Bohol Hosts Miss Universe 2014 Batch Reunion

It was the most beautiful day of the year in Panglao when around 20 of the 2014 Miss Universe candidates came for their batch reunion. 

 

 L-R: Miss Norway 2014, Miss Philippines 2014 & Miss USA 2014

Photo Credits: TJ Medrana Photography

Among the girls who came for the reunion were Philippines, USA, Ukraine, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ghana, Panama, Belgium, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Austria, Norway, Mexico, Sta.Lucia, Ecuador, Singapore, Great Britain and Dominican Republic 

Three of the Top Five finalists Ukraine, Netherlands & USA joined the reunion

Miss Universe- Philippines 2014 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa played host to the girls during their brief yet fun & memorable stay in Bohol. Before departing from Bohol, the girls were treated to a mid- day cocktails & refreshments at Alona Tropical Beach Resort care of Mayor Nila Montero & Councilor Aya Montero.

Here are some of the beauties while enjoying the sand, sea and sun of Alona Tropical Beach Resort.  

Alona Tropical Beach Resort’s Deo Guden, Rico Guigue & Kris Acero join the

Miss U 2014 beauties from Norway, USA, St Lucia, Panama & Belgium

Alona Tropical Beach Resort gives a warm welcome for the girls

The Miss Universe girls sizzle in the sand, sea & sun of 

Alona Tropical Beach Resort 

Noel Barrameda leads Amorita Resort staff in welcoming the girls

Hon. Aya Montero poses with Sta. Lucia, Panama, Philippines & Indonesia

after briefing them on the tourism potentials of Panglao Island & Bohol

According to Geah Marie Dollisen, Panglao Tourism Office, who helped with the preparations, the ladies confided to her that for most of them, this was their first time to visit the Philippines especially Bohol. Miss South Africa told her that she was familiar with Bohol already and thanks to their annual reunion, she was able to visit her dream place. 

 Miss Mexico joins Geah Marie Dollisen for a selfie

 

The girls couldn’t resist a photo at the picturesque Chocolate Hils

Gov. Chatto, Provl Administrator Ae Damalerio, Rommel Gonzales, Peter Dejaresco

& DreamCat owner welcome the girls during their cruise

 Miss Belgium, Miss Mexico & Miss Dominican Republic relax onboard  DreamCat

Aside from the white sandy beaches of Panglao, the girls also visited the Chocolate Hils in Carmen and went for a lovely cruise along the picturesque waters of Loboc River. The girls are already planning to bring their families and friends to visit Bohol.

After the girls bid adieu to Bohol and to their newfound friends, Your Roving Eye realized that pageants are not really the cutthroat competitions that they are pictured to be. The Miss Universe 2014 girls have bonded well and have been holding batch reunions since 2015. The Philippine reunion is their fourth. 

What Does Annie Corrales Have in Common with Pia Wurtzbach, MJ Lastimosa and Maricar Balagtas?

Everyone has been talking of how Pia Wurtzbach had to hurdle Bb Pilipinas thrice in 2013, 2014 & 2015 before she could make it to the Miss Universe Pageant. Ditto for Mary Jean Lastimosa who also competed in the 2011, 2012 & 2014 editions of Bb Pilipinas before she finally triumphed.

Third Time’s a Charm for Maricar, Pia & MJ 

But did you know that they weren’t the only ones who joined thrice? We have quite a number but the aforementioned are just two of four ladies who made three attempts before winning the crown that would bring them to the world’s most prestigious beauty competition.

 The belief that the third attempt is more
 likely to succeed  than the previous two tries.

 Maricar in controversial Pintado
costume during Miss U 2004

In her third and final attempt, Maricar Manalaysay Balagtas ultimately got her wish to represent the Philippines in Miss Universe. Her first attempt at Bb Pilipinas was in 2000 where she got only the Miss Close Up Smile special title and didn’t make the semifinals. 

The next year, she enlisted again and this time, she was Best in Swimsuit and made it all the way to the Final Five. That same year, she was appointed by Madame Stella Marquez to be RP’s bet to the Miss Globe International Pageant which she won thus making her the first Asian to win the said title (not to be confused with the Miss Globe 2015 crown by Ann Lorraine Colis)

But Maricar’s ultimate dream was to compete in Miss Universe, considered by most Filipinos as the mother of all beauty pageants. She was crowned Bb Pilipinas- Universe 2004 and flew to Quito, Ecuador for the Miss U pageant. Although a hot favorite, she was shockingly excluded from the list of Top 15 semifinalists.

