Pinoy pride is occasionally a funny thing. News reports would divulge that a famous actor has a half-Filipino lola and suddenly, we would parade them as a hometown hero. A Hollywood heavyweight like Cameron Diaz could start talking about her time growing up with a Filipino neighbor, name-dropping her alleged favorite foods lumpia and adobo, and she would practically be handed a key to the city.
I personally don’t fault most people for bursting into an uproar whenever scenarios like these occur. First of all, I mean, let people live. I find no harm in expressing joy because someone successful or well-known shares even the tiniest bit of our heritage. Though, there’s also something to be said about the “Pinoy” aspect of Pinoy pride. Anyone who’s been through an introductory history class knows that our origins are majorly rooted in centuries of colonization.
We’re a peculiar mix of different cultures, and each one contributes to how we go about our lives. I’d argue that there’s a tinge of insecurity there, too. While these influences have made Philippine society what it is today, they also masked, and in some cases, erased, certain things that were once “pure” to our land. The Pinoy is innately a cosmopolitan being, but this characterization begs for a firmer sense of belonging. Perhaps we take pride in seemingly random associations because we often are unaware what truly is “ours” in the first place.
The last time I felt Pinoy pride was when Marina Summers debuted on Drag Race UK Vs. the World. Clad in a gilded terno by Jude Macasinag, she sauntered unto the center of the stage, pulled a bolo from her waist, and exclaimed, “It’s time to give these colonizers the chop!”
For the uninitiated, UK Vs. the World is a spinoff of the Emmy award-winning reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race. The format has past contestants from varying franchises compete for a second chance at the coveted crown (and £50,000, not bad.) Given her podium finish in the inaugural season of Drag Race Philippines, Marina was undoubtedly the perfect delegate to represent the country on the global stage.
Our very own “Filipina winnah” came into the competition with guns blazing, winning the first maxi challenge and consistently staying in the judges’ good graces. Week after week, Marina made it a point to showcase the country’s best through her looks in and out of drag. She was one with the elements, interpreting the runway categories through creations by designers from all regions of the Philippines. Heck, she even introduced the world to Dugong, the sea hag from the fantaserye she was named after, for a villainous homage.
In episode five, RuPaul bestowed upon her six words that could drive any drag artist to tears: “You were born to do drag.”
Despite her successes, there have been criticisms that Marina’s drag has been “too Filipino.” Some express that her body of work isn’t palpable enough for an international audience to comprehend, which could hurt her chances of winning. To that, Marina’s stylist Paul Sese has one thing to say: “Girl, look where our runway decisions, concept and vision brought us: Top 4 with three badges (wins), [and] praise and recognition from international judges and the whole world.” Mic drop.
I kind of understand where those critiques from fans are coming from. It’s that colonial insecurity I was talking about. In front of a foreign panel, someone from an archipelago located halfway across the world would feel a need to please them. It's kind of like when you have a visitor at home and you would be pestered by your parents to serve them in whatever way they needed. In Marina's situation, this could translate to watered-down vignettes of our culture that ideally suit their palate. Case in point: Some of the judges were bewildered by who, or rather, what a Dugong was.
But the thing is, Marina’s run on the show proves that there is no need to bow down to these foreign standards. In 2024, the Filipino deserve to be on top with the rest of the world, and the ones that need to recognize that are Filipinos themselves. What onlookers may think doesn’t matter compared to what we think of ourselves. Marina flourishing right in front of RuPaul’s discerning eyes proves just as much. There’s excellence ingrained in our patriotic cues, and they’re worth flaunting in their most authentic forms.
There’s been a lot of talk about representation and who gets to do the representing. As a brown, queer person, Marina’s unapologetic ambassadorship is the visibility I yearn for. When she walks down the catwalk as a glamorous rice farmer or a bedazzled bangus, a sense of belonging brews within. It’s those little cues that matter to anyone watching that comes from the same place she does. It’s an “if you know, you know” moment between us Pinoys that we don’t get much on an international level.
Marina has stiff competition before she can rest on her laurels. While her chances of winning the entire competition are high, there’s just no telling given how unpredictable things can get. However, her showcase of Filipino excellence is a victory in and of itself.
As she exclaims in her song “AMAFILIPINA,” “You can't bring this diva down, reclaiming my sound 'cause brown is crown.” The way she’s gotten Drag Race girls from all corners of the world singing along, endearingly calling themselves Filipinas even if they’re actually not, is a testament to her unadulterated charisma, which one can argue is a characteristic akin to our 7,641 islands.
Beneath all of the glitter is the God-honest truth that it really, really, really matters to see ourselves be represented so fiercely and beautifully. Born on an island, and raised by the sea, Marina Summers is Pinoy pride personified. For many baklas watching, she will always be the Filipina winnah, win, lose, or draw.
Because after all, the sun never sets on a superstar.
About the author
Em Enriquez is a Content Creator at Preview. You can usually find them wearing tinted sunnies, jorts, and black loafers with scrunched-up white socks.
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