A different kind of pageant in Baguio

BAGUIO PAGEANT Women, like this contestant in photo, gamely answered questions about safe sex, reproductive health and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases during a pageant in Baguio City. They were bar workers, who created lavish headdresses using indigenous affordable materials for the Ms Babes pageant, one of the city government’s AIDS awareness programs. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

BAGUIO CITY—Seven women vying for the “Ms Babes” beauty title paraded on the catwalk minus the skimpy swimwear but revealing to judges what they know about reproductive health issues.

“We wanted to show that just because they work in bars, it does not mean that they have to show flesh,” said Allan Bandoy, president of the Baguio Association of Bars and Entertainment Society.

The pageant, held last week without the swimsuit and sportswear portions, starred beautiful and articulate women working in bars in the summer capital. It was co-organized by the AIDS Watch Council (AWAC) in celebration of World AIDS Day.

A college student, identified only as “Ms Klex1,” topped the competition.

Asked by a judge about the importance of winning, she said: “The essence of winning this pageant is to deliver the message of this celebration—social awareness on HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome). I will use my title to touch lives by keeping [true to] my values, being confident, and sharing my knowledge on [reproductive health].”

The contestants were also asked to comment about the environment and tourism in the city.

They were aware of the debates surrounding beauty contests, with women’s groups showing disdain because these competitions, they noted, “objectify women,” said Dr. Celia Brillantes, chief of the city social hygiene clinic.

Staging the contest is one of the ways to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS and correct misconceptions about people working in bars and night clubs, Brillantes said.

“We want to fight the stigma, the stereotyping that bar owners and entertainers endure,” she said.

The AWAC has registered 1,005 male and female entertainers and 65 entertainment bars and nightclubs in the city.

Brillantes said the winners would not only represent local bars but they could be tapped as “ambassadors” for the environment and tourism.

No bar worker in the city has contracted HIV/AIDS in the past 12 years, city records showed. But Brillantes said her office had so far recorded six HIV patients, including five males, this year.

She said health workers were promoting “clean entertainment” in bars here, meaning that bar workers were “limited to talking with customers.”

“They should not go beyond that; no sexual relationship,” she said.

“They are women of dignity and they work hard to put food on the table,” said Marita Viloria, executive director of Kalinga Ministry, a nongovernment organization which helps bar workers and entertainers in the city.

Many of these women are college students or are studying under the government’s alternative learning system, Viloria said. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon