Magdalena Disgrasya, Ipanalangin Mo Kami!
Words by: Myka Dineros
Make way, because drag is here to stay!
Just last March 24, 2024, Eng’gstravaganza: Drag Race was held as the final event of this year’s Engineering Week. The queens representing each participating organization battled it out at the UP Film Center. With fabulous runway lewks, entertaining lip-sync performances, and witty question-and-answer portions, the night was jam-packed as the queens of the UP College of Engineering gave it their all.
Among the Top 4 queens that made it to the final round is UP CURSOR’s very own Kylian Buton, donning the drag persona, Magdalena Disgrasya. Kylian, along with her friend Dean, and with assistance from drag parents Jia Pineda and Yuri Negrido, came up with the runway looks that would eventually bring UP CURSOR to the Top 4 spot.
The first look for the first prompt, Clock Clock Bitch!, was an angelic, “silver baddie” look, inspired by the overall Eng’g Week theme of Chronopolis, through its incorporation of clockwork and steampunk elements. The look was created using mostly recycled materials such as ring pulls and juice doypacks (thanks to the free drinks from Tackle 2024!). When asked what his favorite part of this look was, Yuri mentions the “chains na ginawang necklace using can ringpulls” which he also believed would have been better if not for the material constraints.
The look for the second prompt, Himagsikanivolity, was one that truly encapsulated the spirit of revolution through drag. The look was an alternative take on Mother Mary, most appropriate given the drag persona of Magdalena Disgrasya. The team wanted to give an homage to drag queen Pura Luka Vega’s depiction of Jesus Christ which opened up discussions about the scrutiny faced by drag artists and issues regarding the separation of the church and the state due to their arrest. Kylian adds that the looks are also drawn from her “religious trauma growing up.” If the look wasn’t impactful enough already, the standout piece of the look is revealed during the second runway of the drag race. The crowd cheered as Kylian strutted down the stage, revealing the words “DRAG IS NOT A CRIME” painted on her veil.
A lot went behind the process of bringing Magdalena Disgrasya’s immaculate looks to life. Yuri mentions that a lot of research went behind each look to ensure these three components: safety, weight, and if it looks good, especially from afar. When it came to the design process, Yuri adds, “Usually we list down details needed for each component such as if something needs to be shiny, it should be shiny or like which color dapat sha [sic] ganon.”
The team’s hard work paid off as Kylian owned the runway with each look and even managed to finish in 4th place, despite it being Kylian’s first time doing drag. Kylian says that “Absolute fortitute [sic] and countless days and nights of outfit brainstorming and production” is what helped them all prepare for the competition.
The experience was definitely an unforgettable one for a first-timer such as Kylian who mentions that her favorite part about being the representative drag queen of CURSOR was “The feeling of not being alone throughout the entire competition that my drag parents made sure I felt.” Surely the same can be said by Jia and Yuri, who are not new to being drag parents. Yuri mentions that a lot of props are to be given to Kylian since they (drag parents) are just there to support her.
“…big thank you to mz jia my co-parent. Ty kay zai, thea, kai(ron), joph, ishben, and ellian for helping to prod kahit d nmn cla prod. Ty sa backup dancers na nagvolunteer for the performance, kay manuel for the mix, and kay vic na naging spotlight tech. Ty sa eat that made sure na the outside stuff were handled so we can focus on drag stuff i.e. Ty comms aliyah n jian, ty rex alee and sheena marie, ty fin may pera kami, ty pub esp kay brill yushk jeff n ray for the poster and avp. Lastly ty prod for making our shit come to fruition, kay nix my cohead, and to my mems jay theo medwin cellin russ lej wendelle. And lastly ty sa org for believing in us and supporting the product that we came up with” — Yuri Negrido, Drag Parent
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