CEBU, Philippines – For fear of violating the provincial ordinance against pornographic and indecent shows, a beauty pageant in barangay Bateria, Daanbantayan cut the swimsuit competition portion last Friday evening.
The organizer said they have already prepared the swimsuit competition portion even before the Easter Sunday controversy in Santa Fe town in Bantayan Island. However, barangay councilor Carla Cometa, who heads the executive committee, said that they decided to cut the portion to avoid the consequences of showing it to the public.
Cometa said that Mayor Sun Shimura also requested them not to include the swimsuit competition for fear that it would be interpreted as indecent show.
The omission of the swimsuit portion was announced by the host Nardy Gimongala before the start of the pageant, telling the audience that it could no longer be seen especially by men who were waiting for it following the strict implementation of provincial ordinance.
The Women’s Development Code of Cebu states that “beauty contests which tend to commodify, abuse, humiliate and treat women as sex objects shall be strictly prohibited in schools, communities and barangays.”
The organizer replaced the swimsuit portion with the “hippy attire” competition which shows the old fashion of women sometime in the 70s to 80s. He was worried that photo shots or a video clip will reach Governor Gwen Garcia that will be used in filing charges against them.
It was learned that barangay captain Arsenio Luciano of Bateria is not in good relationship with the organizers and majority of barangay councilors who are allied with Shimura and Vice Mayor Maria Luisa Loot. — Gregg M. Rubio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)