These 18 are 9 males and 9 females who the celebrant pairs off into partners. On their 18th birthday, Philippine women throw a large party, complete with her own hand-picked debut court of 18 people. At 18, a Filipina, besides long having had her first menstruation, has already graduated from secondary school and is in the middle of college or working already or both. At 15, a typical Latina has only begun menstruating (Alvarez). The image of a quinceanera dressed up as a bride, but with her mother presenting her a "last doll" and her father putting on her big girl shoes for her readily says, "You are no longer a child, but you are still OUR child" (Alvarez). The quinceanera on the other hand, although also declaring the celebrant no longer a child, does not literally imply her marriageability. The Philippine debut, like its western counterparts, is a presentation of the celebrant to her community, declaring her to be formally and legally an adult (Philippine legal age is 18), ergo of marriageable status. I would say Philippine debuts are actually more similar to western debutante balls (such as those common in the southern states in the US) than to Spanish quinceaneras. The Philippine debut celebrates a woman entering into her 18th year, while the Spanish Quineanera takes place on a young lady's 15th birthday. The difference between the Spanish Quinceanera and the Philippine Debut is the age at which the celebration takes place.
It is a coming-of-age celebration for Philippine women that is somewhat reminiscent of the Spanish tradition of the "Quinceanera" celebration. The Philippine Debut is a cultural tradition of the Filipino people.
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