Manila Luzon honors Jiggly Caliente in touching eulogy

Hindi napigilang maging emosyunal ng Filipino-American drag queen na si Manila Luzon nang magbigay ng eulogy para sa pumanaw na kaibigan at kapwa Drag Race superstar na si Jiggly Caliente.

Sumakabilang buhay si Jiggly sa Amerika noong April 27, 2025. Siya ay 44.

Ikinagulat ng drag community ang pagkawala ni Jiggly dahil ilang araw bago isapubliko ang pagkamatay niya ay inamin ng kanyang pamilya na may malubha itong sakit at kinailangang putulin ang isa nitong binti.

MANILA LUZON REMEMBERS JIGGLY CALIENTE

Isa sa labis nagulat at nagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ni Jiggly ay si Manila Luzon.

Sa kanyang eulogy, madamdamin ang paglalarawan ni Manila Luzon sa kaibigang kasa-kasama raw niya noong nagsisimula pa lang sila sa pagda-drag.

Taong 2011 nang unang sumali si Manila Luzon sa ikatatlong season ng RuPaul’s Drag Race, kunsaan naging runner-up siya.

2012, muling sinubukan ni Manila Luzon ang kanyang kapalaran nang mapabilang siya sa RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 1.

2018, sumali muli si Manila Luzon sa RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4.

Sa kasamaang-palad, hindi rin siya nagwagi sa muling pagsali niya.

Halos ganito rin ang naging kapalaran ni Jiggly nang sumali siya sa pang-apat na season ng RuPaul’s Drag Race, na umere noong 2012.

Noong 2021 ay muli siyang nagbalik sa pang-anim na season ng RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, ngunit nabigo rin siyang makuha ang korona.

Sa kanyang eulogy, sinabi ni Manila Luzon na ang pagkatalo nila ni Jiggly sa nasabing reality show ang naging sandata nila para mas mangarap pa.

Pahayag niya: “Jiggly Caliente and I got to do this drag-queen thing, this drag-queen life for, like, twenty years.

“And we supported each other, we helped each other along, we read each other constantly, and we unknowingly dreamed big together.”

Sa pagkukuwento ni Manila Luzon sa mga hindi makakalimutang alaala kasama si Jiggly, sinamahan niya ito ng mga nakakaaliw na anekdota.

Lahad niya: “So it all started back at the Web, the gay Asian Club here in New York, just down the street.

“And Jiggly was giving up Miss Gay Asia America, and she wanted to give the crown to me.

“It was my first pageant. The judges had other plans, I got runner up, not the first time.

“Because we all loved pageants, but Jiggly loved pageants.

“I mean, the girl would get in full glam just to watch Miss Universe on TV.

“And I helped her because I created her winning talent mix, and even her updo [hairstyle] for evening gown when she won Miss Universal Latina the pageant.

“She wasn’t even technically Latina, but she won.

“But she’s Filipino, so there might be some Spanish blood in there. And her last name is Caliente, so it counts.”

Sa audition ni Jiggly para sa Drag Race Season 4, si Manila Luzon daw ang kasama nito sa paggawa ng audition video.

Pagbabahagi ni Manila Luzon: “I helped her film her audition tape.

“And late one night, after a gig at the Web, we walked over to the brand new Apple store on 59th Street, which is open 24 hours.

“It has this glass elevator that takes you down. And so we filmed her in that.

“And it was, like, the full Beyonce production level, even if it was giving a glamorous Augustus gloop going up the chocolate tube in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

“But it got her cast.

“We made music together, music videos together. We got to go on tour around the world together.

“And she even convinced me and the whole cast to put little rhinestones on the tip of her nose, like some Swarovski pimple.”

MANILA LUZON AND JIGGLY MOVE TO THE PHILIPPINES

Dahil sa mataas na pangarap nina Manila Luzon at Jiggly, nagdesisyon daw silang umuwi sa Pilipinas para ibahagi ang kanilang kaalaman at talento pagdating sa pagda-drag.

Dito na raw nagsimulang magbukas ang ilang pinto ng oportunidad sa dalawang magkaibigan.

Taong 2022 nang maging host at magsilbing executive producer ng Drag Den si Manila Luzon.

Ang Drag Den ang hit Filipino drag pageantry reality competition show.

Habang si Jiggly naman ay naging resident judge sa Drag Race Philippines, na may tatlo nang seasons at nagsimulang umere noong August 2022.

Kuwento ni Manila Luzon: “A few years ago, we got to do our biggest dream together, which was to go to the Philippines and do our drag at the highest level that we could at the time.

“I was filming Drag Den, and she was judging Drag Race Philippines.

“Now we were supporting the new generations of drag.”

Sa huli, mangiyak-ngiyak na binigyang pugay ni Manila Luzon si Jiggly.

Kalakip nito ang pasasalamat sa namayapang drag artist sa pagkakaibigan at samahan nila noong ito’y nabubuhay pa.

Sabi niya: “It was in this moment when we could look back and reflect on how far we came together. I never knew that we would get to do all of these, Jiggly.

“I’m so sad that we can’t keep doing and dreaming bigger and bigger things together.

“I’m so proud of everything you accomplished. I’m so proud of the representation you gave for the Filipino and trans communities.

“I’m so proud of the woman you became. And I’m so proud of our friendship that we had together.”