Part I: Boholanas Who Made a Mark in Bb Pilipinas

With the 55^th edition of Bb. Pilipinas taking place on March 18, Your Roving Eye will take you to a stroll down memory lane and give the spotlight again to the lovely Boholanas who made a mark in the country's most prestigious beauty pageant either as winner, runner up or finalist.   

Only a handful of Boholanas have placed or made a mark in Bb. Pilipinas. In fact, only seven of them have earned the distinction.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ARE:

THE TITLEHOLDER:

2006 Bb Pilipinas- World: Anna Maris Igpit  

2006 Anna Maris Igpit of Panglao is the first and only Boholana to have won a Bb. Pilipinas crown. She was named the country’s bet to Miss World 2006 held in Warsaw, Poland. 

She made it as Beach Beauty finalist and was voted by readers of Poland’s biggest newspaper as one of the Five Most Beautiful Miss World 2006 Candidates.

THE RUNNERS UP:

1979 Bb Pilipinas 1st Runner Up

1979 was the year that a Boholana finally made it to the winners’ circle. The beautiful Perla Fernando Salig of Loboc was named 1^st Runner Up.  Perla competed in Bb. Pilipinas after she was crowned as Queen of Circulo Boholano de Cebu, the biggest and oldest Cebu- based association of Boholanos.  

Almost immediately upon arrival in Manila, she caught the eye of the organizers and the press for her natural beauty, charming personality and unaffected manners.

The Boholana’s achievement was truly remarkable because it was rare for girls from the provinces to get noticed in the national competition. She made it on her own with no connections whatsoever.

2009 Bb Pilipinas 1^st Runner Up: Richelle Angalot  

2009. Twenty years after Perla’s 1^st RU placement, another Boholana achieved the same placement. Richelle Angalot , a GMA 7 contract star who goes by the screen name Rich Asuncion became the third Boholana  to make it in the winners’ circle after she was named 1^st Runner Up to Bianca Manalo.

Ms. Angalot already had a name in showbiz after being proclaimed in the GMA 7 reality talent search Starstruck when she competed in Bb. Pilipinas 2009.

THE FINALISTS: 

 Emma in Binibini//Emma with classmates during the 2012 BPHSN INTL.REUNION DAY

1968. Exactly 50 years ago, Emma Mumar made pageant history as the first Boholana to earn a placement as a Bb. Pilipinas Top 15 Finalist. 

1968 Bb Pilipinas Poolside Press Presentation

Photo Credits: Tony Paat

1968  Bb Pilipinas Top Fifteen

Photo Credits: Tony Paat

1968 Bb Pilipinas Board of Judges that included actress Susan Roces
Photo Credits: Tony Paat

1982 Rowena Burden, ,a brainy & beautiful doctor whose mom traces her roots in Bohol made it as Top 15 Semi- finalist in 1982.  Her batch included the controversial Maria Isabel Lopez who was crowned Bb. Universe and 1st RU Desiree Verdadero.

1982 Bb Pilipinas Top 15

With her stunning looks and gift of gab, Ms Burden impressed a lot of pageant watchers and organizers.

Right after the Bb. Pilipinas Pageant, Rowena was approached by Madame Stella Araneta and was requested to acquire some training and come back the following year. She declined saying she wanted to pursue her medical degree and she joined mainly for the experience.

The 1st RU Desiree Verdadero heeded Madame's advice, rejoined the pageant two years later, won the Bb. Universe crown and went on to place as 3rd RU in the 1984 Miss Universe Pageant.

TRIVIA: There was an uproar in Cebu where she was based that time when she represented Bohol instead of Cebu in Bb Pilipinas 1982.

1985. Tall and gorgeous Taina Manigque was already a top model in the country and a member of the prestigious Triumph Court of Fashion when she joined Bb. Pilipinas. She made it as Top 15 Semi- finalist. Taina comes from a family of beauty queens.

1985 Bb Pilipinas Top 15 Finalist

TRIVIA: Cita Capuyon and Desiree Verdadero, Bb. Pilipinas- Universe winners for 1983 and 1984, respectively, were both Triumph Court of Fashion members.

Her younger sister MariJo was named one of Tagbilaran's Five Prettiest in 1985 and her niece Margo Manigque was crowned Miss Tagbilaran 2006

2012 Bb Pilipinas Top 12 Finalist

2012. Karen Gallmann of Ubay who competed in the pageant’s 2012 edition made it as a Top Twelve Finalist.

Six years after her first attempt at Bb. Pilipinas,  Karen is back and has been picked by most pageant experts and websites as one of the most likely to win one of the crowns this year. If that happens, she will be the second Boholana to be crowned a Bb Pilipinas queen.

Watch the 55^th edition of the Bb Pilipinas Grand Coronation Night happening on Saturday, March 18, SMART Araneta Coliseum, 8 pm with delayed telecast over ABS CBN 2 on the same day.