Month: May 2019

Bb. Pilipinas 2019: Post Fashion Show Thoughts & Observations

So the Binibining Pilipinas fashion show  has gone by just like that and a major movement on who made the biggest impression among the 40 candidates.
The ladies walked the catwalk in three segments with the Jag Jean fashion show and a new segment by World Balance. The national costume portion was hosted by Robi Domingo alongside several of the reigning Binibining Pilipinas queens.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS
One of the biggest surprises were the announcements  that the national costume portion of the Fashion Show was one 4 major legs of the preliminary competition. There is the close-door interviews that happened a day or two prior to the fashion show, a free speech (which presumably happened behind the scenes at which we are not yet privy on when it happened) and the press presentation. With that in mind then it is indeed clear that there are a handful of major events that the Binibini should be delivering their best. It is now understood that after the culmination of the show, a top 25 semifinalist has been selected based on their composite scores from each of the 4 scored competitions.
Aside from the top 10 best national costumes being selected, they also announced the three ladies that had the best talent presentations. Samantha Bernardo, Cassandra Chan and Alannis Reign Binoya were the top 3 girls in the talent competition. A very deserving top3 considering that these were the ones that truly made an impression during the talent night at the Farmer’s Plaza a month earlier.
We already heard rumors that there will be 3 segments in the fashion show this year from our insiders but failed to name which one will be the 3rd segment. Initial speculations that there will be a designer portion of the show which we believe doesn’t jive well with the audience who watch the fashion show. We have to say that the World Balance segment provided a great breather between the high energy Jag and the theatricality of the national costumes. Besides the WB section made sure that the girls were all styled well but look collectively cohesive as a group.
As for the Jag Jeans segment,  our gut feel tells us that the Jag Denim Queen will be from the last 10 ladies of the show. It is no joke that we saw Vickie Rushton, Aya Abesamis, Gazini Ganados, Samantha Bernardo, and Ilene de Vera in one strong group. Although I wouldn’t discount that the winner could also come from the first group as well…

THE OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS
* Samantha Bernardo – she got 2 for 2,both making to the finalist for the talent and costume competitions. May 29 was her night and she looked very radiant and nailed each of the three segments of the fashion show. We saw (from behind the judges) that two of the members of the BPCI Execom clapped for her presentation, not that it should matter (though it kinda does to fans).
* Hannah Arnold – to say that Hannah brought down the house during the national costume segment is an understatement. We have been very vocal on social media posting about her national costume, thanks to her handler Tito Ito who provided us with behind the scenes videos.
* Emma Tiglao – she was serenely calm and composed the entire show and she outperformed almost everyone in all three segments. She gave enough pizzazz in the Jag and World Balance segments but was so serenely divine in her white & gold terno.
* Jessarie Dumaguing – another one of the ladies that gave impressive presentations in all three segments of the fashion show. Her defining moment was her national costume presentation, she wowed everyone in the theater that even the matriarch was wowed and clapped for her. With just a simple flicker of her hands  the peacock extension of her costume rises  gracefully.
* Aya Abesamis – despite the overkill taras bulba hair extension that should have been left in the 1980’s where it belonged, Aya pulled of a decent performance on all three segments. Last time we were able to converse with her we mentioned that we hope she is able to put the Yakan face paint  for the national costume show which she did… Full marks for her during that evening.

COASTING ALONG THE MIDDLE
* Vickie Rushton – she served face the entire time. She did good during the Jag and national costume segments but found her too bouncy during the WB portion. It is undeniable that the small flaws she made wasn’t quite noticeable as everyone would just concentrate on her face. That has always been her strength.
* Gazini Ganados – the 5’8″ charmer did great at the Jag segment, had too much poses at the WB part and did well in the national costume portion. In as much as I love her face during the JAG & WB segments, I wasn’t a fan of the red lips for the national costume part. Had she been given a strong eye (which has always been her best asset), she would have been on top of our list.
* Jessica Marasigan – despite a strong performance in all three segments, her position coming out as first of 40 hurts her. By the time you are halfway through the 40 candidates, you’ve probably forgotten about Jessica. And that is something she has to worked on because she did very well in all 3 segments.
* Ilene de Vera – was a revelation that night. Despite BBP being her 3rd pageant ever, she showed everyone that she could slay it on the runway! She was one of the girls with the better walks in the group. It was quite a shock not to see her among the top 10 national costumes. Nevertheless, she got something better, the ‘mahiwagang palakpak‘ award.
* Leren Bautista – one of the ladies who did good but could have owned the night had she exerted extra effort specially in the national costume segment. Thankfully her face during the national costume presentation carried it for her. She still needs to work on that magnetism to really make sure she makes it among the top contenders.
* Shane Tormes – this girl gave it her all and she did remarkably well in all three portions of the fashion show. Her best performance was on the Jag and costume segments (where she showed she can move gracefully as she glides).

