Throughout the years, people try to define what beauty is and up to this present day, there is no consensus among people as to its meaning. Even pageant connoisseurs do not have a standard meaning for beauty as they have different tastes, cultural upbringing and experiences. However, there seem to be an agreement that something beautiful provides perceptual experience of enjoyment, delight and contentment. The results of our survey on Timeless Beauties underscored the saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” We sent out more than 20 survey letters and 10 beauty pageant aficionados responded. They came from all walks of life – newsmen, academics, healthcare specialists, entertainment and ordinary folks. They all have something to say about beauty. And by the results of the survey alone, beauty can not be standardized. Beauty in every culture has a different standard and this overwhelming majority can not be achieved, unless probably, the questionnaire will have a preselected list of beauties and respondent will just have to tick his or her choices. In our survey, we wrote our responders to enumerate 5 international beauty queens which they think is timeless from orders 1 to 5 -one being the highest order of their choice. There were 10 respondents and we can see that only 30% of our respondents agree to the number 1 choice. The same is true with the number 2 choice. We have such a varied response that we feel our respondents see beauty in all. What may be beautiful for one may not be for the others.
Our survey results are as follows:
17 POINTS
Stephen Diaz - 5
Khristianne Luna Bernardo – 5
Jetset Alejandro - 5
William Prendiz Jurado – 2
Oxana Fedorova, dethroned Miss Universe 2002 fills the number 1 position. Oxana despite being dethroned still lingers in everyone’s consciousness among pageant enthusiasts. Who would not forget this blushing lady who captured the hearts of everyone when she set foot in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Everyone was mesmerized by her classic and angelic beauty. She was full of charms and correspondingly witty. She had the body everyone ogled at and she walked fleetingly onstage. She was everyone’s dream girl.
She however, had a short reign and was replaced by her first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama. Whatever reason Oxana had or the organizers for her dethronement, Oxana continued to be of interest to everyone’s fancy. Many pageant wannabe’s idolized her. They aped her walk, her gown and monitored her career. She had become the standard of what beauty should be. Some even elevated her to a “goddess” status. She had become a beauty that through the years, in every pageant or beauty discussion, her name is always a topic that cropped up. Oxana later on pursued higher education in a field where men dominates. She however, showed that women can be strong and formidable in the police force and she shine through her endeavors. It is no wonder, she topped Queentessence survey. She is not only timeless but a quintessential beauty.
13 PONTS
Bonner Lasquite – 5
Khristianne Luna Bernardo – 4
Jetset Alejandro – 4
Jennifer Hawkins came in second. Who can not forget this lady who had unassumingly led the Miss Universe candidates in 2004 held in Quito, Ecuador. After being crowned Miss Universe 2004, pageant co-owner described her as the “most beautiful Miss Universe in many many years.” Who would not say that? Everyone sees her as saccharine sweet, loveable, beautiful and chic. If Oxana is said to be enigmatic, Jennifer is said to be candid. During her reign, mishaps happened during one of Jennifer’s functions where her skirt was accidentally removed when she stepped on it. It revealed her in G-string to the awe of the people watching her. But instead of losing her star, it added more luster to it and Jennifer was well loved by everyone. She became a popular commercial model and now a businesswoman.
11 POINTS
William Prendiz Jurado = 5
Zarly of Veestarz = 3
Bobby Baradi = 3
Gemma Cruz is the first Miss International Beauty Queen from the Philippines who garnered the title in the fifth edition of the pageant in 1964. She came in third in our survey. In the fifth edition of pageant, actress Arlene Dahl, a member of the board of judges noted that Gemma had an unmistakable air of class that set her apart from the other. She is very regal and she had an exceptional breeding and bearing that the judges saw. Gemma further endeared herself to everyone when she donated all her cash prize earnings to the Boys and Girls Town, an orphanage in the Philippines. For those who know her well, it was not a surprise for them to hear that Gemma did donate her cash prizes. However, for ordinary Filipinos, Gemma’s feat in the pageant is something they hold up in steam and donating her cash prize to the needy is a great and valued character of a person. When Gemma became the Tourism Secretary during the Estrada administration of the Philippines, every pageant observer still gets awed by the enthralling presence of Gemma. Her formidable height, her resplendent beauty and her presence are enough get star-struck with this beauty queen. This beauty queen really aged gracefully and how exceptional she did.
9 POINTS
Peter Sereno = 5
Giovanni Yazon = 4
Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones came in 4th in our survey. In 1991, this beauty showed so much grace and elan as she romped away with the crown against 72 other candidates in Las Vegas, Nevada. She eased through all the rounds by topping all the scores from swimsuit, evening gown and the interview. It was the first time a Mexican won in the Miss Universe Beauty pageant. A graduate of Business Administration, she founded a company and created Nuestra Belleza Mexico. After 13 years she produced a winner in the person of Priscilla Perales as Miss International 2007 and remarkable the most, she produced another Miss Universe for her country in the same place where she won the title – Ximena Navarrete, Now she's single and has one son with ex-husband Simón Charaf.
8 POINTS
Zarly of Veestarz = 4
Bobby Baradi = 4
Another Miss Universe completed the 5 timeless beauties in our survey, 1973 winner Maria Margarita Moran from the Philippines. She won the title in Athens, Greece among other candidates. Just like Gemma, Margie came from a pedigreed clan and this clearly showed in her competition during the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. She won Miss Photogenic during the preliminary judging. During the pageant itself, she became the darling of the crowd because of her regal bearing and class. She was exceptionally graceful, refined and polished. It was no surprise for everyone that she was crowned the winner in that fateful day. Margie soon became a wife to another well-known political person in the Philippines. And as wife of a politician, she started different advocacies such as Mothers for Peace, Friends of Habitat, Foundation for Arts, Culture and Ecology and Save Davao Gulf Ecology. Truly with these advocacies, she is a Quintessential beauty by its meaning.
There is something notable among the choices of our respondents. They did not only select beautiful and lovely women but they chose women who after their reign became successful in their chosen endeavors.
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