“Black Beauty” | What It’s Like Being Dark Skinned in the Philippines - Video

“BLACK BEAUTY.” I’m used to hearing “gelap”, “kicap”, and plenty of other little comments and slurs about dark skin back home in Malaysia.

So honestly… I didn’t expect to hear such kind things about my skin, over and over again, here in the Philippines.

Growing up as a dark-skinned woman in Malaysia, dark skin wasn’t (and still isn’t) exactly uhhh… appreciated. Skin-whitening products everywhere I turn, jokes, insults, poor treatment, it was all pretty normal in my everyday life.

So when I got here a few weeks ago, I really didn’t think Filipinos would tell me how much they liked my skin. Its colour. The dark brown shade I was made to feel needed “fixing” for so long.

It confused me, especially because the skin-lightening industry here is huge too, just like in so many other countries in our region.

But then I started reading about Chelsea Manalo becoming the first dark-skinned Filipina to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines and it felt like maybe, just maybe things might be slowly shifting?
That maybe light skin doesn’t have to be the default beauty standard anymore.

I even went to Cainta, in Rizal, after learning about the sepoys and it reminded me that dark skin has always been part of this land, from Indigenous communities like the Aeta, to Tamil soldiers who once passed through and eventually became part of the local community.

And in between all the aisles of whitening creams, I also kept seeing pride.
So many people, from all walks of life, openly celebrating different shades of brown and black.So many people who clearly don’t see dark skin as something bad.

I really hope that pride spreads far and wide so skin colour isn’t used to rank people and dark skin is just… maganda.No buts. No ifs. Just maganda.

This isn’t meant to judge Filipino beauty standards. I know how deeply these pressures and archaic ideas are imposed on all of us, everywhere.????

This is simply my experience, observation, and maybe a small way of showing how much pride and appreciation for darker skin I’ve felt here. ????

It’s been pretty healing for me. Thank you, Philippines. ❤️

#philippines #black #darkskin