Mainit sa mata ng beauty pageant fans ngayon si Miss Universe Philippines 2022 candidate Shaira Aliyah Diaz dahil sa alegasyong "blackfishing."
Siya ay kandidata ng San Pablo, Laguna para sa pageant competition sa April 30.
Ang blackfishing ay urban slang term na tumutukoy sa paggamit ng hairstyling at makeup para magmukhang may lahing black ang isang tao.
Isyu iyon para sa mga tunay na may black heritage dahil nagagamit ang kanilang hitsura at kultura para maging "cool" o "trendy" nang hindi nararanasan o naiintindihan ang hirap ng diskriminasyon sa black people.
Sa kaso ni Shaira, ipinunto ng American beauty pageant vlogger na si Davonna Finley, aka The Sovereign, na peke diumano ang long at curly hair ng kandidata.
Gumamit daw ito ng "two to three-year-old half wig" para magmukhang Afro-American hairstyle ang buhok nito.
Paliwanag ni The Sovereign: "I have no problem with hair pieces. All of us girls have them whether it be extensions, wigs, half wigs... Every girl in the world has some sort of hair piece which is fine.
"But you're blending. The blending of the two different textures 'coz your own hair is a different texture from your own hair that you have is completely messing up.
"And I'm a black woman. One thing we do know is hair. The blending ain't working.
"The shades aren't color-matched. Your natural hair is lighter than the hair that's already there, so I can see where your natural hair is.
"And on top of that, the matting, it's driving me nuts."
Itinuro ni The Sovereign ang clumped at tangled hair sa gawing ibaba ng buhok ni Shaira para ipakita ang sinasabi niyang "matting" na hindi natural.
Itinuro rin niyang straight hair ang buhok ni Shaira sa gawing bangs nito, at blinend lang daw sa curly hair na tingin niya ay old wig o hairpiece.
"Look... This is Miss Universe Philippines. There's so many eyes on you... The matting is what gives it away..."
Nasasayangan daw siya kung hindi ipakita ni Shaira ang tunay na angking ganda nito.
ENHANCED SKIN COLOR?
Bukod sa kinuwestiyon ni The Sovereign ang curly hair ni Shaira, ipinakita rin ng vlogger ang nakalap niyang ilang litrato ni Shaira kunsaan makikitang maputi ang kulay ng balat nito.
"These are also the women, same person, representing San Pablo.
"I am still struggling with this as you see me now. I've been sitting here for an hour, stalled, editing this video because I didn't know what to do.
"I'm not even sure if these are same people. I used a series of birthmarks and matched them up, going so far as to go to TikTok and match up her TikTok to the different faces that you see on the screen.
"These are all the same people."
Nagpahaging si The Sovereign na hindi tama ang tila pagpapanggap ni Shaira na siya ay may black heritage.
Aniya, "I'm not gonna say what you and me both know, but I know what you're doing and what you're trying to go for right here.
"We both know what you're trying to do. It's not working. Stop that. Stop it."
Dagdag niya ukol sa blackfishing: "In the U.S., we have a name for something like this."
Dalawang beses sinubukan ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na kontakin si Shaira para hingin ang kanyang opisyal na pahayag sa isyu. Wala pa kaming nakukuhang tugon.
SHAIRA'S BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS
Binalikan ng PEP.ph ang ilang TikTok entries ni Shaira upang tingnan ang binanggit ni The Sovereign na before-and-after photos ng kandidata.
Dito ay makikitang may ilang TikTok entries si Shaira kunsaan may mga sinagot siyang batikos tungkol sa kanyang curly hair at skin color.
Noong February 2021, nag-post si Shaira ng throwback photos niya kunsaan makikitang maputi ang balat niya at medyo straight ang buhok noong siya ay dalagita pa lang.
Sabi niya sa written text, "how did i go from WHITENING myself through so much filters to embracing my SKIN COLOR."
Dagdag niya kalakip ng blushing face emoji, "to everyone who called me ita on curiouscat, sarahah & askfm: KISS MY F***ING A$$."
Noong June 2020, nag-post din sa TikTok si Shaira ng litrato niyang maitim ang kulay ng kanyang balat at tuwid ang buhok noong siya ay bata pa.
Sinabi niyang gumamit siya ng "filters" sa kanyang pictures dahil sa portrayal sa mga teleserye at ads na mas maganda ang Filipina na maputi ang balat at tinatawag na "ugly girls" iyong may dark skin tone.
Pero napagtanto raw ni Shaira na "when I started loving my skin, i started being happy from within."
Nito namang February 2021, binatikos siya ng netizen na "not her trying to be Filipino, she look more black tf."
Pero depensa ni Shaira, "how i am trying to be what i actually am."
Pinaninindigan ni Shaira ang kanyang skin color, at proud na ginagamit ang "@thefilipinabarbie" sa kanyang social media accounts.