Perla Fernando Salig: 1979 Bb. Pilipinas 1st Runner Up

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. 

We give the spotlight again to a lovely lady who created pageant history when she became the first Boholana to make a mark in the country's most prestigious beauty pageant with her runner up placement and as a special award recipient.

Perla Fernando Salig- Teves

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 and was selected also as one of the five Lux Ladies, a corporate sponsor award which is traditionally given to frontrunners.  

In fact, three of the Lux Ladies eventually made it to the winners' circle. 

LUX LADIES: Dang Cecilio, Cathy Vel;oso, Perla is  # 33 , Tina Orleans & Vicky  Garcia

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. 

Fresh natural beauty

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. 

Bb Pilipinas 1979 Queens: L-R: Melanie, Ava, Criselda & Theresa

It was a very competitive batch that produced Criselda Dang Cecilio, Bb Pilipinas- Universe, Mimilanie Laurel Marquez who eventually won the 1979 Miss International title, Princess Ava Quibranza and of course the very controversial Ma. Theresa "Si Ako, Si Ikaw" Carlson, Bb. Young International who passed away in the early 2000s under very mysterious circumstances. Cathy Veloso, a popular model who later on became an RPN 9 Newswatch news anchor was 2^nd Runner Up. 

PAST & PRESENT: Perla Fernando Salig- Teves

Two years after leaving her mark in the country's most prestigious beauty pageant, Perla said goodbye to being single and exchanged lifetime vows Mr. Danny Teves on March 20, 1981. 

 Perla's Christmas 2014 Family Photo

The marital union produced four handsome sons namely; Mark Daniel, 36 yrs old single, Edward Nell ,34 married to Rona Lorica from Manila, Michael Benedict , 30 married to Wina Denson from Mandaue and the youngest Kevin James, 25 , single.  Five yearr old grandson Enzo Raphael Lorica Teves is also in the photo.

On May 28, 2015, her husband Danny Teves passed away but trust Perla to cope with her loss. Her four sons, in laws and extended family have always been there for her. 

Perla Salig- Teves will always be remembered as the first Boholana to pave the way for Boholanas to be recognized in the Bb. Pilipinas stage.

Cheers and long may you reign !

 Third Christmas without Tito Danny Teves

Christmas 2017

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

Victory Parade of Filipina Miss International Winners

HAIL THE NEW QUEEN!

Today, the whole nation rejoiced and gave Bea Rose Santiago a much- deserved victory parade after giving our country our fifth Miss International crown during the pageant’s 54th edition in Tokyo, Japan  

The victory parade started at 12 noon in Makati and will wind up at around 4 pm in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City

Here’s a trip down memory lane as we recall the glorious homecoming and victory parades for the country’s first four Miss International winners:

1964 Miss International Gemma Guerrero Cruz

On August 14, 1964, Gemma Guerrero Cruz secured her place in Philippine pageant history books when she became the first Filipina to win an international beauty title.

The statuesque and brainy Gemma Cruz was selected the 1964 Miss International from among 41 other contestants at Long Beach, California, the pageant’s original venue before it moved permanently to Japan.

Chaperoned by her mother, Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, they returned home on Monday, Aug. 24 at 7:02 a.m. on board a PAL DC-8 jetliner-KLM Flying Dutchman operated flight, dubbed as the “Miss International Flight.”

Manila Mayor Antonio J. Villegas led the welcome wishers who proclaimed that day as “Araw ni Gemma.” He and the mayors of Pasay, Parañaque, Caloocan, San Juan and Mandaluyong handed Gemma the symbolic keys to their cities.

A motorcade traveled from the airport to Escolta where a ticker-tape parade awaited Gemma. Later that afternoon, she paid a courtesy call on Pres. and Mrs. Diosdado Macapagal in Malacañang Palace who bestowed her Golden Heart Presidential decoration and was also honored with a formal tea party

Miss International was treated to a ticker-tape parade from the airport to the Escolta, then to Sta. Mesa all the way to her home in San Juan.

The streets were jampacked with over 200,000 Filipinos who gave her a rousing welcome  

1970 Miss International Aurora Pijuan

1970 Miss International Aurora Pijuan won over 46 other contestants at the Exposition Hall Fairgrounds, Osaka, Japan on May 16, 1970.

She arrived on Monday, June 8, at 3:40 p.m. on board a PAL flight accompanied by three officials of Japan Beauty Congress, the organizer of the pageant.

From the airport, her motorcade passed through the city’s main thoroughfares up to Malacañang for a courtesy call on Pres. and Mrs. Ferdinand Marcos.

