My Blog Turns Two Years Old Today! Yehey!

Who would have thought that number 13 would turn out to be a lucky one for Your Blogger?

Exactly two years ago, Your Blogger entered the blogosphere by accident. 

I finally found a medium where I can express my creative self and at the same time, be able to update Boholanos who are away from home to be given an opportunity to know what’s happening in our beloved province

The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. 

Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog", meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms. Wikipedia.org

Six hundred twenty blogs and thousands more in blog visits, The Bedimpled & Bodacious Boholano Blogger turns two years old! In between, Your Blogger also got recognized by Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. as one of the Two Most In- Depth Pageant Blogs of the Philippines! Wow!

Yehey! Cheers!

To my  blog visitors, muchas gracias and here’s hoping for the next two years!

Bb Pilipinas Best in Swimsuit: 2000- 2017

THIS IS AN UPDATED VERSION: The Swimsuit Competition has always been the main target of feminists and radicals who have been branding pageants as exploitative and degrading to women

On the contrary, the swimsuits are empowering and liberating to women for it gives them the liberty to be in control and to be comfortable with their bodies. 

Bb Pilipinas 2018 Swimsuit Standouts

Photo Credits: Bb Pilipinas Official FB

Rather than cater to the baser and more prurient interest among men, the swimsuit competition actually highlights physical fitness and showcases the beauty and symmetry of womanhood with the candidates who actually take care of themselves being amply rewarded.

Aside from beauty of the face, figure and legs, the swimsuit competition also shows us how disciplined and how fit the girls are.

Entering a pageant is like applying for a job. Glamorous yes but one that takes a lot of hard work from the girls especially for all the appearances, projects and other stuff they are required to accomplish for one year of reign. 

Bb Pilipinas 2018 Swimsuit Standouts

Photo Credits: Bb Pilipinas Official FB

During the 2014 Bb Pilipinas Pageant set amidst the colorful & frenzied tribute to four of the most popular Philippine festivals , there was an ample display of beauty and charm as the girls sashayed and posed on stage in their modest one piece swimwear

It has been said that whoever gets the Best in Swimsuit Award is already assured of an important crown as previous results has shown

So when MJ Lastimosa was revealed as this year’s Best in Swimsuit, I almost jumped off from where I was seated for I knew that she was already a lock for one of the five titles.

Best in Swimsuit Winners through the Years:

2000 Nina Ricci Alagao

2001 Maricar Balagtas

2002 Kate Manalo

2003 Angelina Costorphan

2004 Maricar Balagtas

2005 Gionna Cabrera

2006 Lia Ramos

2007 Abby Cruz

2008 Janina San Miguel

2009 Pamela Bianca Manalo

2010 Krista Kleiner

2011 Queenierich Rehman

2012 Nicole Schmitz

2013 Ariela Ara Arida

2014 Mary Jean "MJ" Lastimosa

2015 Janicel Lubina

2016 Joanna Eden

2017 Rachel Peters

TRIVIA:

2002 & 2009 Best in Swimsuit winners are sisters

Maricar Balagtas is the only Binibini to have won the Best in Swimsuit award twice 

2011 Best in Swimsuit winner Queenierich Rehman won the same special award at the 2012 Miss World Philippines Pageant where she also won the crown  

YEAR	CANDIDATE	FINAL PLACEMENT
2000	Nina Ricci Alagao	Bb Universe
2001	Maricar Balagtas	2nd Runner Up
2002	Kate Manalo	Bb World
2003	Angelina Costorphan	Top 15 Semifinalist
2004	Maricar Balagtas	Bb Universe
2005	Gionna Cabrera	Bb Universe
2006	Lia Ramos	Bb Universe
2007	Abby Cruz	2nd Runner Up
2008	Janina San Miguel	Bb World
2009	Pamela Bianca Manalo	Bb Universe
2010	Krista Kleiner	Bb International
2011	Queenierich Rehman	Top 15 Semifinalist
2012	Nicole Schmitz	Bb International
2013	Ariella Arida	Bb Universe
2014	Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa	Bb Universe

Here are the last three winners of the Best in Swimsuit award:

YEAR	CANDIDATE	FINAL PLACEMENT
2015	Janicel Lubina	Bb Internationasl
2016	Joanna Eden	Bb Supranational
2017	Rachel Peters	Miss Universe Philippines.

2018 Catriona Gray Bb Universe 

2019 Patch Magtanong Bb International 

Here’s the updated result:

Breakdown of percentage for the last 20 winners of the Best in Swimsuit Award:

# OF WINNERS	FINAL PLACEMENT	PERCENTAGE
Nine (9)	Bb Universe winners	45.00 %
Four (4)	Bb International winners	20.00 %
Two (2)	Bb World winners	11.11%
Two (2)	2nd Runners Up	11.11%
Two (2)	Top 15 Semifinalists	11.11%
One (1)	Bb Supranational winner	5.56%

80.00 % or 16 of the 20 won a Bb Pilipinas crown

Final Update:

2021 Meiji Cruz 2nd RU 

2022 Gabbi Basiano Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental

2023 Anna Lakrini Bb Pilipinas - Globe 

2024 Myrna Esguerra Bb Pilipinas- - International 

Whoever wins the Best in Swimsuit award this Sunday is already a shoo- in for a Bb Pilipinas crown

Photo Credits: Copyright infringement not intended

Bb Pilipinas Awardee for Most In- Depth Pageant Blog

I got the shock of my life when I received news that my blog has been chosen by Bb Pilipinas Charities as one of the eight winners for its contest among hundreds of pageant sites and blogs

At first, I thought I was the victim of an April Fool's Day prank. I had to read and re- read the citation where I saw my name emblazoned as one of the two winners of the Most In- Depth Pageant Blog category

The realization that I won finally sank in when I opened my email and voila! there it was! A congratulatory message from Bb. Pilipinas Charities

This is an official recognition from Bb Pilipinas Charities Inc., the country's most prestigious pageant, that I have the "Most In-Depth Pageant Blog" among the hundreds of blogs & websites that sent entries from around the country. This is such a humbling honor for me.

It also means an opportunity to meet the Bb Pilipinas Queens for 2014 tomorrow at Balay, Araneta Center.

Chosen by Bb Pilipinas Charities as one of Eight Winners

Here's the content of Bb Pilipinas Charities Inc.'s email for me:

Hello Raul Phillip Gatal,

Congratulations for winning in the BPCI’s Blogger Promo!

Your blog Raulgatal.blogspot.com won in the following category:

Most In-Depth Pageant Blog

In line with this, we are giving you two (2) slots for the 2014 Bb. Pilipinas Winners Press Conferencetomorrow, April 2, 3PM at Balay Araneta Center.

Congratulations and see you tomorrow!

This is a validation of all the hard work I have been doing for my blog.

Thanks everyone! I share this with all of you!

Two winners for each of the four categories for a total of eight winners were chosen. The other awardees are:

normannorman.com, sashfactor.info, paddylastinc.com, pageantology.net, and hamsternice.blogspot.com