Maki Gingoyon, also known as Maki Eve Mercedes, entered the world of beauty pageants almost by accident. Being a beauty queen had never been her childhood dream, yet in 2010, at a time when she was looking for a way to support herself and her transition, pageants opened an unexpected door. What began with small village competitions gradually carried her to major transgender pageants in Cebu and Bohol, where she collected titles and discovered something deeper than the glamour of a crown. Her defining moment came at Queen of Cebu 2010. Among 21 candidates and in front of more than a thousand spectators, Maki stepped onto the stage already feeling victorious. With former Miss Universe Margie Moran among the judges, she gave the performance her all, eventually taking the crown. For Maki, however, the most powerful thought at that moment was not the applause or the title, but her mother, who had been too afraid to watch from the audience. Her mother’s eventual acceptance became one of the most meaningful parts of her journey. By 2013, Maki had reached the national television stage as one of the finalists of Super Sireyna, a landmark transgender beauty competition broadcast as part of a popular Philippine noontime show. She saw the experience as much more than a contest. It gave her an opportunity to speak to the Filipino public about transgender women, their abilities, and their place in the community.
Away from the pageant stage, Maki’s life has been shaped by resilience, independence, creativity, and love. She studied psychology before family circumstances led her to leave college and work in a call center, a job that helped her support herself and her transition. She also discovered a passion for theater, performing since high school and taking on Calpernia Addams’s Vagina Monologue. Alongside her boyfriend, she became involved in transgender dating websites, seeing the work as a personal advocacy and a way to create decent spaces for transgender women. Maki speaks openly about the insecurities that can accompany being a transgender woman, but she also understands the power of confidence, communication, and the ability to speak one’s mind. Her beauty queen experience taught her that a crown can carry responsibility: the responsibility to inspire, encourage, and challenge others to become the best versions of themselves. For Maki, beauty is ultimately about far more than appearance. It is about finding the courage to stand on a stage, discovering one’s voice, embracing love, and using that voice to make a difference. And that journey, from an unexpected pageant contestant to a woman determined to inspire her community, gives us plenty to ask her about.
Monika: Maki, welcome to the blog, it’s wonderful to have you here!
Maki: Hey Monika! Thanks for having me on your blog. And it’s nice to meet someone like you, a fellow transgender woman making a difference in promoting a good image among trans women.
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| In her national costume during Miss Gay Mandaue 2010. |
Monika: Could you tell us a little more about yourself?
Maki: I am 24, turning 25 this year, and I am a transgender woman from the Philippines. I studied BS Psychology, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish it due to some family issues, which challenged me to become independent and work hard by applying for a call center job. This is a very common job opportunity in the Philippines, especially for second-year college students who want to work. That actually helped me support myself and my transitioning. And currently, I work as a digital online marketing director for a transgender dating site together with my boyfriend.
Monika: What led you to start competing in beauty pageants?
Maki: I never knew I would compete. In fact, being a beauty queen was never my dream. But I guess when you mingle with other transgender women who are also into beauty pageants, it excites you and you want to experience it too. At that time I had stopped working, which led me to look for an alternative way of living.
In the first quarter of 2010, beauty pageants became the answer. I knew from friends who were beauty pageant veterans that it could bring in a decent amount of money, obviously nothing compared to call centers, but the fact that you had something to buy food and hormones with was already good.
And by the way, I’m not talking about big pageants here, I’m talking about pageants in small villages, or Barangays. But sadly, these kinds of beauty pageants became unpopular because of some strange Catholic rules, so I needed to go back to working in the call center.
Monika: How did your experience with those smaller pageants lead you to the bigger competitions?
Maki: I had the opportunity to join bigger pageants like Miss Gay Mandaue, one of the most famous transgender pageants in Cebu, Philippines, where I took the first runner-up position. I also got a chance to travel to Bohol and compete for Miss Gay Sandugo, a big transgender pageant in the city of Bohol, where luckily I got the crown. And lastly there was Queen 2010, a pageant for alternative candidates, where I won the Queen Universe crown.
Monika: How do you go about selecting your gowns, make-up, and hairstyles for a competition?
Maki: My last beauty pageant was Super Sireyna 2013. It’s quite nostalgic to answer this question, but it’s nice to reminisce about old times. Well, I had an assistant, a make-up artist, and a manager.
These people are responsible for booking you for a contest, preparing all your things, and doing your make-up. Business-wise, you need to give something in return, either a fifty-fifty split of the cash prize or sixty-forty, whichever deal works best. So at that time I just needed to meet my manager and a very close friend of mine, and off we went to the contest.
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| Gown competition during Queen 2010. |
Monika: After winning Queen 2010, did having that title change the way you approached your competition styling?
Maki: After winning Queen 2010, the whole managing situation changed. I wish I still had her, but I couldn’t afford to keep a manager, lol. It wasn’t that difficult though, since Queen is a pageant well supported by local and international Filipino designers, so it was easy to ask for help with gowns and the like. They were very accommodating and helpful, especially during the Super Sireyna competition, and I owe them a lot.
Monika: What’s the atmosphere like among pageant contestants? Does the competitive spirit shape how they behave?
Maki: The competition is a fact, I believe you can’t deny that there’s a competitive atmosphere. But what’s good about a transgender pageant, no matter how competitive it gets, is that the fun is still there. I believe every transgender beauty queen can relate to this, especially Filipino transgender women.
Not to mention the fun after the show. There may be only one winner, sometimes three, but the laughs and drama you share with the other candidates afterward are priceless. And the competition definitely influences our behavior, it personally molded me into a better woman. Being a beauty queen makes you feel responsible for inspiring and influencing others, and that kind of mindset slowly becomes part of who you are.
