MUTYA ng Dabaw returns to the main stage after three years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It returns as a “fresh” pageant as it lifts the age limit for its contestants, providing more Dabawenyas a platform to promote their advocacies.
“We wanted to be inclusive to everyone, before we put an age bracket for candidates who wanted to join,” Jennifer Romero, Davao City Tourism Operations Office officer-in-charge, said.
“Karon, we allow 18 years old and above,” Imagine all the hopes being re-kindled following the announcement,” Romero added.
“We have done it [inclusivity] in Reyna Dabawenya, and we will also do it here,” Romero further added.
That had lit up Azucena Corazon Brown’s dreams of becoming a beauty queen again. Roughly 13 years since her last beauty pageant, it feels that her passion had motivated her to try and be ready to break barriers for this competition.
“Upon hearing the news, I feel something na naa gyu’y nibuto deep inside sa akong dughan (It feels like there’s something that made my heart beat faster), it’s like a rekindled candle...” Brown said, now a 31-year-old.
“To be honest [that time], I am really busy because I am a mother, I’ve been juggling responsibilities, being a mother, being an entrepreneur, and also a breadwinner of my family,” Brown added.
Roughly thirteen years later, she is back again, with a more experienced version of herself. She now calls herself a “transformational woman”, a quality she wants people to be associated with her.
“She is someone na dili (not) defined by age, na dili (not) defined by any social status or any stereotypes, na gina-dictate sa atoa sa (dictated by our) society,” she said when asked to define what a transformational woman is.
Built on her experiences and mistakes, she said she is who she is today “because of who she was yesterday and the past few decades.” She even takes the “mentor” role among her younger colleagues in the competition.
“I am actually doing it right now by coming out of my comfort zone,” Brown proudly said.
“Despite my advanced age, I am showing everybody na [ikaw pod], kaya nimo, (you can do it) not being bound by stereotypes, not allowing barriers to hinder pursuing what you think is good or right,” Brown added.
With this, the CTOO said they are “more than happy” to bring more inclusivity to the pageant, as it transitions into adopting more diverse women in their pageants.
“It is always our hope that the guidelines we set for Mutya ng Dabaw, having no age limit for aspiring candidates, shall be understood to promote inclusivity and that we do not condone social discrimination with regards to age,” Romero said.
Indeed, as beauty pageants transition to adapting diversity, Mutya ng Dabaw follows, a great first step for the organizers of the competition towards promoting inclusivity and diversity.
Mutya now celebrates beauty in all its forms, encourages women to embrace their unique qualities, and provides role models for women of all ages. It is a celebration of timeless beauty as well as a step toward a more accepting and inclusive society. ICE