Glyssa Perez is Miss World Philippines 2017 1st Princess

Eleven years after Anna Maris Igpit clinched the Bb Pilipinas- World crown, another Boholana gave a stellar performance in the country’s search for its Miss World representative.

Miss Bohol 2016 Glyssa Leiann Bingas Perez finished strongly as 1^st RU in a competitive field of 35 lovely ladies during glittering ceremonies at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Glyssa Perez is named Miss World Philippines 2017 1^st Princess

Prior to revealing the names of the Top 15 semifinalists was the announcement of the winners of the five Fast Track Challenges which gave the winners automatic tickets to the semis.  All fast track challenges were conducted weeks leading to the pageant night.

The fast track challenge winners were:

FAST TRACK CHALLENGE	WINNNERS
Miss FILA/Sports & Fitness	#3 Glyssa Leian Perez
Talent	#9 Winwyn Marquez
Bench Body/Beach Beauty	#9 Winwyn Marquez
Top Model	#32 Cynthia Thomalla
Multimedia Challenge	#15 Laura Lehmann

Candidate #3 Glyssa Perez was named the winner for Sports Challenge which was held at Victoria Sports Tower last August 17. The whole- day sports activities had the girls divided into five groups and prior to tackling the various sports activities that challenged their physical capacities, they had to come up with their group yells & cheers.

 Glyssa Perez & her Sports Challenge teammates


 

After getting the FILA/ Sports & Fitness award, Glyssa & the other fast track winners led 11 other girls into the top 15 where KC Montero engaged them in a casual chitchat to give the audience and the judges a glimpse into their personalities.

   All the Fast Track Challenge winners made it to the final six

For the top ten Q & A, Glyssa got a “personal question”. 

QUESTION: All your life your parents have taught you in school and in life, but what have you taught your parents?

ANSWER: 

Living from a different country to the Philippines, one thing that I feel that I taught my parents is trust.  Because being the only girl in the family with three brothers, you could just imagine how protective they are.

As I said earlier, trust is what I taught my parents because they allow me to loop two countries because I’m so passionate about serving the community that I’m here standing in front of you all to do what I’m passionate about.

As predicted in an earlier blog , Glyssa did bring on her A- game and, with her impressive and heartfelt Q & A performance, she finished strongly as 1^st Princess. 

   exuding grace and charm during the opening number

Her roles and responsibilities include appearances with the other MWP 2017 winners and should one of the crowned winners cannot fulfill their contractual obligations, Glyssa takes over.

 

 Glyssa Perez in her Bench Body swimwear and
in her Mikee Andrei evening gown during pageant night

The 23 years old who graduated with a BS Commerce degree major in Finance during her college days in Australia where she spent her growing up years, she was awarded for the Best Endeavor in Finance 2015.

  tension- filled moment before announcement of winners

 L-R: Perez, Thomalla, Lehmann, Marquez, Senoron & Carbonell  

Beauty runs in her bloodline and in fact, she and reigning 2016 Miss Universe Philippines Maxine Perez Medina are first cousins. She was crowned the 2014 Miss Philippines Australia where she represented the Visayas Association of Australia Inc.. In the same pageant, she  also won the Best in Filipiniana, Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown special awards.

Year 2016 was memorable for Glyssa  After getting crowned as Miss Bohol 2016, she represented the province in Miss JCI Visayas and after winning the regional title, she went on to win the national title of Miss JCI Philippines as well.

Congratulations to Glyssa and to MWP franchise holder ALV of national director Arnold Vergafia & general manager Bessie Besana !

Stylish Maia Dizon in her Sensational Bessie Besana Gown

During the 2016 Sun Life Grepa National Awards Night, my good friend Maia Palapos- Dizon clinched not only  the 2016 Sun Life Financial Presidential Award & 2016 Sun Life Grepa Financial Regular Business Award, she also got the nod of fashion stylists & fashionistas for her sartorial sense and got voted Star of the Night.

 

 Maia Dizon in her show- stopping evening gown

Fast- rising Manila- based designer Bessie Besana, who also dresses up Miss World 2013 Megan Young and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach created the winning look for Ms. Dizon..Incidentally, Bessie was in Bohol a couple of years back together with his muses Shamcey Supsup & Ariella Arida to judge the Miss Panglao Pageant.