But long before Maricar, MJ and Pia made their mark in Philippine pageantry, there was Mary Ann Carmen Philipps Corrales who started it  back in the 50’s. Here is the story:

ANNIE CORRALES: Tried Three Times

Annie's Attempts for Miss U

She first competed in the 1955 Miss Philippines Pageant won by Yvonne Berenguer de los Reyes and placed as Miss Mindanao, the equivalent to  3^rd RU or fourth place.   

She decided to skip the pageant  the following year but Edith Nakpil, the 1956 Miss Philippines winner, decided not to go to the 1956 Miss Universe Pageant at the last minute. 

A special search was then organized to select the Philippines’ official candidate for the international pageant and this time, Ms. Corrales changed her mind and signed up for the pageant. 

Despite being a pageant veteran and who was already a Miss Aviation 1955 titleholder (a prestigious pageant in the 50’s), Annie experienced what Pia and MJ would also experience half a century later; a heartbreaking loss the second time around, this time to Isabel Escobar Rodriguez.

RP First Lady Leonila D. Garcia crowns
Annie Corrales as Miss Philippines 1957

Eventually, the perseverance, persistence and patience of Mary Ann Carmen Philipps Corrales or simply Annie Corrales paid off. 

On her third attempt, she finally got what she had been aiming for during the last three years. She was crowned the 1957 Miss Philippines on June 23, 1957, the same year that a Boholano assumed the presidency of the Philippines. 

In fact, Annie was even crowned by Pres. CPG's wife, First Lady Leonila D. Garcia during the pageant's finale.

Ms. Corrales then represented the Philippines in the controversial 1957 Miss Universe Pageant in Long Beach, California.

She may not have placed in the international pageant but she surely won a lot of friends with her grace and humility and knew how to get noticed by the press. She did this in a photo opp with World War II mortal enemies tuned Miss Universe BFF's, Miss Japan & Miss USA who would later be disqualified after being found out to be married and had two kids!

 Photo Credits: Tony Paat

She displayed her breeding & sense of sportsmanship in a post- pageant newspaper interview when she described her Miss Universe Pageant experience as a wonderful and unforgettable experience that money cannot buy.  

Here's another anecdotal trivia about Annie: She is the first & only Miss Philippines who brought her own stylist/ hair & make artist to the Miss Universe Pageant. Talk about covering all bases before facing the competition.

That’s Annie Corrales dear blog readers and thanks to her, many other Pinay beauties followed her footsteps and did well on their second and third attempts.

After all, quitters never win and winners never quit.

Did Janine & MJ Join Miss Universe Again?

Did Janine Tugonon and MJ Lastimosa go country- hopping so they could join Miss Universe again?

Spot the two popular Filipina beauty queens in the two photos! 

 ASIAN ALLURE: Miss Universe 2015 girls


 

Petite Pinay in International Beauty Pageant

After MJ Lastimosa became a trending topic and a heavy favorite in the recently- concluded 63^rd Miss Universe Pageant, another Pinay beauty is making waves in another beauty pageant. 

Shawna Nicole Pedida Warhurst

Looks like Shawna Nicole Pedida Warhurst, a 17 year old from Edmonton, Canada, is getting all the media attention from the field of 40 delegates competing in the 2015 Miss Teen Universe Pageant. 

She stands out for her height or what she lacks from it. She is all set to prove to her detractors and naysayers that height is not necessarily might in pageantry. Shawna is believed to be the most diminutive Filipina to have ever been sent to compete in an international beauty pageant.

A pretty face, a sunny disposition & excellent communication skills are her best assets in the annual quest for young role models for the world. 

Best of luck to Shawna! Cheers!

Why Miss Colombia is the 63rd Miss Universe

At last! After a long long wait and after a series of almost but not quite heartbreaking victories, ( the three consecutive 1^st runner up placements in 1992, 93 & 94 come to mind) Colombia finally gets its 2^nd Miss Universe crown! 

If Luz Marina Zuluaga got tax exempt for life and was gifted a mansion by the Colombian government for the honor of becoming the first from her country to win the Miss Universe crown, what honor & reward await Paulina?

