How can Filipino migrant workers bring "beauty pageant culture" to Taiwan?

 "I want to hold a beauty pageant in Taiwan": How can Filipino migrant workers bring "beauty pageant culture" to Taiwan?

我想在台灣辦選美比賽」 ：菲律賓移工如何將「選美文化」帶來台灣？

YouTube video report (in Chinese)

https://youtu.be/rS6gxinSwYY?si=jaGLDJq0lnl8KcdO

（Chinese report link)

https://opinion.cw.com.tw/blog/profile/525/article/14200

Related Report 

https://today.line.me/tw/v2/article/JMn31K

Translated by Google translator:

Beauty pageants seem to be in the DNA of Filipinos, and their cheerful personality that can speak, sing, and love beauty has allowed tens of millions of Filipino migrant workers to bring this hobby to the world, and Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan are no exception.

 The 49th episode of the "Independent Commentary@Chuangtianxia" Podcast features an exclusive interview with Li Yuexuan (Asuka), the editor-in-chief of the independent media "Yiren".  He, who understands Filipino migrant workers best, shared that beauty pageants are not only about beauty, but also about being good at quizzes!

 The largest Filipino beauty pageant town in Taiwan is Hsinchu. Is the reason related to the science and technology park?  Why are Filipino migrant workers so obsessed with beauty pageants and willing to spend money and effort to participate?  What other interesting and special competitions have been held in Taiwan?  Who is sponsoring the beauty pageant?

Filipino migrant worker: "I want to hold a beauty pageant in Taiwan"

 I am the media worker in Taiwan who is most likely to be mistaken for a migrant worker.  I once worked for the Philippine version of the Si Fang Daily and came into contact with many migrant workers and new residents from Southeast Asia. Their personalities and ideas were very different from those of Taiwanese.

 Take savings as an example. Taiwanese people will find ways to save money, thinking that they will use it to buy cars and houses in the future.  But Filipinos are more focused on the present. They believe that if you have money, you should spend it, and just work hard for what you want in the future.  My life has been constantly impacted by migrant workers and new residents, but I feel very happy.

Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are not as keen on beauty pageants as the Philippines.  It was Filipino migrant workers who brought beauty pageant culture to Taiwan.

 Around 2017, I saw the Philippine Immigration and Labor Office beauty pageant through Facebook and other channels, but I didn’t get to know it in depth at the time.  Later, I met Mario, a migrant worker who was a shift operator at Zhuke Silicone Precision Industry.  He does not want to limit himself to being an operator or a migrant worker, and wants to do more.  He discovered that there were street performers performing at Dongmen Circle in Hsinchu.  He wanted to show off his talent, but was kicked away by the police the moment he performed because he did not have a street performer's license.  Mario is not convinced. He believes that with his talent, he will definitely be recognized by the judges.  In the end, he obtained street artist licenses in Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and Taipei City.

Mario is very serious and good at selling himself.  Regardless of the nationality of the people he comes into contact with, he has the courage to strive for various performance opportunities.  One day he said to me, "Hey, Asuka, I want to hold a beauty pageant." I was stunned for a moment: "When you say beauty pageant, do you mean the kind with models walking on stage? You are usually at work. , do you have money? Do you have the manpower? How are you going to do this?"

 He often called me to explain that he already had a blueprint in his mind.  "Many Filipino migrant workers have good figures and good looks. Regardless of whether they are male or female, they are models. I can design my own clothes. What we lack is just a performance venue. "

A lucky start for the beauty pageant

 These conversations seemed to have a kind of magic. After chatting for a long time, I believed that he could turn the beauty pageant into a reality.  I said dubiously, "Okay, you are short of a venue, right? I'm here to help you. Where do you want to hold it?"

 Mario said he wanted to hold it in the Ximending Hiking Area.  I checked and found that the application process for that venue was a bit cumbersome.  "I don't understand these things, but I think my talent can make passers-by appreciate me, so we will go directly to the scene." Mario said that he had prayed to God and God would help him.

 I really lost to him.

It often rains in February in Taipei, but the sun came out brightly on the day of the beauty pageant. The migrant workers, all dressed in fancy clothes, performed in the open space outside Exit 6 of the Ximen MRT Station, attracting many passers-by to watch curiously.  What’s amazing is that there were no street performers at the venue that day, and there was a police station across the street, so no one chased us away!

Therefore, Mario began to cooperate with the Giant City Department Store in Hsinchu to organize "Arts Fashion and Charity Events" (AFACE).  He successfully held 4 sessions, each one larger than the previous one.

 Why did you choose to hold the beauty pageant in Hsinchu?  First of all, Hsinchu has a science park and many industrial areas.  Companies here like to hire Filipino migrant workers who speak good English.  Almost all their food, clothing, housing and transportation are in Hsinchu. If they want to hold a beauty pageant, Hsinchu will of course be given priority.

The Philippines, a beauty pageant powerhouse: Grandpas and grandmas also participate in the grand event!

 I have been to the Philippines many times and they have beauty pageants everywhere from south to north, in cities and villages.  Beauty pageants are almost a national sport for Filipinos.

 The beauty pageants I saw at that time were very grassroots. In Taiwan's concept, they were beauty pageants held in villages or boroughs.  The village is full of old people, so in Taiwan no one might want to participate, but in the Philippines, the contestants are all local residents.  From children to adults, everyone was very happy to participate, including decorating the venue, providing food, promoting the event, and making large posters for each contestant.

