Joy Barcoma to pageant reps: Learn Tagalog, know the PH national anthem

Joy Barcoma calls out ‘Eurocentric privilege’ in pageantry, urges stricter cultural standards for candidates representing the Philippines.

Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma highlighted a deep-rooted Eurocentric privilege in the country, weighing in on the ongoing discussion surrounding Mister Supranational Philippines 2024 Brandon Espiritu’s controversial “halfie” statement.

Emphasizing that representing the country should not come with looking down on full-blooded Filipinos, the politically-outspoken Barcoma expressed deep disappointment over Espiritu’s perceived mindset during a recent Instagram Live.

“I’m so disappointed… parang ire-represent mo na ‘yung Philippines tapos ang baba pa rin ng tingin mo sa mga Pinoy,” the speaker stated. “It’s not even about being a half-Filipino, it’s the mindset toward Filipinos, dahil half ka.”

However, the eco-queen also held the public accountable for enabling this behavior by constantly putting foreigners and those with Eurocentric features on a pedestal. She noted that Filipinos often give mixed-heritage individuals a higher level of respect, unintentionally giving them “leverage” and unearned privilege.

To prevent candidates from simply exploiting their Filipino lineage for a platform, she suggested establishing basic cultural requirements for future pageant bets, such as understanding Tagalog and knowing the Philippine national anthem.

Contrasting Espiritu’s statement, Barcoma cited half-Filipina queens like Miss Universe titleholders Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray, alongside Miss Universe Philippines Bea Millan Windorski as the standard for mixed-race representation.

Barcoma said these queens truly deserve to represent the country because they actively studied the history, immersed themselves in the culture, and proudly carried Filipino symbolism to the international stage.

READ: