Catching Up with the Drag Den Season 2 Queens

CEBU, Philippines — Drag artists Deja, Mrs. Tan, and Moi Taura owe their careers to provincial drag queens.

After competing in the second season of “Drag Den with Manila Luzon” on Prime Video last year – where Deja won as Filipino’s Next Drag Supreme, while Mrs. Tan and Moi placed first and second runner-up, respectively – they embarked on a nationwide tour to spotlight thriving drag scenes across the Philippines.

Just in time for Sinulog fever, Cebu became their latest stop, where fellow Drag Den alum and Cebu’s representative Maria Lava joined them as headliners at this year’s “Dragdagulan na sa Sinulog.” Held January 11 at Cave Cebu Bar, the event saw them performing alongside local drag queens Stormiii Lava, Gravana Lava, Melat Morningstar, Crystal Clare, Diana Fab, and Miss Jo.

“We wanted to give platforms to the provincial drag scenes that are not as mainstream as the Manila drag scene,” said Deja, who is from Baguio, in an interview with The FREEMAN backstage after the show.

“We want to highlight how powerful provincial drag queens are. Every drag culture in the Philippines is different from each other, so it’s nice to see how they approach drag and how amazing it is to see them thrive.”

Added Mrs. Tan, who represented Laguna: “Cebu is our farthest stop so far except for Moi, since she’s from Bacolod. We are so thankful to the Cebuano drag fans for showing us love. It was such a surreal experience because it was raining earlier, yet they still showed up. Our hearts were so full.”

For someone who hails from the province and has been to multiple places, Moi has seen how each drag culture is intertwined with its location. “There are so many talented drag artists in the provinces who are underrated and don’t have the same platform as we do. I am grateful that we’ve created something that gives local queens the platform they deserve,” said Moi.

Moi also sees similarities between the drag scenes of Cebu and Bacolod, particularly in the challenges they face.

“Both scenes struggle when it comes to platforms for promotion. There are only a few bars that cater to the queer community. I can’t compare them directly, but I will say both scenes have incredibly talented queens who are underrated and deserve the spotlight.”

It was an honor for Maria Lava to welcome her fellow Drag Den contestants to her home turf.

“I don’t see myself touring like them, and I admire them for it. But I do see myself welcoming new local drag queens into the scene, and those who aren’t from Cebu. I think that’s one of my goals to help flourish the Cebu drag scene,” she said. “Moi has experienced the warmth of Cebu drag before, and now Mrs. Tan and Deja have, too.”

Life After Drag Den

Beyond their advocacy of promoting local drag scenes, Mrs. Tan and Deja are booked and busy with post-Drag Den projects.

Mrs. Tan plays Daisy in TV5’s pre-noontime drama “Ang Himala ni Niño”, which airs every weekday before “Eat Bulaga.”

“I play a queer character whose story is different from mine, which I am honored to portray,” she said. “It’s a family-oriented show that features a queer character. For a daytime series, that’s a big deal.”

Meanwhile, Deja participated in “Kalokalike: Face 4”, where she impersonated “It’s Showtime” host Vice Ganda and finished as a semi-finalist.

“I was so surprised that Meme already knew me!” Deja recalled. “Before my appearance that day, Vice didn’t know she’d have an impersonator. While she was interviewing me, she mentioned that I was the winner of Drag Den Season 2.”

With these post-Drag Den successes, do Deja and Mrs. Tan see themselves pursuing showbiz long-term?

“If the door is open, we’ll step inside,” Deja jested. “I want to be someone who represents the gay community, like how Meme did for me. It’s free to dream big.”

Mrs. Tan, meanwhile, teased an upcoming project featuring “well-known drag queens,” though details remain under wraps.

“Before, drag was seen as a lesser art form. Now, it’s taking up space in the media and Filipino pop culture,” Mrs. Tan added. “That’s a big deal for the queer community, especially for young ones who can now see themselves in us.”

For the Visayans like Moi and Lava, however, showbiz isn’t something they see themselves pursuing yet due to their professions.

Moi plans to take a break from drag to focus on her board exams and earn her license as a teacher. She graduated from the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod with a degree in secondary education, majoring in social studies.

“When I did Drag Den, I had to put my studies on hold. Now that the show is done, I can focus on the board exams before anything else,” Moi said.

“I was given a lot of opportunities, but in Drag Den, I mentioned my advocacy for a better education system. I can’t live up to that goal without fully committing to it. That’s why I need to focus on my education first,” she added.

As for Lava, she can’t “detach” herself from the corporate world. When she’s not doing drag, she works as an HR manager while also serving as Cave’s creative director, in addition to being one of its frequent performers.

“I enjoy my job as an HR manager, and I enjoy drag, too, as a hobby. Thankfully, we have drag shows every weekend at Cave,” Lava said. “I’m just happy to have work. I can’t leave the job I’ve had for years, and I don’t see myself doing drag full-time.”

Lava clarified that despite the busy work schedule, drag remains one of her main commitments.

“Before, the Cebu drag scene was represented by either me through Drag Den or Nicole Pardaux from Drag Race Philippines. Now, we have newbie drag queens making this community bigger. Everyone has the opportunity to be a Cebuana drag queen. We even have a competition at Cave every month to highlight new queens. It’s one of my new callings, which is to inspire and uplift them,” she said.

When asked if they’d consider competing in a future iteration of Drag Race Philippines, the four agreed it would depend on the right timing.

“When I joined Drag Den, it wasn’t planned or set in stone for me,” Mrs. Tan said. “It just so happened to be the right time because I got to meet my sisters for life. So we’ll see if the right time comes for me to join Drag Race.”

Mrs. Tan also expressed openness to joining an All-Stars edition of Drag Den, should it ever happen.

Deja added, “Time will tell, right? I just want to share my drag. If audiences want me to join Drag Race, why not? But it depends on timing, especially with where my career is right now.”

For Lava, a Drag Race Philippines run would be an opportunity to redeem herself and the Cebu drag scene. Both she and Pardaux were the first to be eliminated from their respective competitions as Cebu’s representatives.

“…because people assume that if you go out first, you’re the least talented,” Lava said. “Among the four of us, I feel like I have the most reason to join.”

Whether they join another competition or not, Mrs. Tan emphasized that reality TV shouldn’t entirely define a drag artist’s career.

“I don’t want Drag Den or Drag Race to be the peak of a drag artist’s journey,” she said. “We can achieve so much even outside of reality TV because drag is that powerful now.”