THE MAJOR LETDOWNS
In the interest that we do not want to discourage the girls mentioned in this part, we will just write down our feedback without mentioning their names.
* This frontrunner was a major letdown during the fashion show, she was ok in the Jag jeans part, forgettable during the WB section, ending with a lackluster performance at the national costume. The eyes were so dead and her dance at the natcos portion felt forced with her costume.
* Despite being too active on social media, it is clear that this girl should have practiced her pasarela and national costume presentation. Her Jag & WG performance was an improvement though much is still lacking. But it was her national costume presentation that was a total letdown! At this point, you cannot be just good at one thing and be terrible at everything else. If she wants MUP, she has to be a total performer in all aspects, not just on social media.
* A beautiful face couldn’t save a wooden performance at the national costume segment, a segment where it counts as it is part of the show where the ladies were judged. Despite a passable performance at the Jag and WB segments, this lady bombed it at the national costume portion. The movements were uncoordinated and hard, her costume requires finesse and refinement in movements and she didn’t deliver there.
* A girl wearing a costume from the North needed to be guided properly on our traditional dances as her national costume presentation accompanied jerky and stiff movements. The costume she wore came from a tribe of proud and fierce headhunters and her presentation did not do justice to that tribe. Her team should have advised on a Filipiniana costume for her as it would have suited her face better.
ON CLAPS AND CHEERS
It is usually detrimental in pageant when one is called clapper but during the fashion show, we were anticipating for the claps coming from the matriarch. Sitting behind the judging panel (which is mainly comprised of the BPCI Execom and Executives of ABSCBN, Chit Guerrero one of them), certainly has its perks. We have seen several girls who were recipients of the mysterious claps. In no particular order, the ladies that were given the clap were Emma Tiglao, Resham Saeed, Cassandra Chan, Jessarie Dumaguing, Ilene de Vera, Hannah Arnold and Samantha Bernardo. Emma got the cheers when she made top 10 in the national costume presentation, while Sam and Hannah got it twice (once during their costume presentation and when they made top 10).
We are not saying that these ladies are going to be the final winners but the claps and cheers from the matriarch has always been something that pageant aficionados of BBP have always looked forward to. It weights no bearing in the winner but it is fun to see that there is something we all have in common with the powers at be, that we love beauty as much as any other pageant fan. Seeing that side of her humanizes her and endears her more to fans.
TOP 10 BEST COSTUMES
Since we will be having a review of the national costumes, I won’t dig deep into it in this blog. But I would have to say that there is more variety in this year’s national costumes that made top 10 compared to last year where only a couple of Filipiniana made the list. It is no surprise that a couple of Maranao/ Maguindanao/ Mindanao made it in the top10 looking at how Miss Universe Catriona Gray made waves in last year’s national costume competition.
There are more tribal, fauna, mythological and regional costumes that made it this year. And despite several of our faves not making the top 10, I would say that this is pretty much a solid selection for best national costumes (do watch out for that later).

2019 Bb. Pilipinas Crown Contender: Samantha Bernardo

Name: Samantha Bernardo
Height & Age: 5’8″, 26 years old

Strengths: perhaps one of the strongest overall performer in the batch. She has a solid advocacy, can carry a conversation, more than just able on the ramp and is one who is unapologetic in her thirst for a title. She wants to win and that is perhaps her best asset.
Weaknesses: her type of beauty is not the type that most Filipinos would like (with the typical mestiza beauty being the standard of beauty). However, Samantha is one of those beauties that the international audiences would definitely appreciate. We love her morena looks though we see the need to make her more palatable to a wider audience. She can achieve that with a simple equation: less fierce, more friendly…

Eligible for: she is still very much eligible for all six titles  in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant.
Best Suited for: We see her fit for a variety of titles, from Miss Universe Philippines to Miss Supranational to Miss Intercontinental. Samantha is one of the strongest overall candidates so it will be easy to place her in any of the six titles up for grabs. Although we think it might be a hardsell to put her in Miss International.
Most Likely Will Be: It would be great to see her as Miss Universe Philippines or as Binibining Pilipinas Supranational. Although I wouldn’t discount any of the other titles as well. She is that good, it will only matter now on who is going to be the judges’ preference for the title.

2019 Bb. Pilipinas Crown Contender: Leren Mae Bautista

Name: Leren Mae Bautista
Height & Age: 5’8″, 26 years old

Strengths: her distinctly Filipina features is one of her best assets and that could be best selling point. She looks great with her new tan and that appeal to her strong Filipina features. It also pays that she is quite tall.
Weaknesses: she has to polish her communication skills as this was a Waterloo in her previous pageant participation. She also has a wider bone structure than most girls in the competition so she needs to find her best angles every single time. Another area to improve on is her overall styling as it is either a hit or miss. She has greatly improved on that department but still requires consistency.

Eligible for: all six titles in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant
Best Suited for: Miss Globe or perhaps a runner up position for now…
Most Likely Will Be: one of this year’s runner up winners.

2019 Bb. Pilipinas Crown Contender: Emma Tiglao

Name: Emma Mary Tiglao
Height & Age: 5’9″, 24 years old

Strengths: Emma has one of the best faces in this year’s batch that certainly photographs well. She can pull off the fierce and sultry looks as well as the sweet and demure image. It cannot be denied that she is one of the strongest girls on the ramp too.
Weaknesses: her type of facial beauty is difficult to place into which pageant. Add to it is the fact that the hype on her seemed to have quieted down, and some quarters speculate that may be because she peaked too early in the competition. Now what she has to do is to maintain status quo and deliver in the last 2 main events prior to the finals.

Eligible for: all six titles in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant
Best Suited for: Binibining Pilipinas Supranational or Intercontinental, though the International title is also a good fit for her, she has to work doubly hard for it.
Most Likely Will Be: Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental or one of the runners up in the pageant.

2019 Bb. Pilipinas Crown Contender: Jessica Marasigan

Name: Jessica Marasigan
Height & Age: 5’5″, 25 years old

Strengths: she has arguably the strongest communication skills from her batch, aside from having one of the freshest faces. Growing up in the US gives her full command of the English language. She can always use those to her best advantage and always take any opportunity to speak as a moment to shine.
Weaknesses: being 5’5″ and the fact that she tends to be drowned out when she is in a line up with other candidates in the competition. Being that short, she can always use styling tricks to make her appear taller. As for having weak presence, she should be taking tips from her mentors on how they trained her fellow camp-mate Patch Magtanong with strong posture. It also helps if she learns to speak Tagalog more fluently so that it endears her more to the fans.

Eligible for: all six titles in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant
Best Suited for: would love to see her win a title despite having to battle it out with much stronger competitors. If given the chance to win a title, we think that the Miss Globe and Miss International might suit her personality and stature best.
Most Likely Will Be: a possible runner up, to allow her to polish more of her presentation skills. She still looks like a diamond in the rough.

Thoughts on the Bb. Pilipinas Parade of Beauties

May 25th was the day that 40 Binibinis took the streets of Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City for the annual Parade of Beauties. These are your blogger’s thoughts…

