NOTEBOOK: What do beauty pageants have to do with Philippine Independence?

NOTEBOOK: What do beauty pageants have to do with Philippine Independence?

It’s June again and it’s that time of the year when Pinoys in Toronto and the GTA witness various and multiple events marking the “Philippine Independence Day”. In fact, many events have been tagged 113th anniversary of that historical date of June 12, 1898 when Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite.

The event was and still is full of meaning. The birth of a nation, it’s been described in history books and in countless media articles and politicians’ speeches.

Joe Rivera writes about this on page 11 in his article or blog “Philippine Independence 101” which is essentially a primer, a well researched one, on the topic.

Among his themes is the place or role of Andres Bonifacio in the birthing of a nation. But more about that later.

My urgent concern is the Toronto Filipino community way of celebrating this occasion. The two foremost events, organized separately by the Philippine Independence Day Council and the new kid on the block, Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation, feature as main components each one’s version of beauty pageants — Miss Philippines and its derivatives, Little Miss Philippines and Mrs. Philippines.

Why the fixation on beauty contests in marking a country’s national day? I don’t recall in any subjects I took in high school and in university that beauty contests are a part of a people’s struggle for independence. Why use a historical celebration to provide an occasion to highlight a contest whose winners are selected mainly on looks, personality and talent? Whoever started this tradition in Toronto (and in other major cities in north America) must have considered mainly the captive audience a national day celebration provides. Besides the commercial purposes and the added color it would provide an occasion, there is nothing in terms of meaning that a beauty contest can give to a historical celebration.

The first instance on record that beauty contests were protested against was in the late 60s when a young women’s group called Makibaka picketed a Miss Philippines pageant to protest the commercialization or commodification of a woman’s body. That started a widespread discusson on the concept of women’s liberation. Now, four decades later, there is a proliferation of women’s organizations in the Philippines. Also enshrined in the new laws and jurisprudence hence are principles on the equality of the sexes and various pro-women issues. The proliferation of beauty pageants of course were not stopped in the Philippines. In fact, while before there was only one, Miss Philippines and/or Binibining Pilipinas, now there’s a dozen or so versions existing and flourishing contests. Miss Philippines-World, Miss PH-Universe, Miss PH-INternational, Miss Earth, etc.

All of them could justify their existence but they all boil down to emphasizing the female body, personality and talent and parading the contestants in varying degrees of dress or undress before huge crowds. This industry, of course, has its humongous commercial value to tourism and the related vanity industry. Not to mention the scandals in the past involving beauty personalities linked to the flesh trade with international super rich as clients.

But let’s not go there. My point is beauty contests should have nothing to do with celebrations marking major historical events like the national day.

Besides, the values that are consciously and subliminally emulated in these contests are more oriented to favor physical appearance. Let’s admit it, the most talented and most intelligent among the contestants in any pageant could not win if she does not have the looks favored by the judges and the organizers. That’s why it’s called beauty pageants!

What message does this send the thousands upon thousands of our Filipino girls and young women? That if they don’t have the looks, they have no hope of being recognized in the community’s biggest events?
Regardless of whether they excel in other fields like academics, music, sports, writing, journalism, speaking, etc.?

It’s a debate long overdue in the community. Is there a place for beauty contests in the biggest celebration of historical events? Don’t they distract us all from meaningfully commemorating the most important moments in our home country’s history?

I challenge the leaders of the major organizing groups of these events that propagate these beauty pageants. It’s time they should sit down and discuss this misorientation of our youth. An alternative is to organize contests that would recognize the youth for excellence in various fields I just mentioned and more.

I have nothing against the contestants and the winners of these contests. Most if not all of them grew up in Canada in a community where there is hardly any awareness of the real history of the home country. These constests are brandished to them by the organizers and sponsors as the most coveted awards and recognition of their talents.

Imagine if there’s an excellence in academics award, excellence in music award, excellence in sports award, excellence in the arts award, etc. where our youth, regardless of their physical looks, can compete fairly? The winners and the contests will surely inspire our youth in their thousands. They will have real role models to look up to. Will this not serve our community better?

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Due to limited space, I’ll just mention my other interest here. Read Rivera’s article on page 11. Especially the youth but also those of us whose education did not include the real story of what transpired in the crucial years when the Filipino people were struggling to give birth to a nation. Remember, it was the U.S. government’s version of the history of the Philippines that was planted in the minds of generations of Filipinos for decades. It’s time we unlearn this version of our history as have many of our compatriots at home and elsewhere in the world.