Home | To bottom

Women’s group still finds Ms. Baguio Extreme abusive

BAGUIO CITY (Oct. 12) — The first ever Miss Baguio Extreme was not spared from the ire of the Innabuyog-Gabriela, an organization advancing women’s rights.

Organizers of the Miss Baguio Extreme proudly introduced a new concept of beauty pageants during the weekly Kapihan on October 12, saying that the pageant’s main attraction would be athletic skills, doing away with the usual swimwear competition.

Organizers say this activity would promote sports as well as the city’s tourist attractions.

However, Innabuyog Secretary General Vernie Yocogan-Diano in an interview stressed that removing the swimwear competition and adding sports events does not change the exploitative nature of beauty pageants.

Diano stressed that exploitation is not limited to wearing skimpy swimwear; the fact that the contestants are used to promote tourism and other business interests sponsoring the pageant is still a form of exploitation.

“Why not hold a simple sports fest without the usual parade of women as main attraction. It is not what they wear but the way they are regarded,” she said.

The pageant is a month long series of sports events. The previous week, the 16 contestants finished the track and field games, billiards, bowling, golf and darts events. The challenges are set in the different tourist spots in the city.

The contestants will be judged according to 30% beauty, 30% brains and 40% brawn. The grand coronation day will be on October 30 at the Country Club’s CAP Convention Center. # Kimberlie Quitasol and Ge-Ann Malicdem for NORDIS

Home | Back to top