1. This year, I thought that the rain dampened the energy of the parade. It also felt that the drivers were rushing the ladies because they’re afraid that the girls would get wet. Add to that is I feel that I lucked out on taking photos of the girls as I was positioned on the wrong side of the road. There I was with my grande Chai tea latte on the balcony of Alimall, camera ready to snap photos comfortably – only to find out that instead of the parade going through the right side of the road, they went on the opposite side creating a counter-flow. Tough luck! Hence most of the pics I was able to take were very sh#tty. Apologize to the girls coz I really wanted to take nice photos of them. Thankfully some of the drivers knew when to slow down as we were able to get at least several decent pics.
2. In as much as I liked the floral swimsuits this year, I thought it was overkill with the floral headresses of the candidates and those irritating balloons that keep on getting on the way of getting good photographs. I would have preferred the girls were left without any headpiece so that we could appreciate their beauty more. With so many competitive ladies in the batch, we’d rather see more of their faces than those headpieces that is quite distracting.
3. A number of the girls looked haggard and the stress of the competition is starting to take a toll on their skin. Breakouts and dark eye circles are quite visible on a number of them. Nope, I won’t drop names but if you were there you’d realize the ladies I am talking about. The girls are now at the point where they have 2-3 events/ public appearance/ sponsor event on any given day. Sleep has become a luxury and they need to start boost up their water intake and supplement it with vitamins E and A. Some of the girls need to start taking more care of their skin as the toll is starting to show. While the frontrunners still have gorgeous skin, several of their co-candidates are starting to have massive breakouts.

4. Madam SMA is back at the center of the BBP activities! Thank heaven’s as the Parade of Beauties doesn’t feel complete without the Matriarch at the helm.
5. I am thoroughly impressed by the fan support this year! It was crazy mingling with the fans in the Araneta Center. Vickie and Samantha B had bands playing for them, each candidate have fan-support carrying banners and props supporting their queens. I even saw some props that spell out the names or provinces of the candidates, printed shirts that functioned like uniforms for each of the fan-groups. I guess it will be total fan pandemonium come Binibining Pilipinas finals on June 9th!
6. Let me be clear about this, I loooooovvvvveeeee (as in yes, it’s that long) Jojo Bragais but I wasn’t a fan of the 2-3″ shoes. Yes I know who made the decision for those shorter heeled shoes and it wasn’t from BPCI nor from our beloved BPCI shoe designer himself. I would at least preferred them in 4″ to 5″ heeled sandals. For those who aren’t in the fashion industry, a 2-3″ heeled shoe would look great on ladies who are petite, in this case candidates that stand around 5’5″ to 5’8″ tall with a size 5-7 feet. But for those ladies who are 5’10” and above with size 9 feet? It looks unbalanced for their stature! It only makes their feet look even larger that they are! Imagine looking like Big Foot in kitten heels! Maybe I am just being too critical and perhaps it’s a pet peeve that nobody else share but the short heels has to go.

7. Major standouts in the parade were Vickie Marie Rushton, Emma Tiglao and Samantha Bernardo. Their skin looked flawless and looked so fresh. The three ladies slayed and stood out among the rest. I would have to say that Vickie always manage to be consistent with her styling and that she is always on point with her makeup. SamBer is in her winning form, she is ready and good to go. Her body is in the best shape and is finals-ready. Emma is effortless in every activity. I loved her loose curls at the parade and she should sport it more often.
8. Here’s our thoughts on some of the other girls: Gazini’s tan didn’t flatter her, all that Boracay sun didn’t help at all. She still looks great but the tan ages her. Samantha Lo didn’t look her best during the parade as well which is a shocker considering she has one of the most gorgeous faces. Larah Lacap must be told that straight hair isn’t working for her and that she should bring back the lovely curls she sported during the announcement of official candidates. Leren should keep her current tan and go any darker, she looks fantastic with her current skin tone. Isabela has to re-strategize with her makeup artist as her current styling is making her look old, bring back the freshness and youth in her lovely face! Ilene de Vera is perhaps the most improved Binibini, she looks glowing and fresh during the parade. She also seems to have lost more weight and is now close to her winning form. Not a fan of Julia Saubier’s styling, let her rock the straight hair as the curls isn’t improving her looks. Resham looked fresher and younger with straight hair, all she needs now is to soften her eyes to make her look more approachable. Jessarie Dumaguin looks good as always, she is one of the more photogenic ladies in the batch. Dia Magno looked very relaxed and is better styled (makeup-wise) these days. Jessica Marasigan’s stronger makeup is starting to make her look tired and older than she actually is. She has a young and pretty face and it seems that her team is more concerned in making her look more ‘womanly’ than making her look winnable. Not a fan of Patch’s makeup either and the straight hair on her is starting to look like like she’s a one-trick pony. She could have at least tried the curls she sported in Boracay to change it up a bit. Aya needs to take a break from the heavy eye makeup she sported during the parade as that works best for shoots and night-time not for daylight activities. But she looks much better than most of the girls from her camp during the parade.

