The first time we met Manila Luzon was at the station in 2017 (see that here). This time around, The Morning Rush hosts Chico, Hazel, Rica, and Markki welcomed Manila to the show last Thursday, December 2 with hundreds of fans tuned in. 

Manila, who’s currently in the country to shoot upcoming reality show Drag Den, says the experience in the country so far has been fantastic. “I love coming back to the homeland,” she said. “I always feel like I’m coming to grandma’s house, or going back to my mom’s birthplace. It’s always fun here.”

Despite being born and raised in America, Manila has won the hearts of Pinoys with the way she embraces her Filipino heritage through drag. Her name itself already screams Filipino pride! The inspiration behind the name and her drag persona? “I wanted to pay tribute to my mother.” Manila gushes over her mom, crediting her as her biggest inspiration. “Her story has always been something that inspired me as a little kid,” she explained. “It kind of has this idea in my head that my mother is this powerful, strong, and beautiful woman.”

Aside from inspiration from her mother’s influence, it’s also the love and support from Filipino fans that keep Manila going. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my Filipino fans,” she said. “It’s with their dedication that I feel like I have been able to sustain my career for such a long time. Because we’re everywhere, honey!” 

Manila shows her love for the Philippines not just through her own drag, but through her support for Filipino drag queens! That’s why Drag Den was the perfect opportunity for her to work with the queens and give them the platform she believes they deserve. “We have such talented queens right here, and a lot of the people in the Philippines don’t even know,” she said. “When I read what [Drag Den] was really about and how it differs from other drag shows that we’re all used to seeing everywhere else in the world, I was like, this needs to be done.” 

What exactly sets Drag Den apart from other famous reality shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race? Manila has mentioned that Filipino culture will be infused into the show, but as for the specifics, we’ll just have to wait and see! One thing that Manila hopes viewers gain from the show is a deeper appreciation for the talent and hardwork that go into drag. “I’m really excited for people to understand that it is an artform,” she said. “It’s performance art, it’s fashion, it’s painting, it’s sculpture, it’s a lot of singing. Lots of talent and creativity go into it, and it’s really fun to not just do one thing that I love, but mix it all together into yourself.” 

One of our TMR hosts, Markki, recently tried his hand at drag for some projects of his, and gave Manila kudos for the incredible skill it takes to do it well. “I’m so happy that you got to experience it,” Manila told Markki. “What you’re doing hopefully will let other people like you think, ‘You know what? I don’t have to be a certain kind of person to be interested in trying drag!’”

We’ll be looking forward to seeing the inevitable fabulousness that Drag Den will bring! Manila invited viewers to check out the show early next year: “I’m so, so proud to be able to present to you the very first Filipino reality drag show! You guys are going to gag! The queens are amazing, and I can’t wait for you all to be entertained by what they can do. They’re so talented, and so creative, and honey, they’re Filipinas, so they’re SO beautiful.”

Drag Den will be streaming on WeTV for free starting early 2022. 

Watch the full interview with Manila Luzon on the Monster RX93.1 page: