Miss Mela Habijan on the Importance of LGBTQIA+ Visibility in PH Media
Miss Mela Habijan seems to be everywhere these days. In online and in-person seminars, advocating for equality and diversity. On social media, connecting with her more than 200,000 followers across all platforms through informative LGBTQIA+ content. Now, if you go to film studio Black Sheep’s YouTube channel, you’ll find her hosting the first-ever queer dating reality show in the Philippines, “Sparks Camp.”
While some may perceive her visibility and success in the entertainment industry as a walk in the park, it was, in fact, a product of years of hard work and dedication.
A graduate of Bachelor of Arts and Communication from Ateneo de Manila University, Miss Mela began her career as a writer for “The Buzz” and “Gandang Gabi Vice.” Expanding her horizons, she ventured into acting and appeared in several GMA shows, including “Magpakailanman.” She also lent her writing skills to prominent media companies and publications in the country, such as Esquire Philippines and Rappler.
Her career was seemingly on an upward trajectory when, like the rest of us, her life came to a standstill due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Yet, being the fighter she is, Miss Mela refused to succumb and let the situation dampen her spirits.
As many people dedicated their idle days to rediscovering their talents, acquiring new knowledge, launching online businesses, and experimenting with dalgona coffee, Miss Mela – to her surprise – found a way to be a beauty queen. In an exclusive interview with The Beat Asia, she said, “It was unexpected. It was in the middle of the pandemic, and I remember it vividly, I was in my sister’s room scrolling through my Facebook feed. I saw an ad posted by a good friend of mine, Rica Paras. I clicked on it and learned that it was a pageant for people like me who want to advocate for trans rights.”
The pageant in question was Miss Trans Global 2020, an annual competition that celebrates the “advocacies, brains, and creativity of transgender women globally.” After learning about the causes the pageant supports, she wasted no time in applying. “I submitted a 30-second video application, and luckily, I got chosen to be one of the 18 candidates,” she said.
Miss Mela eventually won the title, beating 17 other contenders, including four Filipinas. She became the organization’s first-ever spokesperson and teamed up with TransValid and TransBeauty Magazine to raise funds for the pursuit of transgender individuals worldwide. “[My mindset] was to represent the Philippines well and show the world what a trans Filipina can do and advocate for,” she said.
Following her pageant victory, amidst the uncertainty of the global pandemic, things started to look up again for Miss Mela. “So many doors opened after winning Miss Trans Global 2020. I became more visible online. I’ve had so many opportunities to be interviewed by different media outfits here in the Philippines and abroad. At the same time, I was able to build relationships with multinational companies, Philippine-based corporations, and government agencies,” she said.
“Those relationships somehow contributed to the discussion of diversity, equality, and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people. Hence, my advocacy deepened. It became more meaningful and I’m fortunate enough that a lot of people value me as an advocate for equal rights.”
While being a respected figure within the LGBTQIA+ community has its privileges, Miss Mela acknowledged the challenges and difficulties that come with being in the public eye. “I’d like to borrow the words of Pia Wurtzbach. It’s an honor. But it’s also a responsibility. It’s an honor because people listen to you. People look up to you. People admire you. People embrace you. But at the same time, the responsibility is also there because you must build your credibility and stance,” she said. “At mahirap ‘yun.” (And that’s hard)
“But I live by the notion that my intention now is to be grounded on service. Na kung mamamatay ako, alam kong mayroon akong nagawa hindi lang para sa sarili ko.” (But I live by the notion that my intention now is to be grounded on service. That if I die, I know I’ve done something not just for myself.)
“It is a privilege to have this platform. I always remind myself that this privilege should open gates for other LGBTQIA+ people. Because it shouldn’t be a personal privilege alone. It must be a privilege experienced by everyone,” she said with conviction.
While it has a long way to go to achieve gender equality from a legal perspective, the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country, has witnessed groundbreaking milestones that have reshaped perceptions and increased visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community.
In 2016, Geraldine Roman made history as the first-ever openly transgender woman to win as the Representative of Bataan’s first district. In 2018, Iyah Mina became the first transgender woman to receive the Best Actress award for the film “Mamu: And a Mother Too” at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival. The year 2020 saw the rise of the Boys Love (BL) genre in the Philippines with the release of IdeaFirst Company’s “Gameboys,” Black Sheep’s “Hello Stranger,” and Globe Studios’ “Gaya sa Pelikula (Like in the Movies),” among others.
Last year, drag queens solidified their position in the pop culture scene through “Drag Race Philippines” and “Drag Den.” In April of this year, Kaladkaren made history as the first transgender woman to win the Best Supporting Actress award for the movie “Here Comes the Groom” at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival.
This June, returning to an industry she knows best, Miss Mela is hosting one of the most anticipated projects in Philippine media, “Sparks Camp.” Hailed as the country’s first BL dating reality show, the program brings together 10 single queer individuals to reside in a camp with the aim of finding their mutual connection. “We are becoming stronger than ever. I am fortunate to be living at this time in which we are witnessing the empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ people,” she said about the show.
However, similar to other reality programs, “Sparks Camp” had its fair share of controversies. Upon the release of its official trailer, viewers immediately took to Twitter to express their concerns regarding the “lack of diversity” among the cast members. They argued that the producers deliberately chose individuals who appeared more masculine and conventionally attractive, and excluded femme and plus-sized queer people, contradicting the very essence of the LGBTQIA+ community’s ongoing quest for diversity and inclusion.
Rather than dismissing the comments, Miss Mela actively engaged with the viewers online and addressed the concerns during the show’s media conference, stating that true diversity encompasses not only what is visible physically but also the range of emotions and life stories that people bring. “We will always anchor diversity with different characteristics, that’s why we have this thing called intersectionality.”
When asked about the importance of communication and her consistent attention to people’s feedback, she told The Beat Asia, “As a communication student myself, I learned that the way to understand the world is through that cycle of giving and receiving information. We get to inform ourselves about the context where a person is coming from, and we begin to reflect and somehow develop our characters through simply listening and opening ourselves.”
“As I’ve said in the press conference of ‘Sparks Camp,’ communication with my parents, my greatest allies, brought the Mela that you are seeing today. And I don’t think that I will be in this space right now without simply talking to my parents.”
Miss Mela hopes that through “Sparks Camp,” younger LGBTQIA+ people will be inspired to embrace their true selves and confidently show their capabilities to the world.
“I’m happy to be involved in this movement because a lot of LGBTQIA+ people are now more inspired to own their truth. Maybe to some, they won’t come out, but at least they are strengthened by the movement. What’s important is that we were able to discuss rights, humanity, and kindness through the show.”
As for Miss Mela’s wish for the queer community in the Philippines, she said, “I do want younger LGBTQIA+ people to feel recognized and hope that there will be more safe spaces for them. That even if, perhaps, I die later, at least I know there is something that we will be giving to them.”
New episodes of “Sparks Camp” premiere every Wednesday, 8 PM, on Black Sheep’s YouTube channel.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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