Days before the premiere of the first Filipino-produced drag competition television series, Drag Den, creator, director and producer Rod Singh expressed her pride in finally putting out the series as well as revealed the struggles she underwent in her post on Facebook on 27 November.

"After years of conceptualizing, and a year after filming, I'm so proud to finally share to you our wonderful project — a project conceived from my lived experience as a trans person who did drag to join a monthly contest called Drag Cartel," the award-winning filmmaker wrote.

"But behind the glam, is all the hardships I've been through — a baggage I carried for a year. As a trans creator struggling to get support for projects like Drag Den, it's heartbreaking to do this show with a painful start. But it's more heartbreaking to know that this pain came from the people I asked for support," she continued.

Singh shared that she filmed Drag Den "with a broken spirit. Broken but not shattered." She also said that what kept her going was the faith, love and support of family and friends; the "fighting spirit of our Queens;" the "confidence and guidance of my producers" which included Antonette Jadaone, Dan Villegas and Cornerstone Entertainment; and the trust of the show's hosts Manila Luzon, Nicole Cordoves and Sassa Gurl.

"Honestly, I wish people were nicer. I wish the netizens were nicer when we first announced the show. But I realized, the world has always been harsher for people like me. I've built my dreams in a world that excludes me but no one, not even the world will make me stop. I have found my purpose and I am on my way to do greater things," Singh said.

She admitted suffering mentally to make her dream come true but said that it was all worth it. "This is my story — our story, and this is just the beginning," she added.

Singh thanked those who believed in her and dedicated the show to them "and all the young queer kids out there."

Singh is known for her 2018 film Mamu: And a Mother Too, and for being one of the many volunteer artists helping in the presidential campaign of then Vice President Leni Robredo, for which she created several videos starring the LGBTQ+ community and artists.

Produced by Cornerstone Studios and Project 8 Projects and headlined by Filipino-American RuPaul's Drag Race alum Manila Luzon, Drag Den dropped its first episode on 8 December on Amazon's streaming platform Prime Video Philippines.