A Pinoy Wins the First Miss International's Heart

No one can hold a candle to the Pinoy when it comes to wooing & pursuing his object of affection. Not even the passionate Latino nor the sexy Italian. The Pinoy surely knows how to turn on the charm and sweep a woman off her feet.

Here's one of my Valentine's Day blog features for you

Ten years after the first Miss Universe Armi Kuusela of Finland gave up her crown to marry a Filipino gentleman named Virgilio Hilario, another world- class beauty, this time the first Miss International Maria Stella Márquez Zawadazky met and fell in love with another Filipino, a businessman named Jorge Araneta

Cheers to Jorge Araneta & Stella Marquez

Imagine, the first Miss Universe and the first Miss International falling for the charms of and getting married to Filipino lovers?

In the case of Stella & Jorge, perhaps, it was fate and destiny that conspired to make these two different individuals of contrasting backgrounds and from opposite sides of the world meet and fall in love

Come to think of it, if by chance the paths of Stella & Jorge did not crisscross, there wouldn’t have been a Binibining Pilipinas Pageant that would give the Philippines its two Miss Universe titles, four Miss International titles and countless more.

If the Colombian beauty queen and the Philippine industrialist didn’t meet and fall in love, the iconic beauty queens like Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Aurora Piojuan, Melanie Marquez or the more recent ones like Bea Rose Santiago, Precious Lara Quigaman and Mutya Datul plus the countless others who gave pride and recognition to the Philippines in international beauty tilts wouldn’t have been discovered

Miss Colombia 1959 Stella Marquez Zawadsky represented her country in the 1960 Miss Universe Pageant held in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. She placed as one of the 15 semifinalists

Miss Colombia 1959 Stella Marquez Zawadsky represented her country in the 1960 Miss Universe Pageant held in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. She placed as one of the 15 semifinalists

She then competed in the first Miss International beauty pageant held in Long Beach, California, United States on August 12, 1960.

She won that competition by half a point, thus entering pageant history books as the very first Miss International, and the first Latina Miss International.

Please click the link for  Stella Marquez: The Very First Miss International

MEETING & FALLING IN LOVE

A year after becoming Miss International, Stella was invited to grace a fashion show to be held at the Araneta Center in Quezon City, Philippines where she met a dashing and well- mannered Philippine industrialist named Jorge Leon Araneta who swept her off her feet

Now, you have to understand that as a nationally- recognized celebrity in her native Colombia and as the first Miss International, she attracted scores of prominent & very eligible bachelors from around the world

So what gave Jorge the upper hand from among his many rivals for the hand & the heart of Stella Marquez?

We can only surmise and guess our opinions but one thing is certain. The Pinoy surely knows how to make the lady who captures his heart truly feel special and beloved

It was an intercontinental romance that spanned the Pacific Ocean from Manila, Philippines to Cali, Colombia  

A FAIRY TALE WEDDING

Their love story culminated with a dazzling fairy tale wedding in Cali, Colombia

 newlyweds acknowledges cheers

After their wedding and honeymoon, the newlyweds flew to Manila to settle down 

ORGANIZING THE COUNTRY'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS BEAUTY PAGEANT

Madame Stella has been at the forefront of Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) the country’s longest- running and most prestigious beauty pageant for 50 golden years with Jorge Araneta quietly guiding and supporting her by the sidelines 

 Jorge Araneta & Stella Marquez w/ ABS CBN Pres & CEO Gaby Lopez

50 Years After Getting Married

During the Golden Anniversary of the Bb Pilipinas Pageant, the entire country swooned when the very private Jorge Araneta planted a kiss on his beauty queen wife during the tribute for Stella

The now famous kiss was more than just a recognition of her exemplary and remarkable handling of BPCI. It was a reaffirmation of a Pinoy’s love and devotion for his beloved

Cheers & Happy Valentine’s Day!