I am sure that some feathers are ruffled in this post but as the finals night approaches, things are expected to be more cutthroat. With two weeks left in the competition, things will surely heat up as the days come to a close…

How about you? What are your thoughts on the Parade? Who were your list of standouts? Let us know your thoughts on the comments below…

2019 Bb. Pilipinas Crown Contender: Ilene de Vera

Name: Ilene de Vera
Height & Age: 5’9″, 23 years old

Strengths: She has one strong presence that you would love to get to know better as you converse with her longer. She has that Elizabeth Clenci vibes to her, a possible spoiler winner that will win you over. She has a very sexy well-modulated voice and is very smart. A graduate of the University of the Philippines, Cebu campus, this Mass Communications major is blessed with all the right curves in the right places. She is also a great conversationalist and very outspoken but not to the point to being offensive or defensive…
Weaknesses: her strong facial features still has to be softened as she comes off unapproachable (the proverbial ‘looks maldita-ish’). But she actually is a good conversationalist and very amiable if you get to know her better. The ‘maldita’ vibes comes from her being outspoken and strong-minded. Ilene may also need to work on looking more friendly and engaging, it also doesn’t hurt for her to amp up her PR game in public to draw more fans towards her.

Eligible for: still very much eligible for all six Binibini titles at stake
Best Suited for: perhaps either Intercon or Supra. Although she could fare even higher depending on her finals night performance.
Most Likely Will Be: among the top 8 winners come finals if she plays her cards right.

Mary Faye Murphy: Clothing Technology Student for Bb. Pilipinas 2019

One of the lovely ladies competing in Binibining Pilipinas this year is Mary Faye Cunanan Murphy. This 22 year old native of Tarlac is a graduating student of the University of the Philippines, with a degree in BS Clothing Technology.

Faye stands 5’7″ tall and is representing her native province of Tarlac in the competition. Not a novice in pageants, she used to compete in school and local pageants before her forray into the nationals. Earlier this February, she tried her hand at Miss Mandaluyong where she managed to land among the top 15 semi-finalists. What a huge jump she had from Miss Mandaluyong to Binibining Pilipinas!
She is also an active student in the University of the Philippines having served as the Vice-President for Internals (internal affairs) and an active member of the UP Streetdance Club and UP Music Circle.

This creatively-inclined gal advocates for  better irrigation and funds for farmers in the Philippines. She believes that people should value agriculture more than they currently do and that it is the backbone of the country’s economic productivity. Agriculture is close to her heart because she comes from a family of farmers.

You can show your support for Faye by using her hashtag on social media: #FayetedForTheCrown and #FayeMurphy

5th Leaderboard: The Best Faces of Binibining Pilipinas 2019

Binibining Pilipinas 2019 has one of the most facially diverse batches in the recent years. With a highly competitive batch, the 40 candidates is evenly spread out in terms of beauty and competitive.
If we were to name only a dozen ladies from the 2019 Binibining Pilipinas batch whose faces we find to be 1) commercial, 2) possess the x-factor, and 3) universally pretty by any standards these are more likely the ladies to comprise the list…

12. Denise Omorog – her beauty is very Filipina and she has some resemblance to Venus Raj up close, in person. She has that magnetic pull in person yet it doesn’t really translate in photos. Hopefully she will be able to rally her best angles in pictorials and public appearances in the the next remaining days.
11. Aya Abesamis – IMHO, Aya has a friendlier face than most of the ladies from her camp. A veteran on the ramp, her distinctly morena beauty may be an acquired taste for some pageant fans. This blogger finds her beauty among the most underrated in the batch.
10. Leren Baustista – she has one of the most beautiful faces and yet she seems like she doesn’t know how to use it. Like the confidence isn’t there, a head-scratcher because she is very lovely and gorgeous. She has to lighten a bit because she always look so tense.
9. Samantha Bernardo – she has one of those memorable faces that is ethnically ambiguous. She also registers well in photographs (though we like her better in curls that in straight hair), both glamshots and candids.
8. Joanna Tolledo – she is arguably the most facially interesting dusky beauties in this year’s batch. She exudes that Parul Shah magnetism with a brand of beauty that is entirely her own. Our only pet peeve are those colored contacts that seem to distract from her beautiful exotic gorgeous face!
7. Isabela Galeria – she is one of the girls that aren’t given much attention by fans but she is one of the best faces in the competition. The only problem is that her styling sometimes gets in the way of her beautiful face. That kind of inconsistency makes you second-guess how beautiful she really is.  But trust us, she has a very lovely face.
6. Bb. Pilipinas Globe, Jessica Marasigan – she has one of the freshest faces in the batch but her styling to look more fierce isn’t helping at all. Darkening her color isn’t working and it takes away from her youthful glow. Jessica is one of those beauties that grows on you as you look at her longer.