 

 Dramatic twist provided by the train

According to Bessie Besana, top Manila fashion designer who created Maia’s gown 

“When Maia Dizon came into my shop, I was instantly inspired by her physique. She told me she maintains her body by going to the gym and making sure she takes care of her well being.  She also said that she will be attending a red carpet awards night. I found out later that she was a recipient of a recognition. I then formulated in my mind that what I wanted for her was nothing too extravagant yet it exudes class and elegance.

We chose the colour pistachio green for her gown in gazar fabric. To give it that modern look, we made it high neck and very low back. To add an additional drama, we attached a train to the sleek serpentine gown to give that red carpet worthy look. Not surprisingly, she won star of the night! 

The award proved that it takes two to tango; You need a go- getter and risk- taker for a muse and you need a sartorial masterpiece to make heads turn and make a splash on the red carpet!

 Maia was resplendent in her Bessie Besana gown

Cheers Maia and Bessie!

Have You Read About the Pia Dolls?

While doing my weekly online research and updates for my weekly newspaper lifestyle column, I came across these photos of Queen Pia with a set of Pia dolls that a pageant fan has lovingly & painstakingly created for her.

   Pia is fascinated with her miniature versions

  Pia is absolutely thrilled when Ian presented the
 doll replica during her birthday before Miss U

Turns out that Ian Mendajar, a Pia admirer and pageant fan has been creating a set of miniature beauty queens all dressed up in Pia Wurtzbach’s iconic dresses as a tribute to the beauty queen while following her journey from Bb Pilipinas and all the way to Miss Universe 2015.

 Miss U 2015 with fellow Bb Pilipinas queens

L-R: Venus, Shamcey, Janine , MJ & Ara

   Pageant fan & Pia admirer Ian Mendajar with
his creations of art & labor of love

   The Pia Doll that started it all

His first creation was inspired by the evening gown of Wurtzbach during the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, the second one patterned after Albert Andrada’s gown and given as an advanced gift to Wurtzbach, and the third dubbed as “Pia Doll Version 3.0” was created with a replica of Bessie Besana’s gown for Pia during the Star Magic Ball

 Pia looks like a doll in this photo

Pia's Bb Pilipinas 2015 gown & regional costume

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Pia in her Bessie Besana creation worn 

during the Star Magic Ball

Ian's reciprocates Pia's gift for the
Philippines with this Pia Doll in
Albert Andrada replica gown
as his gift  

These dolls are not only a collector’s item but also a collective symbol of our nation’s love and admiration for our beauty queens.

Pia Wurztbach Wears Bessie Besana

Fast rising designer & style expert Bessie Besana of Bessie Besana Atelier created this impeccable champagne- colored gown that befits royalty! 

No less than ethereal goddess & luminous beauty queen Pia Wurztbach, reigning Miss Universe Philippines 2015, wore this gown that evoked vintage Hollywood glamour.

Watch out Universe! 

Imagine a Whole Day Bohol Tour with Ara Arida

It still feels surreal every time I remember those two days spent with a Bb Pilipinas titleholder whose Miss Universe journey I closely followed.

 

 FAB FOUR: Atty Dan, Ara, Your Blogger & Bessieright at the Loboc River Cruise terminal

So when she came here in Bohol to judge Miss Panglao with hotand fast- rising designer & style expert Bessie Besana, I was like wow!It was a dream come true for I had been following her days in Moscow, Russia for two reasons; 

 lunch  on board a Loboc floating resto


   

She was the first Bb Pilipinas- Universe to compete in my first year as blogger and secondly, she was like my hot favorite to win the Gold Edition of the country’s longest- running national beauty competition

And up close & personal, she doesn't disappoint. She truly is alluring especially with those piercing eyes.

Anyway, here are more photos during the Bohol tour that had Bessie and another judge, the cool Rotarian lawyer Atty. Danny Gapasin 

 the first meeting took place at Alona Tropical Resort's beachfront  

right at the Bilar Man- Made Forest

After the whole day Bohol countryside tour, it was straight back to Alona Tropical Resort where everyone was busy prepping up for the pageant.

At seven pm sharp, I met the members of the judging panel at the resort’s Baybayon Restaurant to brief them on the judging criteria and the guidelines.

  Your Blogger briefs the judges with pageant aims & criteria

  A photo opportunity with Panglao Mayor Nila Montero (lady in white)

 with lifestylebohol writer DJ Arro

And then off we went to the open- air venue of the pageant at the Panglao Town Plaza where the town fiesta activities were being held.

