Nothing could’ve prepared Filipino Drag Race fans for the explosion that is "Drag Race Philippines." Brimming with energy and all things Filipino, this international franchise from the hit American reality TV show by the same name concluded its first season—and we’re already waiting for the next. 

Premiering two strong episodes as a perfect introduction to this franchise, Drag Race Philippines makes its mark amidst a saturated Drag Race landscape. It showed diverse talent across the board, from early standouts to tickling drama and the guilty pleasure of tsismosa fans.

While the queens' talent is completely unmatched, and more queens outside of Luzon would be nice, the season's overall production didn't exactly give it justice. Filled with editing flaws and questionable moments from the judges, the season is a mixed bag of a beginning for the franchise.

Critiquing… for your… life!

The judging panel comprised drag race alumna Jiggly Caliente, TV personality Kaladkaren, and the mother and the main host, Paolo Ballesteros. These three have great chemistry, good comedy, and cute little shady moments. 

While at times, it could feel a bit uncomfortable hearing the judges’ comments—from constant pressure for the bigger queens and one instance of a guest judge calling a queen’s outfit “trash.” Despite some harsh critiques, the judges still showed humanity. At times they'd share their experiences with family, coming out, and LGBTQIA+ rights, offering advice to all the queens.

High heels to fill in

Although the season started strong, honing in on moments of potential storylines and perfectly highlighting the talent, the editing later became a clear hindrance to the show's quality. The audio mixing would make it hard to hear conversations, while particular camera shakes and backlit scenes would take you away from the moment.

While it could become tough to get through at times, these Filipino drag queens really pushed the limits of what they could do. From creating outfits from actual flowers to popping off with their trending girl group challenge, watching it from start to finish just for these contestants alone was an absolute delight.

The cast’s personalities steep through, showing both sides of professionalism and humanity, never backing away when talking about what issues LGBTQIA+ Filipinos still face daily in the absence of laws like the SOGIE Equality Bill. This was highlighted especially during the extra behind-the-scenes series we get from this franchise’s “Untucked!”, “Drag Race Philippines: Untucked!”

While we wait for more announcements, other than constantly streaming Pop Off Ate on Spotify, here’s where you can get yourself updated on each contestant of Drag Race Philippines season 1 (alphabetically to avoid any spoilers):

• Brigiding
• Corazon
• Eva Le Queen
• Gigi Era
• Lady Morgana
• Marina Summers
• Minty Fresh
• Precious Paula Nicole
• Prince
• Turing
• Viñas Deluxe
• Xilhouete

Moreover, let this be the push everyone needs to support the local drag scene. With many LGBTQIA+ bars closing after enduring rough years under the pandemic, drag artists need all the support they can get whether or not they’re competing on Drag Race.

In all honesty, the series could’ve easily been the best of any franchise if not for the messy editing. With Season 2 already confirmed through Philstar.com’s interview with Rajo Laurel, fashion designer and recurring guest judge, we hope for significant improvements so we can give Filipino drag the best platform it deserves.

You can binge-watch all the episodes of “Drag Race Philippines'' and “Drag Race Philippines: Untucked!” on WOW Presents Plus, HBO Go, and Discovery+ in the Philippines.