power, still treats each contestant like they’re one of her peers. Her connection to the contestants brings us as viewers deeper into what we’re watching, feeling like we’re in community with the queens on the screen.
It’s a striking difference from RuPaul, for example, who often comes across as cold or distant from the queens, almost like she’s in producer mode at all times and tunnel visioned on maintaining the kingdom she’s created with the franchise. RuPaul has also had a lot of controversy regarding her judging, as well as her role as a host in recent years.
In 2018, Pearl, a finalist from season seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race, accused RuPaul of telling her “nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling,” on set when Pearl opened up to the host about how grateful she was to be on the show. Even more recently, RuPaul launched Global All Stars, with queens from all over the world competing—including Eva Le Queen from Drag Race Philippines—but has been receiving massive amounts of negative criticism online for her blatant favoritism for contestants she’s personally judged, which has only been queens from English-speaking nations. Former contestants have also joked about RuPaul’s inability to remember any of the contestants’ names, even Jinkx Monsoon, champion of the highly coveted All Winners season.
While Mama Pao is also not afraid to be shady—cue that iconic “oh, okay,” moment—she’s carried herself in a way that is so clearly different from what we’ve seen before from RuPaul. The relationship and banter she has with the queens give the viewing experience a special kind of ease. Although the stakes are high in the competition, Mama Pao still wants them to enjoy the experience itself and lean into the community aspect—which is what made the show so special when the American franchise premiered in 2009. It’s nice to watch a competition show where the judge doesn’t feel like a producer.
As a longtime fan of Drag Race, I continue to feel this sense of lifelessness in its new era. Each U.S. season brings more overly produced queens, drama and gimmicks, pushing the series further away from its innovative beginnings. But franchises like Drag Race Philippines, and judges like Mama Pao, make it feel less of a manufactured reality television show and instead more like a genuine showcase of drag artistry between a family of queens who love drag and love their culture even more.
And in a hyper-produced monopoly era of Drag Race with so many seasons being churned out a year, Drag Race Philippines is a breath of fresh Philippine air the franchise so desperately needs.
Published on October 10, 2024