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'Drag Den PH' Season 2 premiere night: 5 things that made drag closer to the Pinoy audience

By HERMES JOY TUNAC, GMA Integrated News

'Drag Den PH' Season 2 premiere night: 5 things that made drag closer and accessible to public

For the sophomore season of the all-Filipino drag reality pageant, "Drag Den Philippines," the show doesn't hold back in bringing drag closer and more accessible to the public.

Ahead of its world premiere on Prime Video, the series created by Rod Singh kicked things off in the TriNoma activity center with a free event filled with "dragdagulan" drag show, live performances, and kiki time with the Season 2 queens.

In case you missed it, here's a quick recap of all the fun things that went down during the event.

1. Mama, we made it to TriNoma!

As early as noon, drag addicts and enthusiasts already started filling up the seats in the activity center to show their support for the local queens. Some even had banners and photo cards to scream their support for their biases on the upcoming show.

Compared to its pilot episode, the free event for the public was a huge upgrade for "Drag Den Philippines." Not only did it bring drag closer to the public, but it's also a nod to the LGBT+ community that, yes, it's possible to host a queer event right in the middle of a mall. You know what they say, "Malayo pa, per malayo na."

2. Manila Luzon and Sassa Gurl performing "POM POM (Take me higher)"

Who would have thought that Manila Luzon, a drag legend and one of the most iconic queens of "RuPaul's Drag Race" would perform for free in the middle of a mall? It goes to show that the Drag Lord of "Drag Den Philippines" is on board with the show's goal of making people understand and appreciate the art of drag.

To make it even more Pinoy, Drag Runner Sassa Gurl joined Manila onstage to perform the official soundtrack of "Drag Den Philippines" S2, "POM POM (Take me higher)."

"Our queens are so uniquely talented and creative and beautiful, and all of them are so passionate and dedicated to the art of the drag," Manila Luzon told members of the press during the event's media conference.

"I want all of my queens to be amazing and successful," she added. "I was once, twice, three times on a reality show competing for money, competing for the crown before, and it has opened the doors to so many opportunities."

Name a more iconic duo. We'll wait.

3. Filipino talent shines through with P-Pop group G22's performance

The P-Pop's Female Alphas of G22 set the stage on fire with performances of two of their songs. When they performed their single "Boomerang," the crown went wild and danced along with them, including the local drag queens joining the event for fun.

For "Drag Den Philippines" S2, P-Pop group BINI is set to join as a guest judge, also known as Drag Enforcers, for the first episode.

4. Dragdagulan na!

From the streets of Maginhawa to the most iconic mall in Quezon City, aspiring and established drag queens compete in a dragdagulan showdown for a cash prize of P20,000! Almost 20 queens competed in the lip sync smackdown, but only EDSA EXXTRA reigned supreme.

Since "Drag Den Philippines" aired its first season in 2022, the show has championed hosting drag showdowns a la "baranggayan" style as an ode to the origins of Philippine drag, which was born not in clubs but in the streets.

5. Meet the Season 2 queens a la TriNoma 

Of course, the most awaited part of the show is the catwalk of the queens!

Each S2 queen, namely Deja, Elvira, Feyvah Fatale, Jean Vilogue, Margaux, Maria Lava, Marlyn, Moi, Mrs. Tan, and Russia Fox, all walked in the activity center of TriNoma, showcasing their personalities through their over-the-top outfits.

According to Drag Dealer Nicole Cordoves, what people should expect from Season 2 queens is how they interpret each category of the competition into visionary looks.

"May similar categories pa from Season 1, pero do'n ko n-arealize na sa mga sinerve sa 'tin ng mga queens sa S2, gano'n pala ka-rich 'yung Filipino culture," she said.

"Ang dami pang storyang pwedeng ikuwento, ang dami ko pang natutunan about our culture na hindi ko pa na encounter before through our queens," she added.

"Drag Den Philippines" Season 2 is set to stream exclusively on Prime Video Philippines beginning January 18.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

Tags: Drag Den Philippines Season 2, Drag Den Philippines
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