by Rainier Abad-Santos
“Truth is beauty, beauty is truth” - Plato
The beauty of a woman had
been appreciated centuries and centuries ago. In the annals of archeology and
history, there were definite evidences that beauty had been appreciated in
women in various forms. In the Philippines, we can see this encompassing all
cultural forms, the women are adorned to make them look more beautiful,
dignified and adored. Although pageants with grand proportion were done through
money raising and popularity during the early days of infancy of pageants,
women from the alta sociedad class lord it over the indios or the lower class.
Even in the last few decades of Philippine pageantry we see the participation
of the abled class until this recent milieu where we now have the democratized
participation of everyone. Beauty pageants have evolved and transformed and it
has never been the same.
The Binibining Pilipinas
Beauty Pageant is the most popular beauty pageant in the Philippines today not
only because of its rich history of winners but because it handles the search
for the representative of the country to the most popular international beauty
pageant which is the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. Year in, year out, the choices
were controversial in the sense that the results do not conform to the pageant
fans preferences and even to some extent the options of the international
observers. In this modern times when people becomes part of a community of
pageant enthusiasts through the internet by social media, exchanges in ideas
are just at the tip of the finger. In an instant, whatever that is happening in
one part of the globe is being shared to all over the world.
In this recent edition of
the beauty pageant, a cacophony of ideas and responses came out when the recent
winners were declared. Because of this the The Binibining Pilipinas Charities
Inc. which is the organization that handles the pageant had come out of a
statement saying that the candidates went
through the screening, selection, official events, pre-pageant and coronation
night all with the same chances to win any crown. The 30 girls did work hard to
pursue their dreams and fate had it that the winners were proclaimed because
they were the judges’ choices.
The pageant’s focus of their
ire is the selection of Janine Marie Tugonon, the first runner-up of last year
who re-joined the competition this year and was lucky to be crowned as the new
Miss Universe Philippines for 2012. Who by the way is Janine Mari Tugonon?
Janine Mari is a 22 year old
young lady who stood 5’9” tall and is the daughter of Teresita Raymundo of
Balanga, Bataan and Jose Mari Tugonon of Aringay, La Union. From her name
alone, we see that her second name was lifted from the second name of her
father. Janine however, grew up in Balanga and later transferred to Manila to
further her studies.
She is a B.S.
Pharmacy graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas and she graduated Cum Laude.
She later took the board examination for Pharmacists in 2010 and she was one of
the top-ranked passers that year. Janine is also a ballet
dancer and has trained with Ballet Manila under the tutelage of prima ballerina
Lisa Macuja.
Janine is not new to the pageant circle. She was
crowned Miss Thomasian Personality 2010 as she represented her college as Miss
Pharmacy. Janine is not also new in come from behind victory. She was not the
clear favorite during the Miss Thomasian Personality 2010 as one candidate (Joanna
Cindy V. Miranda of Tourism and Hospitality Management) was lording over her
in the special awards. But when the Question and Answer portion came, she gave
a dignified answer that entrenched her to become the winner that night.
Janine as First Runner-up (far right) during last years' Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant as she joined (L-R) Mary Jean Lastimosa (2nd runner-up), Isabella Manjon (Miss Tourism Philippines), Shamcey Supsup (Miss Universe Philippines) and Dianne Necio (Miss International Philippines)
Fresh from those triumphs, Janine participated
in last years’ Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant. Not in the list of possible
winners, from out of nowhere, she stole the thunder of the brightest star that
night, she landed a first runner-up position while MJ Lastimosa, a favorite of
pageant fans, was only second runner-up.
Amidst bickering and debates among pageant fans,
she was crowned as the new Miss Universe Philippines 2012 in a pageant of pomp
and glamour. Janine was both competitive in the swimsuit and evening gown
competition. Although pageant critics say that the swimsuit segment was her
waterloo, she was not just in the middle of the pack but well within reach of
those who possess the best bodies. In the evening gown segment, she glowed in
her white gown and everyone admitted she is a force to reckon with that night.
“I believe that women have the right to choose between what they want.
But for me, you have to go for what God has called you to do whatever it is
between the two. You must do what’s your purpose in the world. Just have a
childlike faith and matured obedience then everything will go smooth.”
And when the question by Mr. Jose Manuel
Romualdez was asked of her, she towered among all the 12 semi-finalists. The
question that gave her the remarkable come from behind victory again was: “Many
women nowadays will go a happy family life or a scucesful career. How do you
feel about this? Janine answered in the following way: “I believe that women
have the right to choose between what they want. But for me, you have to go for
what God has called you to do whatever it is between the two. You must do what’s
your purpose in the world. Just have a childlike faith and matured obedience
then everything will go smooth.” She thanked the judge who gave the question
and the audience.
There was no looking back for Candidate Number 18
as the night was hers. She was eventually crowned the best of all on April 15,
2012 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum as the new Miss Universe Philippines.
Photo Credits: Ron Titular, Paul Cortes, BPCI, Rosemarie Tugonon, Pinoy Star
Blog, James Manayon, ABS-CBN, ph.beuatymania.biz and missosology.info
That body needs to be worked out! Someone should train her immediately! Women should not win any pageant title if they don't have DISCIPLINE.
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