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MANILA, Feb. 24 – Rodgil Flores takes a hard look at the master of the works as grimacing young women in bikinis roam one of the mirror-walled studios that is essential to make the Philippines a real juggernaut.
In 17-centimeter stilettos, students swing their hips between long slow strides. It is a brutal exercise that Flores asks them to repeat for the act of sashaying to become a pageant.
"For the crown. "For Country", this is the motto of Kagandahang Flores (Flores Beauty) studio that he created in 1996, the first of a handful of Filipino beauty training camps that have helped transform the country's historical heritage.
With the designation of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe 2018, the Philippines won their fourth title in what is considered the world's top beauty pageant.
Gray and 2015 winner Pia Wurtzbach were trained in beauty studios in the Philippines before winning their victories.
Success in the world of competitions can open doors to commercial work, film and modeling.
"The rise of the camps turned the Philippines into a central beauty pageant. What they did, is raise the level of pageant training, "Flores told AFP.
"Our evolution (in) a beauty contest superpower forces all the Philippines in international competition to extend this series," added the 50-year-old athlete.
The Manila beauty camps are effectively creating a production chain of Miss Universe crown suitors. Their students come from the circuit of local beauty competitions in the country, then hone their skills to reach the next level.
Melba Ann Macasaet, 25, Miss Philippines hopeful in 2019, took an extended leave from her government pharmacist job to join the Flores beauty studio.
It took him two weeks and several mistakes to master his iconic stride, duck walk.
"I have been competing since I was 15 years old. I think all the girls in the pageant dream of being able to do it, "she said.
It will take about a month before she knows if she managed to participate in the contest, which is expected to take place in June, according to organizers.
Patriotism and pageantry
The training camp for beauty is held six days a week and the sessions often extend until midnight.
Around 200 hopefuls a year participate in Flores' studio training, which includes gym workouts, make-up clbades and duck walk exercises.
There are also formal clbades where students take part in simulations of historical reenactments, learning to give concise answers to thorny questions about world peace and equality, usually asked of candidates.
Training is free for the Philippines, which camp organizers usually recruit from provincial competitions. The benefactors of the beauty industry are responsible for covering the costs and many people give their time to help shape what they hope to become future champions.
"We do not win anything, but we do it through pbadion for beauty pageants," said Arnold Mercado, director and personality development coach of Aces & Queens, the other leading camp in the Philippines.
Mercado, 51, left his engineering position for an oil company after 28 years to devote full time to preparing for historical re-enactments. He counts Wurtzbach and Gray among those he advised.
"We are very fortunate here in the Philippines to be surrounded by extraordinary teams of people who will raise you as you get ready," Gray told reporters Wednesday.
Before the start of the training camps in Manila, the country's competitors, Miss Universe and Miss World, were sent to train in similar camps in Venezuela and Colombia, which have also been a constant success.
This was a major expense in a country where 21% of the population lives on less than 2 USD (RM8.15) a day and getting a visa can be tricky.
Ric Galvez, general coordinator of Missosology.org, a pageant resource website based in the Philippines, said the competitions had a deeper cultural resonance for Filipinos.
The events refer to the annual reenactments of performances held for centuries in village and city festivals.
In the Philippines, beauty queens are remembered as royalty-bearers and often take a public stand on key social issues.
In the Miss Universe contest, Gray is in favor of marijuana for medical purposes, which some lawmakers say has helped advance legislation to legalize cannabis-containing drugs in the Philippines. .
Galvez said: "Filipinos expect their beauty queens to advice on matters of national interest." – AFP
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