The Pageant Tie that Can't Be Broken

Did you know that there has been a tie in a major beauty pageant involving two outstanding Filipinas almost two decades ago?

Back in 1996, Mondragon Cosmetics launched a new line of beauty products aptly named Magica Cosmetics since they really do wonders to any woman’s beauty or lack of it.  

Anyway, a gorgeous mestiza from Zamboanga City named Sarah Jane Ritter and a lovely morena beauty named Genesis Canlapan from Luzon joined the one- time beauty pageant that would select the make up brand's image model &spokesperson for its promotional campaigns.

  

Genesis Canlapan aka Patricia Javier                                    Sarah Jane Ritter

AND THERE’S A TIE!

During the Grand Finale, something that had never been experienced in a beauty pageant happened. There was a tie and since both girls were really deserving of the crown, the pageant organizers decided not to break the tie. 

BRILLIANT PR MOVE

On hindsight, It was a brilliant PR move and marketing strategy because the message being sent across was Magica can make any Filipina whether mestiza or morena look absolutely awesome. The pageant was talked about not only for the tie but because of the One Million Peso cash prize that came with the title. Don’t know if they divided the cash prize between the two girls.

I still remember the photo that had the two girls sharing the dainty crown on their coiffed hair. Now, if only someone could provide Your Blogger with a photo of that crowning moment. Anyway, the girls went their separate ways after the pageant.

SAME PAGEANT. OPPOSITE RESULTS.

Their paths crossed again during Bb. Pilipinas 1998 where Sarah Jane was to pass on her 1997 Bb Pilipinas- International crown to her successor while Genesis Canlapan was in the pageant as a candidate. While Sarah Jane was more successful in her bid the previous year and even landed among the Top 15 in the 1997 Miss International Pageant, it wasn't so for Genesis Canlapan. She didn't even make the Top Ten that year.

Eventually though, Genesis reinvented herself as Patricia Javier and became a more popular showbiz entertainment personality. She is now settled in the USA and even represented the Philippines in the 2009 Mrs. ASIA- USA Pageant where she placed as 2nd RU. 

As for Sarah Jane, I haven't heard from her after she passed on her crown. Perhaps, she has shied away from the limelight. Who knows?

Photo Credits: Copyright infringement not intended