5. Bb. Pilipinas Grand International, Samantha Lo – definitely one of the best faces of the batch, although she doesn’t seem to know how to maximize that to her advantage. This Kristine Florendo/ Angelique de Leon look-a-like should be one of the major frontrunners with a face like hers.

4. Bb. Pilipinas Supranational, Emma Tiglao – she knows her best angles and works it to her advantage. She is definitely one of the most gorgeous and memorable faces in this year’s batch of 40. And the best thing about her beauty is that she can pull off sweet and lovely with aplomb then do a 180 degree turn-about and nail being fierce and sultry with ease and without trying too hard!

3. Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental, Hannah Arnold – to list the best faces in the pageant without Hannah in the list is incomplete. This lady is class personified! She exudes the kind of sophistication you would like for a Binibining Pilipinas winner and she has one of the friendliest faces too!
NOTE: in the previous press releases given by BPCI, Intercon was listed third after MUP and BBP-International.

2. Bb. Pilipinas International, Gazini Ganados – this girl is on fire!!! She always brings the heat in each public appearance so far. Her universal beauty is something that even Latino pageant fans appreciate and wouldn’t be drowned out in a line-up of equally gorgeous ladies. She photographs well and when you do get that money shot, it’s always explosive! Gazini is one of the girls that you will be drawn into even from a distance.

1. Miss Universe Philippines, Vickie Marie Rushton – having her on top of our list is no surprise. She IS the face of this year’s batch and there is no denying that. Hers is a face that will do well and could win in any international pageant (barring any behind the scenes politics that is). Vickie only has one thing to do: show more personality in the days to come and keep hitting hard at areas and events that count!

50% of the BBP criteria is reliant on facial beauty, so it goes to show how these ladies are ranked this way. The theme maybe beyond beauty, but in the end of the day, beauty pageants is all about a beautiful face with a beautiful mind and body who can bring in sponsors and endorsement deals for the organization. So a winner still has to be commercially beautiful by any other standards.

The Parallels of Demi-Leigh Nel- Peters and Vickie Rushton

What does Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel-Peters and Binibining Pilipinas 2019 candidate Vickie Marie Rushton have in common?
Yes, they both stand tall at 5’6″, have sweet saccharine personalities who could go innocent to fierce in a snap, and both are blessed with gorgeous faces… Both are in a committed relationships with men who value them, both came from parents who have separated but love each parent nonetheless. They are also wonderful sisters to their siblings with disabilities.

Demi Leigh credits her disabled sister as her biggest motivation. She said, “My half-sister was born without a cerebellum and is completely disabled. She is my biggest motivator and inspiration, because her situation makes me realize how special life is and I always want to work twice as hard, enjoy life twice as much so that I can enjoy it for her as well…”
Vickie, whose 27 year old brother Kian is with Down’s Syndrome, has been one of the main caretakers of her sibling. She credits her brother as one of the reasons for her Binibini journey. In an atricle from Pep.ph she stated, “We are blessed that God chose us to be with an angel here on earth to experience and feel this kind of love they give, so genuine and true. Isn’t it amazing that even if we’re quiet, they know whenever we need a hug? That’s how special they are. I hope there will be more families that will embrace their uniqueness because they bring so much happiness. Let’s not be violent but rather be patient and shower them with pure love. They depend on us so let’s not fail them. Let’s be strong for them.”

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See you tomorrow bok ♥️

A post shared by Vickie Marie Rushton 🦋 (@vimrushton) on

It is understandable that Vickie chose her advocacy to be something that hits closer to home and to the heart.  She is advocating for the welfare of people with disabilities specifically those with Down Syndrome, and this draws from her own experiences being very hands-on with her brother, Kian. I have a new-found respect and admiration for Vickie upon learning this about her. Now I understand where her patience, poise and grace comes from. It comes from a place of love and empathy.