Monika: Tell me more about that Queen of Cebu victory in 2010.
Maki: Oh, it was magical! (smiling) Queen of Cebu made me the woman I am now. There were 21 candidates, and I was the last but not the least. The moment I stepped onto the stage for my opening number, I already felt victorious. With over a thousand people watching, who wouldn’t feel exceptional?
Not to mention that Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran was one of the judges, so I had to give it my best. And the moment I was crowned, all I could think about was my mom, who wasn’t in the audience because she was too scared to watch.
Monika: Then in 2013 came Super Sireyna, what was that experience like?
Maki: Super Sireyna is the longest-running transgender beauty contest on national TV. It’s not your ordinary beauty pageant, since it airs at noon as part of a noontime show in the Philippines. It was just a portion of the program, but it made a big impact on transgender awareness in the Filipino community. I became a finalist, and it was an opportunity for me to tell the Philippines about transgender women and what we can do for the community. Joining Super Sireyna was the moment to showcase who transgender women really are, and I was very lucky to be part of it.
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| Crowned as the Queen of the Sky during Super Sireyna pageant. |
Monika: Is the Miss International Queen Pageant in Thailand, the biggest international contest for transgender women, on your radar?
Maki: I’m open to the idea of joining it, but I must admit the preparation is tough, so it takes time to plan.
Monika: Has acting ever tempted you?
Maki: I did theater acting before. Since high school, it’s been a passion of mine to act and to speak. During my theater days, I performed the Vagina Monologue act of Calpernia Addams, narrating her own story as a transgender woman who underwent sexual reassignment surgery.
Monika: You’re also involved with My Ladyboy Date, tell me about that.
Maki: Yes, together with my boyfriend, we run myladyboydate.com and mytransgenderdate.com. It’s a vision of mine to help the trans community. As a couple, we see it as our personal advocacy to promote decent spaces for transgender women.
Monika: Beauty can be its own kind of power. Do you draw on that often?
Maki: I must admit it helps. I can only speak for myself, but as transgender women, we carry insecurities no matter how kind and sincere people are about acknowledging our beauty. Still, I feel confident enough to tap into that girl power through my ability to speak my mind as someone on the front line trying to empower others.
Monika: During your transition, did you have any role models to look up to?
Maki: I have a role model, but not specifically a transgender woman. I wasn’t so exposed to the transgender world until I started joining pageants. There’s a gay man I really admire, a TV host in our country named Boy Abunda. His ability to speak his mind inspires me a lot.
Monika: What was hardest about coming out?
Maki: My mom. Thankfully, she accepted me for who I am. I was so afraid of losing her, but she stood by me as I took the path that makes me happy.
Monika: How would you describe the situation for transgender women in Filipino society today?
Maki: More and more people recognize transgender women as women, though there are still some who see us as men. Overall, acceptance and tolerance in the community are pretty good, we can walk in the street, go to the mall, do our grocery shopping, even go to church, without fear. Legally though, especially when it comes to protection, I’m still hoping the Philippine government will work on it.
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| In a blue gown during a small pageant in the village (Barangay). |
Monika: Are you involved in politics or advocacy at all, and do you think transgender women can make a real difference there?
Maki: I’m not so active in politics, but I do support transgender women who are rallying for transgender rights, transgender health, and the like.
And yes, I do think transgender women can make a difference in politics. I was once on a student council, and gender should never be the basis for leading a community.
Monika: What role does love play in your life?
Maki: Oh, a very important one. I believe it’s what keeps me alive, the love for myself, for my mom, for my boyfriend, for my work, and for my friends. I’m no expert, but recognizing that love exists in different forms helps me keep my life balanced. And I guess it’s because of love that I have the passion to serve the trans community by offering a decent transgender dating site.
Monika: How would you describe your fashion sense, any go-to styles or trends?
Maki: I’m a big fan of fashion. My boyfriend often calls me avant-garde, which I take as a compliment even though he doesn’t mean it that way, lol. I’m not the typical fashionista with all the accessories, fancy bags, and high heels, I prefer to keep things simple. I’m a big fan of flats but can carry heels if needed, and I love pairing jeans and shorts with a simple fitted T-shirt and minimal accessories.
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| Taken in theatre during the Vagina Monologue. |
Monika: Quite a few transgender women write memoirs. Has that ever appealed to you?
Maki: No, not really, I’m not a fan, though I am actually reading Janet Mock’s memoir. It’s just not my cup of tea. I do have a personal blog, makigingoyon.com, but that’s mostly about my trips, opinions, and the like.
Monika: What’s next for you, and where do you see yourself in five to seven years?
Maki: An international crown, perhaps? (giggling) For now, I’m just focused on the dating site and making a difference for the trans community, and I’d love to travel more and experience different cultures.
I wish to see myself as a successful woman with a man by my side. It sounds too perfect, but nothing is impossible. And maybe a bigger dating site too, one that doesn’t only cater to transgender women but to everybody.
Monika: What would you tell transgender girls who are considering a beauty queen career?
Maki: It’s worth giving a try, girls. At first, it was just for the experience, but I found my heart in being a beauty queen, the heart to speak what I believe is right, the heart to inspire, the heart to encourage, and the heart to challenge people I meet to become the best of who they are. The beauty queen career is open to every transgender girl, it’s just a matter of choice, and of being happy doing it.
Monika: Maki, thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
All the photos: courtesy of Maki Gingoyon.
© 2014 - Monika Kowalska
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