By Kate Montecarlo Cordova
Founder and Chairwoman
Association of Transgender People in the Philippines
You don’t have the right and I pity you, glam team.
They can’t take the spotlight. But take the “Hindi maganda ang hairdo”.
They can’t say, “That was my script.”
They can’t claim, “I created that look,” or “That was my concept.”
No matter how brilliant their work, they remain silent because that’s the rule.
They are the ones who don’t have the right.
The glam team.
Behind every queen who conquers the international stage is a group of artists who must never say they helped her win. They are the enablers of the stars, the ones who fuel power, confidence and charisma, but whose names fade as the lights rise.
They design regality. They breathe life into elegance. They transform fatigue into poise and vulnerability into strength. Yet when the crowd roars and the cameras flash, they stand in the shadows – unseen, uncredited, unheard.
And when things go wrong, they’re the first to take the blow.
“Hindi maganda ang hairdo.”
“Pangit ang gown.”
“Hindi bagay ang make-up.”
Criticism hits them like bullets without armor, and still, they stay quiet because that’s part of the duty: to build, not to boast.
There is no due process for the glam team.
No applause for the unseen hands that make every step, every smile, every answer possible.
And once victory is achieved, the world forgets them.
The spotlight moves away, and all that remains is silence – the kind that follows after greatness is born.
But I refuse to forget.
Because the true measure of a queen’s success is not just in how she carries the crown, but in the invisible tribe that taught her how to wear it with grace.
They are the visionaries – stylists, makeup artists, designers, coaches – who see beyond beauty, who mold spirit and story into something unforgettable.
Their work is not easy.
They must study the candidate’s soul, align her with the organizers’ demands, appeal to a divided audience, and bridge countless expectations, all to make one woman stand taller than a hundred others.
To every member of our Philippine glam teams, past and present, win or lose,
you are the real heroes.
You build the aura. You refine the magic. You turn ordinary moments into legacies.
If you ever meet one of them, give them a smile, a hug, a “Thank you.”
Because while our queens bring home the crown, it is you, our glam teams, who teach them how to shine.
