In the inaugural episode of "Drag Mo Pandarko," hosts Pura Luka Vega and Virginia Please introduce the show’s mission to spread joy, love, and LGBTQIA+ acceptance through drag makeovers. They welcome volunteer Aldrin Nagapito, a 31‑year‑old photographer and former cosplayer from Bulacan, who seeks a transformation. The conversation explores Aldrin’s background, the differences between drag and cosplay, the financial and material costs of drag (wigs, makeup, costumes), and the importance of asking for and respecting pronouns. The hosts and guest discuss the historical and cultural contexts of makeup, challenging the notion that makeup is solely feminine and framing both makeup and gender as social constructs. They reference anti‑discrimination legislation in the Philippines and emphasize drag as an inclusive form of self‑expression. Inspired by 1980s singer Angela Bofill, Aldrin adopts the drag persona "Angela Volpes" (also called Angela Bopes) and is revealed after a makeover. The episode concludes with a call for donations and subscriptions to view the full performance, reinforcing community support and the show’s inclusive ethos.
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Welcome to our show. I am Pura Luka Vega. Welcome, Virginia, please. And from USA, San Francisco, California. And you're from QC. And we are here at Iko lang. I'm known for that. I'm known for that. So yeah, so I'm Virginia Please from San Francisco and I am Pura Luka Vega from the beautiful city of stars, Quezon City. Welcome po sa amin show na pinamakatang drag mo pandarko. Kaliyon pandarko ba 'to?
Pandark natin.
Okay, bakit matai nandito?
We are here actually to spread joy and love through the art of drag. So this is really just a makeover show. We are here to spread the magic of drag by putting guests in drag who may not be well-versed in drag.
Yes. Bakit mga expert ba tayo?
Siempre hindi. Wala nang makamipakayalam ko expert kami.
Okay, ang amin is we have a dream. We have a wig, makeup, clothes, and a dream.
Yeah, yun lang ang puhunan to be successful in this world.
Sabi mo ako, nina, para po sa latito. Hindi kaylang magiging LGBTIA+ ka.
Bakla?
Ah, ah, ah. Pwede ka magiging straight, magiging nanay, tatay kuya, tricycle driver lahat. Kung interesado kayo magdrag. Italy.
No, we have so much love and joy to share, so why not share it, right?
And your ulterior motive, then, ulterior motive. Acceptance towards LGBTQIA+. Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Volunteer. Correct.
Fulfilling, makeup, wig, sapatos, magbibigay sha. But we will help you realize that fantasy. Yeah, sorry.
Anyways, back to our first guest.
Yes, let's call on our first guest.
He's none other than Aldrin.
Hello, I'm Aldrin Nagapito. I'm 31 years old and I'm from the rising city of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan. I just love transformation.
First volunteer na mag-drag, si Aldrin! Oh my God! Thank you for coming.
I know, actually I met Aldrin as one of the photographers for our event at the time. It was hosted in Harong. It's from HREPC. They're— uh, anyway, he is a really good photographer friend of mine. And in that short time, friends Mentioned.
First time encounter about drag, first time encounter is your—
to make this story short, Dun sa call center and lagging.
So you call center na yon malapit sa O-Bar.
So alam na nang iba yon.
So hindi maganda yung anonila don de ba?
So yon, na intriga ako kasi naikita ko yung ibang drag queens mula dun sa pagmay makeup nila yung ang kan dun sa yon yung lalabas sa sila sa stage. I just love transformation.
Oh, okay.
Um, cosplay before, so I love everything about cosplay, characters. You know, expensive drag queen, from wigs, makeup, accessories. So Yoon, what are you holding back from doing drag?
Well, Ako, honestly, you already have experience in transformation. For me, before I became a drag queen, I was a cosplayer. So I know that I'm not that good at cosplay in a way, in doing drag. My question is, is it harder to cosplay?
It's harder to cosplay, Yoon. It's harder to cosplay because Makeup then, tapos yung costume, di lang dinaman basta basta. Lalo pag gusto mo maganda yung quality, nagrange sha from 10 to 20,000, even hundreds of thousands. Correct.
Same. I think for drag kasi, if you love it so much, you'd be willing to shell whatever resources you have. And it doesn't mean that it takes a lot of resources then, correct?
Yeah, yeah, but aside from, you know, the costing, I wonder what the difference is in terms of the reasoning. Yeah, yeah, what's our— what's our drive as drag queens? Why do— why do we do drag? And what's the drive for cosplayers?
Correct. Oh, what's the driver cosplayers?
Um, at first it's a way for me to somehow escape reality. And okay, and If you saw Wonder Woman, you want to be as is, you want to be like her.
Correct.
So, nunalamang kasi cosplay, ay po, di pa la, soyun. Nag-simulan ako mag-grind, nag-simulan ako mag-trabaho, nag-simulan ako umanap na pera para lamat usdosan yung cosplay journey ko.
Nice. Eh, di wag dinating patagalin pa, di ba? Nag-simulan natin transformation before— but before that, before that, ask him. Your pronouns are him, right?
What are your pronouns, pala? How do you identify?
I'm straight. Oh, uh, he, him.
Oh. Virginia has done is exhibit proper etiquette and behavior. But you really have to ask people how they want to be addressed. Yes.
Imagine the makikang hindi proper pronouns.
Correct. So, tinanon ka namin that, Tatami, namin olet, any mga ini-idolo mo or inspiration mo for the drag that we are to to use for you, or when we do our transformation.
Um, so my collection, vinyl. So during Sunday, vinyl, vinyl, record, then player, then you know, it's a solo. Okay, uh, pinakauna ko na kung nakua na vinyl is Kay Angela Bowfield. Then simulanon, uh, habang tumatanda tayo, yung influence of music is parang malapit na Kay Angela Bowfield. So, yung number one impersonate when it comes to drag.
