The Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization finds itself embroiled in controversy as artist and designer Jef Albea publicly accuses them of failing to compensate him for designing and crafting the trophies for their coronation night.
In a Facebook post on June 12, Jef expressed his disappointment with the organization, sparking netizens to be aware of the issue.
“I DID NOT GET PAID. MISS UNIVERSE (Philippines) vanished into thin air. They refused to pay me for the trophies I designed and crafted for the coronation night. All the effort, dedication and passion I put in creating these pieces, ended up ignored and disregarded when payment was due,” Jef wrote.
His impassioned plea sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of artists in the industry. “Our ideas don’t just appear from thin air just to work for an x-deal. They are the result of intense thought, deep emotions, and sleepless nights,” he added, advocating for his fellow artists.
Responding to the allegations, Borg Roxas, the head of production for Miss Universe Philippines pageant, issued a statement addressing the matter.
According to Borg, Jef had been compensated with 150,000 pesos without an official receipt. “First, last year at The Miss Philippines finals, we paid him 150,000 pesos without any OR,” Borg clarified.
“I admit na kausap namin si Sir Jef. Pero on the day of the finals pinadala yung mga artwork, and on that day din namin nalaman through his asst na need magbayad ng 75,000 pesos. Magulo na lahat backstage and wala naman may hawak ng cash,” Borg explained.
“Nakakalungkot lang na nagpopost na agad sya na magkausap naman sila ng staff. Hindi sya nakasama sa May 30 cut off kasi walang papers. Kaya sa June 15 cut off sya nakasama kasi magkausap sila ng staff,” he continued.
Borg expressed his dismay over the artist’s decision to bring the matter to social media before addressing it backstage. He reiterated that in the production, they need transparent documentation for management purposes. He also stressed that “lahat naman mababayaran.”
As of this writing, the MUPH organization has yet to release an official statement regarding this matter.