DAVAO City will hold the first beauty pageant for transgender women, Reyna Davaoeña 2019, in celebration of the LGBTQ community's eighth year.

Sponsored by the City Mayor's Office (CMO), the event will be as prestigious as the Mutya ng Davao pageant with the grand winner going home with a cash prize of P200,000 during the coronation night set on March 8, 2019 at the Almendras Gym Davao City Recreation Center.

The runner-up will receive P150,000 while the third placer will claim P100,000. Consolation prizes will also be given to non-winners.

Currently, there are over 50 aspiring candidates who joined but only 30 will be chosen as the official candidates after the first screening set for Saturday, February 23, 2019, at 1 p.m. at The Madeline Boutique Hotel and Suites.

The screening is open to all transgender women who are currently residing in Davao or at least a resident for at least a year prior to February 18, 2019.

Interested applicants must be 18 to 28 years old and identified as a transgender woman.

In a press conference at the Davao City Hall conference room, event coordinator Wadab Babao said, "This particular pageant is only for transwomen, under the category of LGBTQ community. Hindi po makakasali ang lesbians natin for this. Particularly it's for transwomen. Ma-araw man o gabi, babae talaga siya, babae-looking."

He also said that candidates will be wearing sexy but not too revealing dresses during the pageant as Mindanao casual clothing will be the inspiration of the event.

It was approved by the City Mayor’s Office and the event organizers that there will be no swim wear or swimsuits during the pageant.

The winner will become one of the ambassadors of the LGBTQ community. (Grace Yu, UM Intern)