Para sa mga Gen Z yan, or even Millennials, si nung haba si Angela Bowfield. Angela Bofill, like, I can't clock it.
1980s. So she's a typical Pacific beauty.
Pacific beauty. Islander.
Islander. Tagahawai. Maganda sha. Malaking babae. Brown skin.
She's beautiful.
Maganda sha.
Super.
And she has such a really nice voice.
Before, Oh, I'm jealous. Anyways, well, Angela Bofill is what you want, Angela Bofill is what you'll get. Okay. Anyway, let's go!
'Cause there are artists who have like really fluffy hair. Unless— Yeah, okay.
For me, about you. You cannot shade me, girl. You cannot clap this gorgeous face. Okay, gorgeous. Luxury.
So that is a comment. I know, because he means something like that, drag, um, and that's my opinion. But what's important to me is that drag is for everyone.
I didn't know that you're a photographer.
Oh my God!
So, what's your favorite Japanese-inspired drag? Set or mga themes. So, shempre katulad mo pag me gustayong e-portray or me gustotayong ganapan, diba, nag-research muna tayo. So, na pag-research ako, yung kabuki.
Oh, okay, okay, okay.
So, si kabuki, parang more, parang drag din siya, may makeup, heavy makeup, may mga wig, Yep, so more on traditional.
These are traditionally men, right? Men who put like heavy makeup, heavy makeup.
So para sa akin, hindi naman kaylangan na badin or transsexual yung gagana or yung gagawan ng drag, because for me, yung drag para ang form of Expression, expressing some, uh, someone's self. So it doesn't matter, as long as you express by means of drag.
I guess that's the question. How would you answer it?
I think that makeup had, you know, there's a point in history that makeup served a purpose, and that's usually to make themselves prettier or serve a certain point. But it's not like men and women at the time before are doing makeup. You know, it just has to be clear what your purpose is in doing makeup. I think before, kasi it was more on, you know, it's a standard of beauty, you know.
No, but I think, you know, when you think, when you think about indigenous people, they've been putting on— oh, you know, I just wanna, I just wanna, you know, uncover, okay, the truth of that. Why do we associate makeup to just female?
I never really thought that it was always about female dating.
No, but we are conditioned to think that way, right?
Oh yeah, I grew up differently.
Wow. In my neighborhood, not here apparently.
I don't know these things.
I think, I think it's worth questioning why the need to associate makeup for women only, which I think is a wrong train of thought, a wrong condition, right? I think it's liberating to realize that, oh, makeup is just an object. There's not really a gender on it, it's just color, and anyone could basically put that on their face and feel good about themselves, right?
Yeah, but I think when patriarchy came into the equation and tried to control women, um, that also made makeup exclusively for women, and then I don't know, for some reason they have not seen like men can also wear makeup, or no fragile masculinity and all of that shit. It's obvious that it was makeup marketed for women just for profit, you know. And because, you know, initially they marketed makeup as a pampan, like, and then marketing that, this is like you're beautifying your face for the opposite sex.
Oh yeah, yeah, no, I'm just, I'm just curious, like, what, what are the different contexts in different eras of the history? I'm just curious, like, I don't know. Context, no, like, absolutely.
Makeup is just painting your face and your face is the canvas. So I don't get why people— but I won't go—
after many years.
It was meant to be, para sa lalake, to attract mates. So, siguro, ganun din sa mga tao, iba ibang species, para ipara esta manhala.
Oh, so, so, even different species in terms of coloring.
Matasyon tansan na magkarong kanang meat in life.
I like that. I like that.
Okay, in the context of animals, andaming gamit ng kulay at camouflage, correct? Animals, survival. Octopus, yeah, exactly. So in that context, makeup for a specific purpose, correct? Correct. Because I'm not an activist, I'm a military that time. Okay. So, di ba lang kena ang lawak ng context ng makeup?
I think as long as it's very clear to you what your purpose is for doing makeup, then it becomes powerful and you have an intent to why you have that particular look. Like for what you've said, in context, na anayin, powerful sha to survive. 'Cause at that time, people were after her, your mother probably, di ba? So it's like, oh, transformation, power of transformation, guys, very important. It's a superhero power.
My mom is actually the first person to influence me. Think about it.
Yeah, yeah. We are basically the same stuff.
Great equalizer.
Or if trauma—
correct, correct.
So I don't think para sa babae lang yan, it's just a social construct for me.
I love that word, everything is a social construct. No, but really, that is a good point. Thank you for that.
Yeah, it's very good. Makeup is not The only social construct. Gender. Yes, gender is a social construct.
Gender.
Bigote. Bigote.
Go. But why, um, what do you think is the hardest thing that you have to experience as a pangangan?
So regardless, continue.
Okay, I do, I do hope that even if that is what you've experienced, um, you don't hold any grudges or someone loves that more.
And, uh, I'm pretty sure your Tata is so proud of you right now.
True.
Family on the mother's side, so me, I'm a bading dinaman, dude, me, I'm a tomboy. And, uh, for generations, so me, I'm not from LGBT community, but can't help it.
Community, LGBTQIA+. But I don't know if they know that there's a national law that protects LGBT.
It's not just LGBT community. It's anti-discrimination law. It's not just LGBT. It's for the whole country. It's not just for LGBT. It's for the whole country. Because they know that if you're a member of the LGBT community, Oh my God, Virginia, please vote for me!
Virginia, please, I vote for you, sha! Well, anyways, Completo na si, Miss Angela Bopes. Angela Bopes, ikaw na pangalan sa sarili mo diba? Oh, oh, oh, okay, we'll be back. Yes, welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, and everyone in the— Excited na ba kayo makita? I think Finished product. Correct.
