By
Jetset Alejandro
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| The Miss World Philippines 2012 Winners Picture Credit: Yahoo Asia New Bureau |
I did not expect to
make a review of Miss World Philippines 2012 as it was aired in TV5. There is
no international telecast of the pageant and thus I would have to content
myself watching from the downloaded youtube videos. I have to laboriously
download those clips and then compose the whole to make a complete pageant viewing.
In the press releases
why MWP changed home, TV5 is said to promise the MWP organization to make it a
pageant with pizzazz and interest but after watching the clips, I would say
that the pageant remains to be a boring spectacle. However, the MWP still
showed segments of swimsuit, evening gown and the final question and answer
portion. This was good because if they patterned it to the MW pageant done in
2011, there would have been no excitement at all.
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| Picture Credit: Miss World and TV5 |
Let me painstakingly
make a run down of what the pageant was all about:
THE VENUE AND THE
STAGE:
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| The Stage as seen from afar during the presentation of the first special set of awards Picture Credit: Yahoo Asia News Bureau |
The venue is at the Tent
of the Manila Hotel. I was surprised that the Manila Hotel had this place for
entertainment. The stage seems to be just enough for the 25 candidates. There was not
much elaborate stage design. It was kept to a minimum. Someone remarked that
there is no grandeur that emanates from the stage. Knowing that the preparations
is only for two weeks, I was not really expecting that much but the real
problem is that it was in the news that they would top all other pageant
presentations. Hence, this greater expectation.
THE PRODUCTION NUMBER:
We were introduced to the
girls in an impressive Ati-Atihan number and comparing to last year’s
presentation this one is simply much better. There is enough excitement and
energy to be felt and thus created a more enjoyable viewing fare. I have also
taken note of the lighting. The lighting showed was adequate and therefore the
girls can be viewed with much clarity. However, the camera panning and focusing
were still oft just like what ABS-CBN does. The girls are shown sometimes in
bad angles and thus they do not give justice to the pretty faces performing out
there.
THE HOSTS:
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| The Hosts of MWP 2012 - Edu Manzano and Ruffa Gutierrez Picture Credit: Noel Orsal of pep.ph |
Edu Manzano and Ruffa
Gutierrez handled the show very well. Being in the business for quite so long had
honed them well in pageants like this. But since the proceedings at the boob
tube was quite long and drags even their hosting cannot enliven the show that
much. Mr. Fu and Patricia Fernandez served as backstage commentators and social
media connectors. Patricia showed zest and verve and she was remarkable. The
pageant annotators/anchors were two male models John James Uy and Victor Basa they
also came out so inadequate as compared with their seasoned counterparts. There
was such an obvious inexperience in doing the job.
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| Photo Credits: Rhoy Cobilla and Ver Paulino |
THE JUDGES:
The distinguished panel
of judges is composed of the following:
Raymund Isaac – a Master
Lensman
James Younghusband –
Azkals Team player
Hon. Sonny Angara –
Aurora Representative
Melinda Reyes – President
and CEO of Zenea
Roberto Barreiro – Chief
Operating Officer of TV5
Hon. Ramon “Bong”
Revilla – Senator
Emmanuel Ramon
Lorenzana – Head of Smart Communications’ Wireless Consumer Division
Clint Navales – External
Relations Country Leader of Procter and Gamble Philippines
Baby Cruz –President and
owner of Frank Provost
Becky Garcia – founder and
President of Dancesport Council of the Philippines
Amelia R. Ablaza –
Honorary Consul of Guatemala
Lorna Tolentino – Multi-awarded
Actress
Maria Fe Agudo –
Hyundai President
ER Ejercito – Laguna Governor
THE SWIMSUIT ROUND
All the candidates
paraded in their swimsuits. They were divided into two groups. First group was
Candidates 1 to 12 and the second group was from Candidates 13 to 25. It is very apparent that Candidate Number 22
was ahead of the pack during the swimsuit round. It was not surprising when her
name was called as the Best in Swimsuit. Candidate Number 19 Marie Loraine De
Guzman was also a sight to behold.
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| MWP 2012 Candidates in Swimsuit. Photo Credits : Noel Orsal for PEP |
THE EVENING GOWN SEGMENT
The girls again paraded
in their evening gowns. The girls were given the leeway to choose what gowns they
should wear. The gowns were adequately beautiful but some are really hideous
and do not give justice to the girls. One of Queentessence’ favorite Maham
Ahmed sashayed in a gown that looks too big for her. She has a very good body
and yet the gown did not flatter her instead stupefied her. Eventual First
Princess Candidate Number 13, Mary Anne Ross Misa was in a serpentina gown and
the hemline was outrageous. Although she carried it with aplomb, she looks
despicable. Other pageant fans say the same. Candidate Number 17 who had the
most fans carried herself breathtakingly and she romped with the best in long
gown award.