When Pres. Marcos was informed that the Miss International crown with at least a hundred Mikimoto pearls was worth $70,000, he asked Aurora in jest, “Do you think we can mortgage this crown to raise funds for our country?”

1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez

1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez bested over 42 candidates at the Yubin Chokin Hall, Tokyo, on Nov. 12, 1979.

Ten days after her coronation, Melanie arrived on Thursday, Nov. 22, at 12:15 p.m. on board a PAL flight.

With her were her runners-up Miss USA Anna Maria Rapagna, Miss Austria Elizabeth Schmidt, Miss Finland Kate Elizabeth Nyberg and Miss Japan Hideko Haba and pageant organizers.

Thousands of euphoric Filipinos waited for their motorcade from the airport to Ayala, Makati. The presscon was later held in Manila Peninsula Hotel after the ticker-tape parade in Ayala.

The Aranetas hosted a welcome dinner that night in their Bahay na Puti with Hollywood actor George Hamilton, among the guests.

2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman

2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman won over 51 other aspirants in Aichi, Japan, on Sept. 26, 2005. Lara arrived on Monday, Oct. 23, at 1:45 p.m. on board PAL flight 431 from Narita with officials of International Beauty Congress (organizer of Miss International pageant) to cover her homecoming.

After a brief presscon at the airport, Lara made a courtesy call on Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, graced a parade at Ayala, and attended press conferences at Mandarin Hotel and Gateway Mall.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AMID A YEAR OF SCANDALS & DEVASTATION

At a time when the Philippines has been rocked by political scandals & devastated by terrorism, super typhoons and an earthquake, the triumph of our Filipina beauty queens in the global stage is welcomed like a breath of fresh air.

May these ladies be a source of inspiration for our countrymen

Photo Credits: 

R Torre

Bb Pilipinas Charities

sashfactor.info
Eton Concepcion
Dencio Natividad

Copyright infringement not intended 

With additional info from Ricky Lo's Funfare, Philippine Star

Miss Philippines Is Miss International 2013

Our very own Bea Rose Santiago became the country’s fifth Filipina to be crowned Miss International during a glittering and glamorous pageant held at the Shinagawa Prince Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

BEA'S WINNING ANSWER:

Miss Philippines Bea Rose Santiago’s winning answer to the question on what she will do if she wins as Miss International 2013 :

The whole world saw how my country, the Philippines, suffered. The agony of my people was felt, but one by one, country to country came to help. 

I would like to thank all the nations that helped my country. In our darkest hours, you have opened my eyes and my heart on how important it is - if we all just support each other. 

If I become Miss International, I will uphold international camaraderie to sustain the spirit for sympathy and to continually share the message of hope. 

I believe that whatever calamity may come to us, as long as we have each other, there will be hope. Thank you."

RUNNERS UP

Her court includes 1st Runner-Up Nathalie den Dekker of the Netherlands and 2nd Runner-Up Casey Radley of New Zealand. 

The delegates from Hungary and Colombia completed the Top 5.

Contestants from Brazil, Ecuador, Gibraltar, Iceland, Lithuania, Russia, Puerto Rico, Spain, Thailand and USA were part of the Top 15 semi-finalists.

Not a single black delegate reached the semi-finals.

 Bea reacts after being crowned Miss International 2013

Sixty- seven girls from all over the world competed in the 54^th annual Miss International Pageant

TRIVIA:

Did you know that the first Miss International Stella Marquez Zawadsky (now Mrs. Jorge Araneta) who represented Colombia in the inaugural pageant held in Long Beach, California in 1960 is the National Director of Bb Pilipinas Charities? 

Miss Philippines Sizzles in the Miss International Swimsuit Segment

Special awardees include New Zealand for Miss Friendship, Macau for Miss Internet, Aruba for Miss National Costume and Lithuania for Miss Photogenic.

Congratulations and Mabuhay Ka, Bea Rose Santiago! 

Ours would indeed be the merriest of Christmases. At least for avid Filipino pageant fans!

A victory parade awaits our latest darling in international pageantry 

Here's the Miss International journey of Bea Santiago in photos: 

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OUR MISS INTERNATIONAL QUEENS:

1964: Gemma Cruz during her 
triumphant homecoming parade 

 1964 Gemma Cruz. The first Filipina to conquer the global pageant stage

 1970 Aurora Pijuan

 1979 Melanie Marquez

 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman

Photo Credits:

Miss International Org
Tony Paat