Exclusive with Xilhouete

Xilhouete, welcome to Spill the Tea darling! To start, when did you discover that you wanted to do drag?
Thank you! It was my love for history, music and art that paved the way for me to do drag.

What is the meaning behind your drag name?
At first, my name was inspired by my love for film. Then the meaning became profound as I changed the spelling from silhouette to xilhouete. Xilhouete is a representation of all living and non-living things, however, you want to see her/him. In short, I do not conform to gender. I am just Xilhouete, I am my own.

Entrepreneur, director, artist, and a drag mother to many, I don’t know how you found time to compete on Drag Race! What made you want to apply?
As I tried to assess it back then, it would have been impossible for me to squeeze it all in. However, my intention was crystal clear - I needed to correct our history (LGBTQIA+ in particular). I needed to show and tell the true story of the real trailblazers and pillars of our drag community in the Philippines that has long been forgotten. And since Drag Race is the Olympics of all gay competitions, it would make sense to tell the story inside the show.

How did it feel to be selected for the very first season of Drag Race Philippines?
I am incredibly grateful to have been part of the first season of Drag Race Philippines.

Was the competition what you expected or totally different?
Oh my, no! Haha. All along I thought there’ll be plenty of time for us to prepare! And that was a big shocker to me since I need five hours at least to get into my full drag. Not to mention that there are no assistants to help inside that made it even harder!

You are considered by many to be their drag mother, how did that start and what do you love most about being one?
I started as a manager to beauty pageant aspirants, they used to call me Kuya Wong back then (‘Big Brother’ in English). Then as time went by, I continued to educate and nurture more young artists, who were all led them to call me - mama wong, ma, mi, and mother. I did not like it at first, because I still see myself as young! Imagine being called a mom in your early 20s! It ruined my chances to date younger guys, haha! However, no regrets, I am blessed to be one... to be a mom, because seeing all my children fly, soar high… gives pure joy to my heart.

During the show, however, you ended up having to lip sync against your daughter Minty Fresh. Did you find that hard and how was it knowing you sent her home?
Extremely heart-breaking! I love Minty. We go way back to the Drag Cartel days, when she won the first season and I was her runner-up. Before the Race, I prayed to God that Minty be part of the first season and to see her be part of it was just perfect. So when that moment came, I wanted to give up and just give her the spot. however, my professionalism was telling otherwise. I know also that Min wouldn’t be proud if I do so.

You made it all the way to the finale but just missed out, would you have changed anything if you could?
None on my end. I wish I had different songs to lip-sync to! Haha.

Let’s not forget losing is the new winning (as RuPaul says), getting on the show is a huge achievement. What do you hope the future holds for you?
I have this new mantra now. to ‘Xperience’, ‘Xplore’ and ‘Xpand’. So, whatever comes my way, I am ready to embrace with arms wide open! And this is exactly what I’ve been doing, from my youtube channel, to now becoming an actor for a movie,  how cool is that!

Shout-out time! What queer performer deserves a shout from you and why? - This can be a drag King, Queen, or anything in-between or simply a queer artist doing their thing.
Huge shout out to all my NakXis! Keep doing what you do. And never ever forget to stay humble, to connect, and to share your true beauty with the world. All my love, Mama Xilo!

Drag Race Philippines is available exclusively on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus. To subscribe click here.