Hola Hong Kong!!!

Wala pa naman 🤗

1.) The reason why I asked Q1 was because informed consent is one of the things that are violated (sometimes UNINTENTIONALLY) kasi unang-una is language barrier. Second, the outfits of the candidates here in the PH will be kept a secret until the actual show (element of surprise/PASABOG) which is okay. But when MMD revealed the BTS of her finals gown, MMD did not mention that she actually went to Buscalan as part of the prep or made a tedious cultural research regarding the gown. Although Mark B mentioned that prior to the MU stint, he went to Buscalan to get a tattoo for himself and that trip inspired him to create the black gown, but it did not specify that they went as far as having professionals or people from the Butbut tribe to interview to truly know the signficance of every tattoo. Did they consult National Historical Commission of the Philippines or the NCCA or other agencies that protect IP culture about this etc...? I know MMD and the entire team is really coming from the right intentions, but the reason why I had to raise this question is that para yung mga susunod na candidates ay maging careful sa kanilang research and execution. Besides, kung meron mang nagpi-pioneer ng tamang pag-trato sa kultura ng ating mga IPs, ay dapat tayo yung mga Filipino mismo, and a part of that includes a very deep research and even Memorandum of Agreements that will intentionally protect the IPs and their culture. Kasi diba isipin niyo, hindi basta-basta pwede ituro ni Whang Od yung tatoo art kung kanino lang. Dapat part ka ng tribe and alam natin na mga relatives ni Whang Od lang yung napasahan/naturuan ng traditional design and technique. And just because you can find the designs in Google, hindi din tama na basta-basta kino-copy lang yung design ng mga IPs and sasabihin lang na "inspiration". Ganoon kahalaga YUNG INFORMED CONSENT, hindi lang ni Whang Od kundi pati ng community niya sa Buscalan kasi hindi lang naman si Whang Od yung may tattoo. At hindi rin si Whang Od yung may-ari or may identity na ganong tattoo bec the tattoo art can be considered as owned by the tribe and not Whang Od only.

2.) As for the Q2, karugtung din to ng 1. But I would like to focus on the possible counter-arguments for this question. I know most of you would argue and say, "Eh bakit si Catriona? Hindi naman siya taga Visayas, pero bakit may pintados siya sa Natcos niya?". "Eh bakit nga ako, taga-Maynila, may tattoo from Buscalan, pamangkin pa ni Whang od (or mismong si Whang Od) nagtattoo sakin. Di naman ako part ng tribe, may foreigners din na hindi naman part ng tribe, bakit yun hindi kinekwestyun? Okay bago ang lahat, hindi ako kalaban dito. Hear me out... Si Catriona, for the category ng National Costume, okay lang yun na may pintados saknya. Nakita din naman natin na talagang may mga tao from each island group siyang ininterview at para masigurado nya na properly represented lahat ng isasama sa NatCos nya. At again, since Philippine sash yung suot niya, tama lang na anything from LuzViMinda yung irerepresent nya sa NatCos Category. Also the Lava gown, her roots are really connected to Albay so we cannot question that. Dito naman sa may tattoo ka from Buscalan kahit hindi ka part ng tribe ---- First i would like to emphasize the fact that sometimes, the line between Cultural Appreciation and Cultural Appropriation is blurred. Aminin mo, majority ng nagpapatattoo sa Buscalan is hindi naman dahil alam talaga nila yung significance ng culture, pero dahil cool and clout chasing lang. In fact, if we truly want to be cultural sensitive and advocate for cultural preservation, sometimes the best option is not to get a tattoo because pag marami ng may ganoong tattoo, the significance of the designs will eventually lose its value. Im not saying you shouldnt get a tattoo from their tribe, but if you want to get one, there as to be DEEPER CONSIDERATIONS than just joining the bandwagon. Yung pagfeature nga kay Whang Od sa Vogue has to be done carefully as well eh, kasi yung Cultural App nga yung iniiwasan.. And again, dito papasok yung Q1 about informed consent. Kasi pag tina-tattoo-an ka even if hindi ka part ng tribe, aware and andon yung consent ng tattoo artist at compensated yung tattoo artist. Pero when it comes to "inspiration", ito yung mahirap... Also, unlike Catriona who had direct roots in Albay, MMD doesnt have one. Plus, representing a volcano or a fruit is not the same as representing an exclusive tattoo technique from a certain tribe. Fruits can be consumed and sold just by anyone, but a traditional art and practice should not be if you are not part of the tribe or if without their consent. Though MMD emphasized that what she represented was Apo Whang OD the person, hindi natin maaalis sa discussion yung "tattoo" themselves kasi yun ung flamboyant design sa gown nya, which again is not just technically owned by Whang Od but by the entire tribe themselves. I think one of the representations of this tattoo design that I have no questions was Joemay Leo from Benguet (sana tama spelling ng name). Kasabayan siya ni MMD sa MUPH 2023, a mother, and she also represented Benguet. She did not went as far in the competition to give enough exposure to her tattoo gown (but it think she won NatCos showcasing gulays and tattoo as well) . But her gown is same ng atake which is tribal tattoo, and we cannot question that because Ms. Leo is truly a part of Benguet and these tattoos are truly part of the Cordilleran culture. But with MMD kasi, ayun nga, wala naman siya connection doon... Some Cordillerans loved the way MMD represented it, but I know some people who cringed about it.... Again, finish ang usapan kung sana may permission or informed consent to use si MMD from the tribe and Apo WHang Od herself. Kung si Taylor Swift nga covered yung songs and even simple phrases like "Cause We Never Go Out of Style" ng trademark eh, and you cannot just use her art without her permission or payment, how much more for an art with so much cultural significance like Whang Od's. (Though i hope the cultural agencies in the PH have solutions for this as well). Bottomline, all people in the Butbut Tribe are Filipinos, but not all Filipinos are a part of that tribe. Just because pareho kaming Filipino, and despite me wearing a PH Sash, it does not mean that I could just use a tribe's art in my evening gown without direct connection to it or even consent. Pero malay natin meron namang agreement or consent kineme si mareng MMD with Whang Od and the tribe, edii okay! Sana lang ichicka nya para alam din natin hahaha para maging example sa mga susunod na candidates and brands. :)

3.) Lastly, compensation is important. Again, hindi naman fruit or anumang object na anywhere in the PH lang makikita yung ni-represent ni MMD, kundi Person ito or let's say DISTINCT ART ng person/tribe. And in my POV, covered yun ng trademark or intellectual property rights or anything na nagpoprotekta sa art ng tribe. With MMD's gown, we could confidently say na tumaas yung brand value niya dahil don, as well as Mark B. saying that his works for MMD can be considered as the highlight of his career, therefore opening them up for more projects in the future. Pero yung community ng Butbut Tribe who owns the art represented in the gown, ano kaya yung benefit nila aside from the influx of tourist? And with paying homage to Whang Od, a lot of people might argue na "ayaw mo noon, mas nakilala si Whang Od internationally and mas dadami yung magpapa-tattoo sa kanya etc.". Yes that's one benefit na makukuha ni Whang Od, pero IF this design is really protected with some sort of Memorandum of Agreement and done so ethically, then Whang Od and her community would gain so much more benefit than just popularity. So I know, a lot of you would say na "andami namang hanash". But technically ganoon talaga if we are talking about culture. This comment is becoming lengthy na, but at the end of it, i hope it's taken constructively. This comment is not meant to antagonize or bash MMD and her team. This is also not meant to cause divisiveness or bitterness. But this was purposely made for the next pageant contenders as well, which I'm sure will think of their own pasabogs and other cultural kineme. While we encourage creativity and cultural appreciation and love, i hope that the susunod pasabogs will not become a door for future harm and exploitation of IP culture. Ayun lang... if you want to read more, may nahanap akong article which is a good read! www.igorotage.com/blog/michelle-dee-miss-universe-whang-od-gown

Finallyyyyy, may nagsabi rin

Valid points raised 👌

Haiiiii

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk then I smudged a matte red Revlon lip crayon in the middle 😉

@@TitaLavinia OMG THANK U TITA 🙏🏻✨

I only eat lobsters, salmon, crabs and scallops 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 huhuhu

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