Finally, I write again. It's not that there hasn't been anything going on in my life that's worth writing about. It's just that after a 10-day leave, I was so eager to work again that I haven't found the time to simultaneously sit, reflect, and type into my computer. Oh, I sit all the time, but that doesn't mean I'm reflecting. I reflect all the time--while riding on the way home, while waiting in line at the grocery, while taking a shower, while eating, while... But today, I find myself seated in front of my computer, reflecting, finally.

Enough about that.

***

It's been more than a month now after Kadayawan and, still, people have been asking me, "So how did your pageant go?"

Well, here's my answer for the benefit of the curious:

The Hiyas sa Kadayawan was a 10-day vacation for me.

For ten days, I stayed at a room in Linmar Apartelle with my 11 other Hiyas "housemates" (co-contestants). I was staying at an airconditiioned room with cable TV and hot shower, with nothing to think about but myself. Every morning, we'd wake up, have our breakfast (delivered to our rooms), take our showers, and put on makeup. Then, we'd attend some Kadayawan affair, after which we would go back to Linmar and rest. In the evenings, we'd have rehearsals of sorts or another event to "grace".

For the first time in my life as a citizen of Davao City, I was able to enjoy, I mean REALLY enjoy, the Kadayawan Festival. We were able to watch the Fluvial Float Parade, PMA Silent Drill, Sayaw Mindanaw Indigenous Dance Festival, Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan, and the Floral Float Parade.

Every meal was a treat for the tastebuds. We must've gone to more than fifteen restaurants for lunch and dinner. One would think that the pageant organizers would want their contestants trim and slim on the pageant night--but NOOO. By the way they were feeding us, it was as if they were fattening hogs for a county fair.

***

About the boys,  I think I speak in behalf of all my female counterparts when I say we didn't mind having them in the pageant.

In the first place, the pageant guidelines specifically said: "male or female, single or married,  18 and above." In the second place, it's not your ordinary beauty contest. It was not a battle between beautiful faces. Rather, it was a competition primarily of modeling skills (how well one carries the designer's creations). A minor criteria was communication skills (the ability to promote the Kadayawan Festival to tourists). In short, it was a pageant designed to promote Kadayawan and the industries that are particularly linked to the festival, namely fashion and floriculture.

It would be sexist to say that only girls are capable of modeling and speaking. Well, at least, that's MY opinion.

Having the guys around was fun. It felt like we were a barkada on a trip rather than a competition.

When the controversy sprung because of Councilor Zozobrado's comment that he had a "nightmare that a Hiyas was crowned and he was male", everyone was deeply affected. There was pressure coming from the government sector (especially the Mayor) to kick the three guys out of the competition. We felt this to be extremely unfair, especially since

1. the guys had already invested a lot of their time and effort in the competition and
   
2. the designers and florists had already prepared their avante garde, wearable, and floral creations for the show.

The Hiyas sa Kadayawan group had a meeting and we concurred that the best alternative was to simply cancel the competition. The show would go on, of course. We would still model the designers' and florists' creations  but no Hiyas would be crowned. We would just split the prize money equally among 12 contestants. After all, the primary reason why the pageant was conceptualized is because models were needed for the fashion and floral creations.

Thus, we came out with a public statement of our withdrawal from the competition two days before the pageant night at the Kapehan sa Dabaw press conference.

The decision elicited surprise from the press and sighs of relief from the Hiyas contestants. It was a big burden off our shoulders as the competition was off. Phew!

A day after our public statement, "Mamu" Id Acaylar (the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Foundation, Inc. chair and pageant organizer) was forced to resign from his post as Head of the City Tourism Office. By the city mayor's orders, the pageant was to continue but the boys were disqualified from the competition.

This news, delivered by Miss Patmei Ruvivar to the group, was severely disorienting. I, as well as most of my companions, had my mind set already that there would be no competition. It was an emotional moment. Now, the pressure was even greater due to all the distress caused by the sudden and multiple changes of plans. It was a big blow to all, especially the boys, but we had no choice. I had to restrain myself in order not to speak words of intense disdain to a person of authority, who then accused us of being "mukhang pera" once I raised the issue of indemnification for the guys who faced what, in my opinion, was public humiliation.

So this is what it's like to be caught in the middle of political controversy. Who knew that such a mundane thing as a pageant could threaten authorities enough such that they meddle into affairs of the private sector? What's worse is that we were made to believe that our opinions counted. They asked us to make a decision, only to be overturned without consultation.

Politics. Humbug.

*** 

On the final night, we all did as we ought. We modeled (1) floral headdresses and bouquets, and (2) avante garde and modern wearable creations made out of indigenous materials. There was a Q&A portion and I'm proud to say I answered the question with neither a flinch nor a glitch in grammar.

 

Kitten was crowned Hiyas that night. No runners-up were declared. (Ask me how I fared.) From the summated prize money of Php 175,000, we all received equal talent fees of exactly Php 14,583.33. Doc Neil (of Oroderm) was kind enough to give us Php 10,000 worth of services each, redeemable in all Oroderm branches. That's enough to finance my facials, foot spas and body scrubs for more than a year! (Not bad at all in Davao City standards!)

 

 

 

*** 

Ultimately, the Hiyas experience is priceless.

I got a much needed, 10-day vacation (all-expense-paid); I made 11 new friends; And that's one more entry in my portfolio of experiences to remember for a lifetime.