ONE PAGEANT’S LOSER, ANOTHER PAGEANT’S WINNER

By Raphael Porciuncula

The pageant hullaballoo and musical chair in the Philippines has become dizzying. But it comes with a rationale. Overlooked beauties are crowned in another beauty pageant. I can go enumerating on and on from the past just to underscore my contention but let us see just the results of the recent Mutya ng Pilipinas Beauty Pageant.

This year’s Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia-Pacific 2012 Winner is Camille Guevarra, a 19-year old, 5’7” Kapampangan beauty. She was a former candidate in the body summit Cycle 4 in Pampanga.

Among the notables in this batch of Mutya winners were Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism 2012 winner, Rizzini Alexis Gomez. Rizzini is a candidate to be at the Binibining Pilipinas and failed to make the cut among the official candidates this year which is a very big question. Then she screened for the Miss World Philippines in Cebu and she was the only candidate that showed up during the official screening. She made it as an official candidate in the Miss World Philippines. I was batting for her inclusion for the Top 10 but unfortunately she did not advance to the semifinalist portion. Then I saw this participation. Initially I had negative feelings about her participation as might get the snub again just like the previous pageants. But fortunately, the judges saw in her the winning glitters. 

The first runner-up is Emma Tiglao, a former Superstar Models Asia Winner and another favorite of mine is Larah Grace Lacap, Miss Lions International winner, who also did not make it to the Top 10 of the recently concluded Miss World Philippines. She etched a second runner-up finish in this contest.

It is touted that the winner will participate in the soon to be revived Miss Asia Pacific International Pageant which will be held in a European Country. This pageant should be delineated from the much maligned Miss Asia Pacific World which is based in Korea and has churned 2 seasons already and has always created a big controversial buzz in terms of its staging the pageant. Mutya ng Pilipinas, Inc. used to hold the franchise of Miss Intercontinental. I am at a loss now as one organization, Beyond Filipinas is said to be holding a pageant of its own and one of its title will be a Miss Intercontinental Philippines. Said organization is said to be the franchise holder of Miss Supranational Philippines and yet recently, Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., announced the participation of Miss Elaine Moll, first runner-up to the Miss Supranational Beauty Pageant to be held in Sopot, Poland.

On the other hand, Rizzini Alexis Gomez will participate in the Miss Tourism International Pageant based in Malaysia. It is hoped that she will do well as there will be no tinges of political color as compared to the Tourism based pageants in China.