Davao City bans bikini contests - report

Accommodating the concerns of moralists and women’s groups, Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte has banned the holding of bikini contests in the city. Online newspaper Mindanao Examiner (www.mindanaoexaminer.com) reported Sunday that Duterte agreed with the group, which said parading women in sexy outfits only exploits them. “I do not want to see women in bikinis being fantasized by men, especially here in Davao City ... Parading women clad in panties and swimsuit is a form of exploitation of women," Duterte said. He added that while bikini contests are acceptable in western countries like the United States, it is not necessarily so in the Philippines where women are “respected and recognized." The Mindanao Examiner report said it was not immediately clear how Duterte’s new policy will affect the city’s famous Kadayawan Festival this August. The Kadayawan festival is traditionally marked with street dancing and a beauty pageant called Hiyas, where contestants parade in bikinis and swimwear. Duterte said the bikini contest will not be included in the Hiyas pageant. - GMANews.TV