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

Will Megan Young Be Our First Miss World?

WILL SHE BE THE FIRST FILIPINA MISS WORLD?

Will Megan Young be the first Filipina to bring home the only international beauty crown that has eluded the country for more than 60 years?

If the positive reaction from pageant fans from all over the world and the congratulatory message sent by Julia Morley  the Miss World Founder & Organizer herself will be used as the gauge, then the answer is a resounding YES!

Aside from being pegged as The Girl To Beat, she has the support of many Filipino pageant fans who have even voted for her in the Texter's Choice contest.

She is presently ranked number one among 160 candidates

NUMBER ONE PICK IN PAGEANT WEBSITES AROUND THE WORLD

Megan Young is being talked about in pageant sites around the world as the frontrunner and predicted to be the winner

She along with Miss Spain & Miss Brazil are considered as the Top Three Girls even as they have to set foot in Indonesia

OFFICIAL SEND- OFF PARTY

with Ms Cory Quirino, Miss World Philippines Organizer
 

Mainstream and pageant media, as well as supporters of Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young attended Megan's official sendoff party. 

She is leaving for the Miss World 2013 pageant on September 3. 

Megan's first destination is Bali, followed by Jakarta for the coronation night on September 28.

Ms Cory Quirino, Miss World Philippines pageant director, joined her during the official send- off party

Ms Quirino opened up the send- off party by revealing some good news

"We are very encouraged by the very warm support we received from the Miss World Organization,"   

"We received an email from Julia Morley, chairperson of the Miss World Organization, two days after the Miss World Philippines pageant and she said, 'Congratulations, Cory, for a very lovely Miss World Philippines. I look forward to welcoming her to Jakarta, Indonesia.  

See you at the Miss World pageant'."

Cory continued, 

"I've also received calls from different licensees all over the world. 

For the very first time, I received encouraging words from the licensees and we hope that this is the silver lining we've been waiting for. 

"Licensees who own their own license of Miss World in their own, respective countries have actually told me, 'We believe this time the crown will go to the Philippines.'  

I have a very strong feeling about Megan in the same way I had a very strong feeling about Gwendolyn Ruais.   Megan has the same magic, the same aura and her timing is right.  

It's the time for the Philippines!"

It was at this moment that Megan was not able to control her emotions. She burst into tears.  

Tears of Joy
 

After she was able to keep her emotions in check, Megan confided to the press:

"Crying was not part of my training. I'm really emo,"

"I really cry a lot, whether I'm angry or sad or happy. I'm super thankful because this is it, this is my dream."

As she struggled to control her emotions, Megan proceeded to talk:

"I'm so overwhelmed by all the support I am receiving for this pageant. It really means a lot to me. It's really close to my heart.

"All my friends, all my relatives, all my kababayans, even those who are not really into pageants are rooting for me. They come up to me and congratulate me and tell me, 'Megan, this is it.'

"There's so much expectation from me, but I'm gonna work it, I'm gonna wing it, I'm gonna represent the country like anything. I'm gonna prove to them that the Philippines is strong this year. May laban tayo. We're gonna show them that we're worth the blue crown.

"It feels so different when you're representing the country. It's pressure, happiness and excitement at the same time. It's such [a] heavy weight on my shoulders because not only is the Philippines watching; the whole world is watching."

Good luck Megan!

A DATE WITH DESTINY

Will Megan be our first Miss World? It's all a matter of Destiny, Timing and Luck

Let's see how this will play out in the next few weeks as I update you with Megan's journey towards the blue Miss World crown

Here is Megan Young's Miss World Introduction Video

Check this Out: Post- Pageant Analysis: Why Megan Won MWP

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