Weng Butalid: Bohol's Very First SuperModel

 Weng during her Cebu modeling days

BOHOLANA SUPERMODEL In 1988, Louella "Weng" Yap Butalid, my Divine Word College Grade School batchmate paved the way for Boholanas in the competitive Cebu modeling scene where she was a favorite among designers & fashion show choreographers.

It was the 2nd year for the Ford SuperModel of the World- Philippine Search organized by Jojo Zabarte & Louie Kierulf. During the Visayas- wide regional finals held at the then Cebu Plaza Hotel now Marco Polo- Cebu, she stood out for her looks, her stage presence and graceful catwalk

CENTRAL VISAYAS' OFFICIAL BETS

Before the night ended, Louella was selected together with Michelle del Rosario, Emmylou Rama, Neilbonn Po and AJ Almagro to represent the Visayas.

Her innate elegance & luminous stage presence didn't go unnoticed. She was also selected as Best in Cocktail Wear and Best in Evening Gown.

PRESS FAVORITE IN NAT'L FINALS

  Class & elegance on the catwalk

With her fabulous cheekbones, alabaster skin and lithe frame, she was an instant favorite among the fashion & entertainment news editors when the national finalists were presented to the press.

But alas & to the shock & disbelief of many who witnessed the event, her name was nowhere in the list of girls who made the first cut during the finals night.

That year, the judges picked the tallest girls as winners partly because the first official Philippine SuperModel winner Tweetie de Leon who despite her very photogenic features & globally appealing look didn't make the 1987 international finals.

Ms. de Leon stood at 5' 7" (petite by international modeling standards)

The following year, Weng's exclusion from the 1988 Philippine SuperModel of the World circle of winners was vindicated by Adele Go of Ozamis City in faraway Mindanao.

Adele who had the same height as Weng and had the same slender frame and with the same chic cheekbones was selected as the Philippines' candidate for the 1989 international modeling search where she made it as a Top Six Semi-Finalist

COULDA, SHOULDA, WOULDA

After Adele's semifinal placement in the international finals, modeling agencies in Manila and Cebu speculated that had Weng been sent as Philippine representative in 1988, we would have placed and who knows, might have been selected as one of the Top Three for 1988

 Still a smoldering & scorching supermodel

 L.A.- based Weng & daughter Kiks flank cousin RD Alba

All that is water under the bridge now.

Weng is now based in L.A., The City of Angels, where she is a doting mom to a pretty daughter and a handsome son

 Weng & kids

Right now, all eyes are on her teenage daughter who just might be coming home from the United States to try her luck in the modeling scene

And if that would finally happen, Weng's Ford SuperModel journey would by then, go full circle

Tweetie de Leon: 1st Ford SuperModel of the World- Philippines Winner

Right after the phenomenal Melanie Marquez made a mark in the international finals of the 1986 Ford SuperModel of the World search where she made the Final Six and picked as co- winner of the Clairol Beautiful Hair Award (she shared it with the eventual winner Monika Schnarre of Canada) the fashion industry in Manila was thrown in a tizzy.

Overnight, the term "supermodel" became a buzzword.

It was no surprise that a franchise was approved to hold the Philippine search.

Socialite and educator Josephine "Jojo" Kierulf- Zabarte of Silverstar Communications handled the nationwide search.

Jojo Zabarte with the results

During its debut search, the modeling search attracted mostly girls who came from DBF's also known as De Buena Familias.

The grand selection finale was held at a five- star hotel and attended by Manila's creme dela creme and fashion notables. 

TOP EIGHT FINALISTS

Named the top eight finalists who will undergo further scrutiny from New York-based Ford Models Agency were socialite Patricia Panlilio, aspiring actress Debbie Miller, Anthea Robles (who would be crowned Bb Pilipinas International the following year), top model Ana Margarita Pobre, Maria Lourdes De Leon, Catherine Gerone Olorocissimo of Dumaguete City, Jenny Manuel and Angela Bea Recto. 

Anthea Robles

Debbie Miller 

Ana Margarita Pobre 

Patricia Panlilio 

Jenny Manuel 

Angela Bea Recto

Lourdes "Tweety" De Leon 

Gerone Olorocissimo 

The finalists' photographs, videos and bio profiles were then sent to Ford Models' NY headquarters (they were to pick the winner)

FORD'S FIRST FILIPINA

The winners' names were revealed at a press conference. 

Selected as the first Philippine Ford SuperModel winner was 20 year old Maria Lourdes "Tweetie" de Leon.

Coming out from nowhere to place as 1st Runner Up was the sultry Catherine Gerone Olorocissimo

Rounding out the top three was stunning Jenny Manuel who clinched 2nd RU. 

Tweety barely had two days to pack up, prepare and leave for the world finals

Much to the surprise of supporters and fashion magazine editors, during the 1987 SuperModel of the World finals held at Sea World, Orlando, Florida, USA on July 22, Tweety didn't make the Top Twelve from among the 25 entrants from around the world.  Many believed that her exclusion was because of the short time to prepare. 

gorgeous gal. chic cheekbones

That didn't stop Tweetie from conquering new heights and achieving her dreams in life including her big break as Vic Sotto's love interest as Faye in OK Ka, Fairy Ko and as host of the Philippine edition of Project Runway.

About to enter her golden years, she is still as lovely as the day she won as the Philippines' bet to the 1987 Ford SuperModel of the World Search.

Tweetie would remain as one of the most iconic Filipina beauties to grace the glossies and the runways.  

TRIVIA:  The name Ma. Lourdes proved to be a very lucky name for beauty queens and model search winners in 1987 . Aside from Ma. Lourdes "Tweety" de Leon, we had Ma. Lourdes  "Luli" Enriquez , the 1987 Bb Pilipinas- International and we had Ma. Lourdes "Malou" Apostol as 1987 Mutya ng Pilipinas- World

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