The victory of Miss Colombia Paulina Vega is unquestionable and indeed very deserving with most of the pageant-related websites & blogspots including this blog predicting her win.   

During the Q&A portion of the competition, Vega impressed the judges when asked what she thinks women can learn from men. "I believe there's still men that do believe in equality," she said through a translator. "I believe that's what women should learn from men."

 

The 63rd Miss Universe Top 15 Announcement

The 22 year old Vega, from Barranquilla, Colombia who speaks Spanish, English, French and German and studies business administration was crowned Miss Universe 2014 at the Florida International University Arena in Miami, USA, beating out contestants from 87 other countries.

TOP 15 ANNOUNCEMENT

Right after the (pre- taped) Parade of National Costumes, the 63rd Miss Universe Pageant was underway with the Top 15 Announcement 1. COLOMBIA – Paulina Vega, 2. ITALY – Valentina Bonariva, 3. INDIA – Noyonita Lodh, 4. FRANCE – Camille Cerf 5. USA – Nia Sanchez 6. INDONESIA – Elvira Devinamira 7. VENEZUELA – Migbelis Castellanos 8. SPAIN – Desire Cordero Ferrer 9. PHILIPPINES – Mary Jean Lastimosa 10. ARGENTINA – Valentina Ferrer 11. JAMAICA – Kaci Fennell 12. UKRAINE – Diana Harkusha 13. BRAZIL – Melissa Gurgel 14. NETHERLANDS – Yasmin Verhejen 15. AUSTRALIA – Tegan Martin

Among the shockers that night was the exclusion of the girls from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guyana, Lithuania & Russia from the Top 15. 

SWIMSUIT COMPETITION

After the Top 15 had been revealed by the pageant hosts, the Yamamay Swimsuit Competition followed

Colombia Italy

India & France 

USA & Indonesia

Venezuela & Spain 

Philippines & Argentina 

Jamaica & Ukraine 

Brazil & Netherlands 

Australia 

THE TOP TEN

Right after the swimsuit competition, the next cut was made. Advancing were 1. JAMAICA – Kaci Fennell 2. COLOMBIA – Paulina Vega 3. UKRAINE – Diana Harkusha 4. ARGENTINA – Valentina Ferrer 5. PHILIPPINES – Mary Jean Lastimosa!!! 6. SPAIN – Desire Cordero Ferrer 7. NETHERLANDS – Yasmin Verhejen 8. VENEZUELA – Migbelis Castellanos 9. AUSTRALIA – Tegan Martin 10. USA – Nia Sanchez

EVENING GOWN COMPETITION

SPECIAL AWARDS

 Miss Congeniality is Miss Nigeria 

 Miss Photogenic is Miss Puerto Rico 

 Best National Costume went to Miss Indonesia 

FINAL FIVE

First to be called was USA followed by Netherlands then Ukraine & Jamaica. The final spot went to Colombia. 

Left behind were heavy faves Philippines, Venezuela & Spain

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS

After the Q & A, the announcement of winners was made. The final rankings for the runners up are 1^st RU Miss USA Nia Sanchez, 2^nd RU Miss Ukraine, Diana Harkusha, 3^rd RU Miss Netherlands, Yasmin Verheijen & 4^th RU Miss Jamaica, Kaci Fennell.

A curious thing happened right after the coronation rites. Miss Jamaica was hoisted on air by her fellow candidates perhaps as a sign of protest by the girls for what many including Your Blogger felt was the very low placement of Miss Jamaica.

Although our very own Miss Philippines was one of the heavy favorites, her journey towards the crown stopped after the evening gown competition. People have been quick to put the blame on the choice of gown but truth be told, Colombian designer Alfredo Barraza had been designing the gowns of the last four Miss Philippines before MJ and yet they placed in the Top Five.

If MJ had been working hard for the crown and so did the 87 other girls. Simply put, there were five other girls who outperformed her. On the other hand, making the Top Ten is nothing to sneeze at for it means that MJ outshone 77 other girls.

Instead of starting a blame game, we should instead start asking ourselves why and perhaps, insist from hereon that a Filipino designer will be commissioned to design and dress up our representatives. It’s not about the creativity or the artistic license. It’s all about national pride and patriotism.