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| The MWP 2012 Candidates in the Long Gown Presentation. Photo Credits: Yahoo Asian News Bureau |
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TOP
12:
After the rounds of the
special awards, the Top 12 was announced and they are as follows:
1.
Candidate Number 14 – Mariver Ocampo
2.
Candidate Number 22 – Queenierich Rehman
3.
Candidate Number 18 – Rufaida Babudin
4.
Candidate Number 5 – Carla Jenina
Lizardo
5.
Candidate Number 19 – Marie Loraine de
Guzman
6.
Candidate Number 1 – Kay Wigand
7.
Candidate Number 13 – Mary Anne Ross
Misa
8.
Candidate Number 17 – April Love Jordan
9.
Candidate Number 11 – Vania Valiry Vispo
10.Candidate
Number 16 – Brenna Cassandra Gamboa
11.Candidate
Number 12 – Paulina Eliseeff
12.Candidate
Number 2 – Vanessa Claudine Ammann
Upon the announcement
of the Top 12 candidates, there was a big hush among pageant fans as some early
favorites did not get in to the Top 12. To name a few, they are Mary Grace
Lacap, Maham Ahmed, Fer Mary Baliquig and Rizzini Gomez. These candidates got
what it takes to be also crowned as the Queen of the Night. The buzz became
stronger when it was learned from pageant handlers that there was no
Pre-judging that was done. If the judges evaluated the candidates that night
right there and then, then the Top 12 were chosen on the basis of the Beauty of
Face, Swimsuit scores and Evening gown scores. There is no input from the
cerebral department that would separate the beauty with brains.
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| Photo Credits: Yahoo Asian News Bureau |
After the announcement
of the Top 12, the candidates came out in the Filipina Terno and they were
serenaded by male artists Kean Cipriano, Ebe Dancel and McCoi Fundales. It is such a sight to behold because the candidates
were very much taller than the performers serenading them. It was also
something to behold because these artists serenading them are rock stars and
yet they were belting out songs by the APO Hiking Society. Quite a novelty!
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| Photo Credit: Noel Orsal for Pep.ph |
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TOP
5:
I was expecting that a
round of questions is given to the candidates before the selection of the Top
5. But there was none. The Top 5 candidates were then announced. Am I made to
believe that the Top 5 were chosen based on their appearance in the Terno
segment? Beats me! And the Top 5 were as follows:
1.
Candidate Number 22 – Queenierich Rehman
2.
Candidate Number 13 – Mary Anne Ross
Misa
3.
Candidate Number 17 – April Love Jordan
4.
Candidate Number 16 – Brenna Cassandra
Gamboa
5.
Candidate Number 2 – Vanessa Claudine
Amman
The Top 5 was quite
expected. Although as one article in Queentessence wrote that Vanessa Amman was
the unheralded candidate in the Top 5, she was expected to get in because of
the numerous special awards she was receiving. Although it should have been
nicer that we hear them say something before the Top 5 is chosen.
THE QUESTION AND ANSWER
PORTION
For this portion, the
question came from the followers of the pageant fielded through the social
media. It was something expected since I heard these questions from other
pageants as well. But let us see how the candidates fared in this portion:
1.
Candidate Number 2 : Vanessa Claudine
Amman
Questions:
If you were given the chance to travel back in time, what lesson of today would
you tell the Filipinos in the past and why?
Answer:
If I had the opportunity to tell the people of the past about the future today,
I would tell them how proud I am that they kept their virtues and their respect
for their families and that even in this time that is something that we
treasure. And that’s why I wouldn’t change a thing because I appreciate the
heritage where I come from and I’m very proud of the Filipinos of today.
2.
Candidate Number 13: Mary Anne Ross Misa
Question:
Have you ever been bullied? What can you advice people who are often bullied?
Answer:
Yes I have been bullied back in my childhood days. And it just motivated me to
prove those people wrong because I think if you have the dignity in yourself
and the strong will that you can do things and people don’t think that you can,
I think that’s what’s going to make you successful in life.
3.
Candidate Number 16 – Brenna Cassandra
Gamboa
Question:
If you could choose one value that Filipinos should be proud of, what is it and
why?
Answer:
One valuable lesson…..When I first came to the Philippines is that Filipinos
are very proud of they are. That is one thing that I am proud of. I am a Filipino.