For them, this is a tradition - grandpa, grandma, dad and mom are all playing, and we play along.  Although the children are under the age to participate, they will put on makeup, dress beautifully, and perform on stage during the performance period.  When they reach age, they will participate in beauty pageants.  This trend continues from junior high school to high school, university, and even out into society.

Beauty is not only about the appearance, but also about the brain

 Mario started the trend of Filipino migrant workers holding large-scale beauty pageants in Taiwan.  This kind of fashion beauty pageant inspired other Filipino migrant workers and new residents, so some people began to step forward to become beauty organizers and organize more special events.

 I have also participated in some special beauty pageants in Taiwan, such as those involving the LGBT community.  Some migrant workers like to wear women's clothing, and some have undergone gender reassignment surgery.  They may feel embarrassed to participate in a formal beauty pageant, but this event is held just for them, the scene is fun, and they do not have to be discriminated against because of their LGBT status.

 That day, I sent interview notices to reporters from Liberty Times and United Daily News, and they actually published reports.  Mario felt that this event could attract the attention of Taiwanese people, and he began to hope to find a larger venue and stage so that the Philippine Model Talent Contest would be more appreciated in Taiwan.

I am also often invited to serve as a judge for beauty pageants, but the total scores I give are quite different from those of Filipino judges.  I am from the Appearance Association, and the scoring criteria depends on whether the contestants are good-looking and have a good figure.  However, their scoring criteria are quite diverse, including appearance, body shape, conversation, temperament, stage moves, and even the cheers of the audience, etc., are all taken into consideration.

 I remember very clearly that one of the Filipino judges asked the contestants, what is the definition of beauty?  This is a very open question. The contestants will not know the topic in advance. It allows us to see whether the contestants have anything in their heads besides their appearance.  I also remember that one of the contestants spoke very fast and mixed it in Filipino. I couldn’t really hear it clearly, but everyone in the audience stood up and cheered. It must have been quite touching.  Later, he won the championship.  It turns out that these beauty pageants not only focus on appearance and figure, but also have very good adaptability in order to stand out in the competition.

Beauty pageant carnival: modified electric cars, instant tattoos

 In addition to LGBT beauty pageants, what impressed me deeply was the beauty pageant "Angasan Uno" held in April this year, which translated into Chinese roughly means "I am cool beauty pageant".  The organizer likes street culture very much and usually wears hip-hop clothes.  He combines street culture with beauty pageants. In addition to model pageants, there are also skateboard competitions, stunt bicycles, electric vehicle modifications, etc.  Some boys have changed the appearance of their electric cars to look more masculine, while some girls have changed their scooters to pink, which is very cute.

When I arrived at the scene that day, people in one area were busy all the time, and they felt that they were not interested in the beauty pageant or skateboarding competition.  It wasn't until late in the evening when they took the stage that I discovered that they were migrant tattooists.  One model's tattoo impressed me deeply. I could tell at a glance that he had tattooed a former NBA basketball star, Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen.  There is also a person who tattooed the weird-looking "Ghost Baby Chucky" on his body. Maybe he wanted to scare people, so he stabbed him on purpose, right?

Tattoos in the Philippines have a long history, and people don’t just think about gangsters getting tattoos.  There is a national treasure tattoo artist in the Philippines who is 100 years old. In his hometown, tourists can pay to visit, ask him to take photos, and even let him tattoo you.  This has become a tourist itinerary in the Philippines and a source of pride for Filipinos.

 Who sponsors the beauty pageant?

 Migrant workers need sponsorship and support to organize these beauty pageants.  They are financially strapped and after making money they usually send it back to their hometowns.  Some new residents sometimes provide financial support because they may have participated in similar competitions when they were young, and now they make money and donate to sponsor.  They have extensive experience in organizing beauty pageants and know how to work with sponsors, such as having official models display sponsors' products at string events.  I personally sponsored about 3,000 yuan, which was not much, but they later awarded me an award.  They welcome Taiwanese sponsorship in various names and ways.

 Aren’t disputes common between companies and migrant workers?  Perhaps companies can help improve their image by sponsoring funds or venues.  This will have a very positive impact on the migrant workers group.  Some larger companies have internal lecture halls, conference halls or auditoriums and other venues. If employees have Sunday off, the venues will be empty and can be rented to migrant workers for free. They will thank you and even award you with awards. , or let the company name the event.

Find Filipino identity in a familiar beauty pageant

 The greatest significance of these beauty pageants is that migrant workers can rediscover their identity as Filipinos in a foreign land.  They come to Taiwan as foreign migrant workers, and sometimes their supervisors will call the migrant workers by their numbers or nicknames. Over time, migrant workers also need to find themselves and their own space.  In this space, he does not need to play the role of operator, caregiver or fisherman, he is himself.

 I found that migrant workers in every country have their own ways of finding their own sense of identity.  For example, Indonesians may like Islamic prayers, Thais may pray at Buddhist temples, Vietnamese may like to play football and hold football matches, and Filipinos insist on finding identity through holding beauty pageants.  Because this is an activity that Filipinos are familiar with since childhood, if such a competition is held in Taiwan, they can be themselves in these familiar occasions.  Even if they have to work another shift the next day, once they are fully recharged, they will be more motivated to face life's challenges.