By Gilli Aquino

The glitz and glamour of drag culture has grown increasingly popular in the Philippines, with numerous drag bars, queer media and LBGTQIA+ Filipino artists now being brought into the spotlight — allowing audiences to bask in a multitude of stories inspiring a new generation of queer youth. However, underneath this vibrant exterior lies a long-winding history revealing generations of queer challanges and triumphs, all of which culminating into the symbol that drag stands for today.