I am proud. Our family is always together. Thank you.
4.
Candidate Number 17 – April Love Jordan
Question:
Do you think social media has made our
society worse or better?
Answer:
I believe that the social media has made our society better. It made us united
easily. I believe that social media is a good influence to everyone and it is
easier. It made us united and I believe that now, having social media is one of
the tools for us to be successful and for our country to be successful because
we have news easily and we can all be united. Thank you.
5.
Candidate Number 22 – Queenierich Rehman
Question:
As an ambassador of the Philippines, what are the best features of your country
that you can project to the world?
Answer:
Good evening everyone. I believe that wherever you will go here in the
Philippines, it’s not the islands that make us special but of the Filipinos who
have warm hospitality, who are having smiles on their faces and of course who
will treat all foreigners the love and respect, and hospitality that they can
give to them. I believe that the Philippines is a country that we can be proud
of.
As a rejoinder, I don’t
usually make comments about the answers of the candidates because I believe
there is no right or wrong answer to a question supposed to be asked. But since
there is a Beauty and Brains award that was given after the Q and A portion, I might
as well give my thoughts.
1.
First, the Beauty and Brains award. This
is very high school or town pageant in concept. Awards like this should not be
given in national pageants. It is very open to bickering and debates. Although
the intention is great and to justify the reason why that particular candidate
won in the contest. Now let us look at Queenie’s question. It is very similar
to the question given to Angelee de los Reyes at the recent Binibining
Pilipinas and the answer is very much the same in content only that Angelee
delivered it in a bombastic manner. There is a great thought in the answer of
Queenie but got cluttered in the end and I don’t think that was the best answer
for the night.
2.
I
was surprised the award was given to Queenie. I believe it should be given to Vanessa
who was direct to the point and emphasized that the family at present is still
the core of the Filipino society. For me it was a very simple answer but deeply
and experientially sourced out and she gets my appreciation for her answer.
3.
People
were so impressed with Mary Anne Ross Misa’s answer probably because of her
deliver. Mary Anne from her Binibini days impressed me. She answers with
conviction and sincerity. Despite of the flawed or cluttered thoughts, since
her delivery is very impressive, everybody thinks it is already a very good
answer.
4.
I
think the question about social media confuses every pageant winner wannabee.
This similar question was asked to a candidate in another pageant and it was a
topic that has gone viral for so many days in pageant forums. It was made
simpler for the MWP pageant and it got an almost the same rattled answer. Too
bad, this girl should have been the title holder if not for her answer.
5.
Lastly,
PRIDE is never a trait or value of Filipinos. It is humility. However, I cannot
blame Brenna for her answer as she was grew up in the East Coast and thus,
being proud of one’s identity has been greatly inculcated in her. Her answer
might have taken a big chunk from her score and thus relegating her to 4th
princess status.
THE FAREWELL WALK
Outgoing First Princess
Gwendoline Ruais made her last walk as Miss World Philippines 2011. The last
year’s winners were also acknowledged and it was fitting tribute to the
outgoing Queen.
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| Photo Credit: Gian Quiballo |
ANNOUNCEMENT OF
WINNERS:
The winners were
predictable. The coronation as usual took a long time. It was much better in
this edition though. Proclaimed 4th Princess is Brenna Gamboa, a
semi-finalist of the Miss Philippines-Earth 2010, Miss University 2011 and
First Runner-Up in the World Supermodel 2011. The 3rd Princess is
April Love Jordan, a former semi-finalist at the Binibining Pilipinas 2009,
Grand Prize Winner in the International Beauty and Model Competition 2009 and Mutya ng Pilipinas runner-up. The second princess is Vanessa Amman, a
Fil-German whose unconventional beauty caught every fans off-guard for they are
on the look-out for classic beauties. She is a Miss Cebu runner-up and a
runner-up in the Metro Model search. The First Princess is Mary Anne Ross Misa,
a 5’10” all model and is a Binibini 2010 alumna. Crowned Miss World Philippines
2012 is Queenierich Rehman, a 24 year old Model of Fil-Morrocan ancestry. (Some
reports say she has Pakistani ancestry. Other reports say she is of Palestinian
descent.) She competed also in the 2011 edition of the Binibining Pilipinas.
If you would notice, I
intentionally did not put the special awards that went to the different
candidates of choice by the sponsors. That has been the point of contention of
a lot of pageant reviewers and critics. It eats up so much time making the
proceeding so dragging and boring and thus long viewing hours. If they could
have done a preliminary competition and the special awards were given during
that time, then we could have a brisk and well-presented pageant. It is just my
take on such.
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