A CORONATION event in San Miguel, Iloilo turned emotional and controversial after two young participants were barred from entering the venue and joining the ceremonies, allegedly for violating the dress code reserved for the fiesta queen.
The first and second princesses, wearing red and pink gowns with floor-length trains, were stopped at the entrance of the covered court on coronation night and not allowed to go onstage.
Organizers said the two had breached a long-standing rule: only the fiesta queen may wear gowns with trains, gloves, and capes.
Maria Cealza, chairperson of the San Miguel Municipal Government Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which organized the Fiesta Queen 2025, said this agreement had been made clear to all parties beforehand.
But the mothers of the affected princesses disagreed, claiming they were never informed that gowns with trains were prohibited.
“They only told us that gloves and capes were not allowed — and we followed that,” said the mother of the first princess.
The mother of the second princess added that her daughter and the other princess were the only ones kept outside the venue, left standing in the rain with their escorts.
“The girls were crying while they were soaked in the rain,” the mother said. “They waited and hoped to be called in — but it never happened.”