By the way, did Your Blogger mention to you that he also had a wonderful and insightful day talking to Shamcey & her hubby Lloyd Lee? But that’s another story..

 Behold your Queen Ara as she takes a break from her tough job of
being Chairperson of the Board of Judges 

 Thank You Ara for being gracious enough to oblige us and Thank You to Mayor Nila, Sir Ondo, & Aya for the opportunity!

Photo Credits: Atty. Danny Gapasin Jr., Hwan Mendoza & Nestor Daarol

When the Boholano Blogger Finally Met the 2013 Miss Universe 3rd Runner Up!

When Your Blogger first caught sight of Ariella Ara Arida during the early days leading to the 2013 Bb Pilipinas Gold Edition, it was a journey like no other. While other pageant websites, experts, fans and bloggers rarely had her as a favorite or a frontrunner, Your Blogger thought otherwise.

 2015 Miss Panglao Pageant Chairman of the Board of Judges

There was that something about Ara that I knew would get her the nod of the esteemed panel of judges and get into the good graces of Madame SMA or Stella Marquez Araneta, founder of the country’s longest- running and most prestigious beauty competition

 

 Encounter of a Lifetime, August 24, 2015, Alona Beach

Was it Ara’s smoky eyes and piercing stare? Or was it perhaps the bewitching and beguiling charm of the Laguna lass that made the difference?

A day or so before the Gold Edition winners were to be crowned, Your Blogger came up with his list of probable winners and had Ara rounding out his choices as His Sentimental Favorite.

The rest is history as they say and Ara went on to represent the Philippines in the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow, Russia where she became the first & only Filipina to have topped both the swimsuit competition & the worldwide online fan voting.

 Ara Arida is 2013 Miss Universe 3rd Runner Up

Anyway, who would have known that Your Blogger would finally get the chance to meet her up close and personal? The 2015 Miss Panglao Pageant made it all happen. Not for a few minutes nor for an hour but for three unforgettable days in Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol. 

Let the photos speak for the surreal experience

 with Ara Arida during Chocolate Hills Tour 

goofing with Bessie Besana, Atty Dannt Gapasin Jr & Ara
Bilar Man- Made Forest, Bilar, Bohol  

 enjoying the Loboc River Cruise 

 before boarding time 

  before the Judges' Briefing
Baybayon Restaurant, Alona Tropical Beach Resort
Photo Credits: DJ Arro

When Bessie and Mikee Met in Miss Panglao 2015

Miss Panglao 2015 Pageant  was honored to have been graced by two fashion designers who are also actively involved in pageantry.

 Your Blogger with Bessie & Mikee

Long before we met by chance at the Henann Resort poolside for the swimsuit shoot of Miss Bohol 2015, I already knew from top pageant blogger Norman Tinio  that Mark Bessie Besana is a pageant coach & one of the stabilizing forces of Aces & Queens, the beauty camp that has produced not only Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup, Janine Tugonon & Ara Arida who all achieved a Miss Universe Top Five placement from 2010 to 2013 ut also the Philippines’ first & only Miss World care of Megan Young in 2013.

Bessie revealed to me that he was based overseas for a corporate job before making the big career switch to pageant mentoring & fashion designing.

 Bessie Besana gown for Shamcey 

 and a Bessie Besana jumpsuit for Ara 

For their Miss Panglao 2015 judging duties, Ara wore Bessie Besana’s stretch floral and black jumpsuit that creates a perfect illusion of height. Shamcey wore a  ruched off shoulder red gown with crochet applique. 

Gayle Yu & Toni Gonzaga wear Mikee Andrei

 Marian Grace in a Mikee Andrei during Miss Silka Philippines 2014

On the other hand, Mikee Andrei is a Manila- based designer who is a homegrown Boholano talent. The current President of the Fashion Designer Alliance Manila (FaDAL) has always been supportive of the thriving pageant and fashion industry in Bohol through wardrobe sponsorship and sitting as member of the panel of judges during pageants being staged in some of Bohol’s 47 towns and the lone city of Tagbilaran.

Mikee also supported Bohol’s entry Marian Grace Malubay during her Miss Silka Philippines 2014 stint in Manila last year. This summer, the designer also extended support to Gayle Yu through mentoring at Kagandahang Flores beauty camp and wardrobe assistance when she represented Calape, Bohol in the 2015 Miss Philippines Earth national finals.

God bless Bessie & Mikee!