Cebuana 'Drag Race Philippines' queens remember Jiggly Caliente

Cebuana drag queen Nicole Pardaux was at an event on April 27 when she came across a post announcing that Filipino-American performer Jiggly Caliente had passed away. In shock, she immediately reached out to her batchmates from Drag Race Philippines (DRPH) Season 2 to confirm if it was true.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

"I didn’t want to believe it at first. It’s just so hard to accept," Pardaux told The FREEMAN in a Messenger chat.

She recalled a time during the production’s off-days when Caliente, who was one of the main judges, visited the contestants in their hotel.

"She bought pizzas for everyone. She called me over after she noticed I was quiet and asked why I was sitting in silence," Pardaux shared. "I felt seen by her, especially by someone whom I have watched on TV. It meant so much that she actually took the time to talk to me. It really touched me, even though I was the 'porkchop' [first one eliminated] of our season."

Bianca Castro-Arabejo (aka Jiggly Caliente), 44, died in a hospital in the United States due to complications from a severe infection that led to the amputation of her right leg, which her family announced three days prior to her passing.

Caliente was best known as a contestant on the fourth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, as well as the sixth season of the show’s “All Stars” spin-off. As a “Ru Girl,” she was among fellow alumni Ongina, Manila Luzon, Aura Mayari, Anetra, and Rock M. Sakura as Fil-Am drag queens who proudly showcase their Filipino roots through drag.

Despite moving to the U.S. at age 11 and growing up in Queens, New York, her deep knowledge of Filipino culture made her a fitting resident judge on DRPH, hosted by Paolo Ballesteros (referred to as “Mama Pau” on the show) and fellow judge KaladKaren.