The 2-weekend-long celebration of the Philippine Independence day ended tonight. With a great bash, the Filipino community of Arizona gathered around to celebrate the ideals of Philippine freedom. 

The program and the ceremonies were rife with all sorts of Filipino tradition. From the singing of the two anthems to the talent show that followed; to the key note speech from the Attorney General ; down to the coronation of the Binibining Pilipinas – the presentations were entertaining and sincere.

I sat in awe as a few regular looking “Juans” brought to life the historical highlights for Philippine independence. It was a great history class: with lights, costumes, and dialogue. The best part about this class though, was that there were no tests to follow – enjoying history for history’s sake, participative and highly entertaining. 

I came to this particular affair by invitation from the PNAAZ president Tita Macbeth Torno. There was not a lot of fuss about it, just take the ticket, pay the forty dollars, and show up at the 44th Street Marriot, Saturday at 1800. Being a full pledged (albeit obedient) PNAAZ member that I am, I obliged.  I was off that day, and I have met a few new friends from the organization.

So though I had four hundred pages of pathophysiology to read, a quiz to boot and a fifteen page paper due next week for my masters class, I joined Janine and Karen in table 25, resolute on having as much fun as we 20-30 year olds were allowed. And then the pageant began…

Five young ladies (aged fourteen to eighteen as I was told) came on-stage wearing what I thought were prom dresses. This was not the first time I laid eyes on these girls, I recognized them from a week ago as the Philippine Independence Day celebrations commenced. The Binibining Pilipinas competitions began at the ASU West campus with a showcase of these ladies’ talents and a brief ‘question-and-answer-portion’ as we Pinoys like to call it. Tonight they were judged for their ability to present themselves well wearing evening gowns.

One of the things I am quite known for, in the small social circle I call family, is my unconventional stance on feminism and my sometimes more unconventional perspective on life. I like to call them progressive; some people simply say that it is liberal.

Imagine the shock I gave this paper’s publisher when I told her I was interested in writing about the Binibining Pilipinas pageant. I was prepared for a gaze of utter surprise, but she looked quite alarmed… if not distressed. It was a Kodak-color-moment. I don’t always get that from editors, I was partly amused… it made me pause for thought.

 The organizers of this pageant are worth commending. Theirs was not a simple task. Soliciting time and effort from parents and young women to volunteer their time and effort in a public competition for beauty, talent and smarts are duties easier said than done.

The skills required in persuading, encouraging and coordinating these young women and their parents to spend money on dresses and on make-up, then asking them to come up with a talent show piece can be very daunting, as it is time-consuming. Volunteering for such activities is not for the faint of heart. I must say that the candidates, their parents and the pageant leaders have made great sacrifices, and thus deserve our respect and appreciation.

It then begs the question… what now? As Ms. Jazreen de Guzman wears the crown for 2008 Binibining Pilipinas- Arizona, what does that mean for her and us? What are we truly celebrating? In this age of iphones and ipods… are beauty pageants still relevant?

The quick answer for me is no. Beauty pageants are the stuff that women like myself are at odds with. At the end of the day, most beauty pageants are just such… beauty pageants – a competition among women to find who possesses the most acceptable, most conventional, most appealing face and body. What do we really expect sixteen-year-olds to understand about being an ambassador between two cultures?

 Although that may be my quick answer, it is not necessarily the right one. Here’s more food for thought.

Filipino women are among the most hardworking, smart, and practical in the world. Pinays have found success for themselves in most major industries on earth. Melchora Aquino was never heralded for great beauty, yet the Filipino nation pays her homage for the critical role she played in advancing our freedom. Jose Rizal wrote about all archetypes of women, but his letter  ”To the Young Women of Malolos” exemplified his sentiment on the important role women played in the revolution… progressive even for his time.

Corazon Aquino, Lea Salonga, Cecile Licad, Dr. Fe del Mundo, Aimee Carandang and Magdalena Jalandoni are just a few names that belong to a prestigious circle of Filipino women who were firsts. Filipino women were among the first in Asia to earn their voting rights, a testament to the recognition of their inalienable value in Philippine society.

Jazreen de Guzman has been granted a unique privilege. As society continues to redefine the meaning of beauty, she (among hundreds of young Filipino-American women like her) faces a great number of choices as she takes each uneasy step after another into adulthood.

My hope is that each one of these young Filipino-American women from Arizona find their niche in whatever field of expertise they choose. May they let no one define who or what they could become. (Maybe a Filipino-American may succeed where Hillary Clinton failed.) They are young Americans…. the possibilities are endless.

 Competitions such as the Binibining Pilipinas-Arizona may remain relevant. Their definition and future direction lies heavily on the rest of us. Let us not be mere spectators, let us spur these young women on to become all that they are… and more.

Beauty pageants need not be just about a pretty face, a great body, and smarts. Binibining Pilipinas, wherever in the world she might be, rests on a grand tradition of women who find success in politics, in literature, in healthcare, in business, in the arts, and every conceivable expertise. 

 In fact, these young Filipino-American women were smart enough to know that being a cultural ambassador had nothing to do with “world peace”.