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Today we celebrate the Twelfth World Autism Awareness Day with the students from Open Hand School. 💙 It is also the third year that the @thearanetacoliseum is lit in blue to promote awareness, acceptance, appreciation, increase understanding and to accommodate our brothers and sisters living with Autism. Here with us is Lauren, she has Down Syndrome (it’s different from Autism). She told @arnoldhan_ and I that she’s happy having us beside her, how she loves my blue eye makeup, about her trip to Disneyland, how she loves music and that she wants to be a star. To our sweet Lauren, you are indeed a star! You made my heart smile. Thank you for hugging me when I was a bit emotional. Haha! We were sad that we weren’t able to say goodbye but we really hope to see you again (hopefully on your concert? 😉). Thank you @bbpilipinasofficial @thearanetacenter for making us part of this heart-touching event and @pizzahutphils @caramia.ph for making our tummy happy. 😋 #12thAutismAwarenessDay #BigDomeLightsBlue #BeyondBeauty #ExperienceAraneta #BinibiningPilipinas2019

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Vickie’s advocacy is to help kids with down syndrome who has congenital heart disease be a happy heart. She supports the Li’l Brave Hearts Foundation, MYBIRTHDAY Foundation, Inc., among others.  In fact earlier this month, she spent her birthday with kids with Down’s Syndrome.

These are enough reasons why both Vickie and Demi defines what Beyond Beauty mean and are confidently beautiful with a heart.
SOURCES:
* https://www.missuniverse.com/post/2341
* https://www.pep.ph/lifestyle/lifestyle/34767/vickie-rushton-and-brother-kian-are-truly-siblinggoals

Gazini Ganados and her Advocacy for the Elderly

Binibini 12 Gazini Ganados from Talisay City, Cebu is not only a beautiful lady, she is also one with a beautiful heart/ beautiful soul. While everybody was busy vacationing and having a good time during the Lenten/ Easter season & Mother’s Day, this Binibini has made use of her time not only to reflect and ponder but to actually extend goodwill.

In a time where pageant girls would fabricate their advocacy to make them look good in the eyes of pageant fans and the pageant organization, there are several ladies who knew how to be true to their chosen advocacy. Gazini is definitely one of those. The Filipina-Palestinian looker spent a couple of days during the Lenten season visiting a home for the elderly to spend time and do some charity work while she was on a break from Binibini activities in her beloved Cebu.

Another elderly visit during Mothers’ Day at the home for the elderly…

When we asked about her reasons for her advocacy in relation to senior & elderly care, her heart-felt response was:
“My grandparents was very dear to my heart. Growing up with them taught me how precious life is. I have thought about my advocacy thoroughly over the years, continuously asking myself with what I am passionate about.
All questions were answered through my experience with my grandparents. It’s what makes my heart go fondly. That’s why I would like to bring more awareness for elderly care.
Old age is a sensitive phase, elderly people need care and comfort to lead a healthy life without worries and anxiety. The lack of awareness regarding the changing of behavioral patterns among elderly people at home leads to abuse of them. Also, society needs to be reminded that they (senior citizens & the elderly) can still be productive citizens.”

A visit to a home for the elderly during the Holy Week/ Lenten season… Her advocacy is one that she does constantly and is genuinely rooted from the heart.

It is easy to understand where Gazini’s advocacy is coming from. Growing up with her single mother meant that her grandparents had to be a big part of her life growing up. It is for this reason that her advocacy is something personal to her. Her advocacy is what we call in Filipino as “may kurot sa puso“. The next time you see Gazini being very sweet with elderly people, you would know where that comes from.

Samantha Bernardo’s Advocacy: Ready to Beat Malaria

The Binibining Pilipinas competition this year has the #BeyondBeauty as its theme. It is therefore no surprise that there are those that step up for this year’s competition in terms of their respective advocacies. One such beauty is Samantha Bernardo of Palawan.

Samantha’s advocacy focuses on the hashtag #ReadyToBeatMalaria. She has visited remote areas of Palawan to help spread the word on how to prevent malaria in remote communities. Knowing that close to 80% of the malaria cases in the Philippines come from her province, she and her partner NGO have made medical outreach and support to the different areas they have visited. Sam, who is also a spokesperson of Philippine Movement Against Malaria as approved by Department of Health, worked together with Kilusan Ligtas Malaria and DOH in the distribution of bed nets for the far flung barangays and families they have visited. With their combined efforts they hope to eradicate the diesease by the year 2030.

In a recent social media campaign, Samantha and her group gathered support with a #ReadyToBeatMalaria photoshoot campaign that aims to increase Malaria awareness in the Philippines. Last April 25th, she posted this message on her social media accounts as a call to action:
“One can raise a voice, #SpeakUp and make a stand, together we can make a chaos and impact people for positive change.”
It is my belief that everyone of us has their own calling and purpose. Today, I #SpeakUp and use my voice to spread malaria control and elimination. I dreamt of Malaria Free Philippines and hopefully a World free of Malaria. I stand with this cause because it kills not only my countrymen but also people all around the world. If I can make a stand today and create an impact for people to raise their voice so everyone can hear, know and spread awareness as well then I know I can save millions of lives and I have served my purpose not only as a beauty queen but also as a human being.
Today April 25th, we are celebrating World Malaria Day. In line with this celebration, we invited people from different backgrounds and personalities to come together and #BeatMalaria on April 27th for a photoshoot for a cause. Proceeds of the said event will go to Dr. Baluyot, a victim and still fighting against this disease in Taytay, Rizal. If you are interested, kindly message me or my friend Styled By Kenneth R. for more details. To those people who wants to extend monetary assistance, please swipe for more details. Thank you.

To be able to do what she does and do good in her chosen advocacy speaks volumes. Visible and tangible action is a huge part of what it means to being Beyond Beautiful, Samantha surely fits the bill…

Once Upon a Bee Bee Pee Blind Item

It is finally time to spill the beans on some of the behind the scene shenanigans of the latest national pageant everyone is going gaga over. For this article we have asked the help of a ‘ghostwriter’ friend to give you a different spin on the blind item… FYI, this blogger had a hard time trying to spell check and edit that I just eventually gave up and left most of it as it is. Our ghost-writer friend must have interned with Ethel Booba’s punch to the gut wit & humor that we can’t understand half of what is being said or written at times.
Warning: Strong gay language is used in the following blogpost-article. It may contain offensive humor and high levels of sarcasm. Reader discretion is advised. DO NOT enter if you are easily offended. This blind item is not for the weak of convictions and slow in thoughts… Proceed in your own peril.

If you have entered unknowingly into this blind item, you are advised to go back to our regular “reader-friendly” content.
Now that we had that over with, let the fun begin after the jump!
Continue reading “Once Upon a Bee Bee Pee Blind Item”

Age Requirements for the Alpha Pageants


Today’s blogpost is a reminder of the age limits in four of the biggest pageants: Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss Universe and Miss World.
It is nothing new in terms of age limits in the exception for some major updates on the maximum ceiling age in pageants. It seems that all four pageants are becoming more open to women who are in their mid-20’s to later 20’s in terms of participation.

AGE LIMITS OF THE ALPHA PAGEANTS
Miss Earth – must be between the ages of 18 to 28 years old (until December 30th of the year they are competing).
Miss International – candidates must be of  18 years of age to 28 years of age on or before 1st November of the year they are competing.
Miss Universe – contestants must be between the ages of 18 and 28 as of January 1st in the year of they compete.
Miss World -contestants must be between 17 to 26 years old before the entry date of the Miss World contest (which is usually 2 months prior to the coronation).
The change of the MW age limits happened last 2nd quarter of 2018. This pageant has had some see-saw in it’s age requirements as they have increased the age limits in 2016 to 26, only to bring it back to 25 in 2017and now back up again. An update on the Miss Earth’s age limits was posted earlier this year by the different national franchises. Miss Earth’s contest rules on age doesn’t specify the cut off dates on the ages in their website. So it is assumed that as long as you are 18 to 28 within the year you are competing, then you are eligible.

Also there is still a notion that the cut off age for Miss International is still 24 where this was already increased in the year 2015. However, earlier in 2019, the Miss International official Instagram page posted an IG story announcing that the age limits has been increased to 27. It is all the more surprising that the Miss International further increased the age limits to 28 years old as the age cap last January 8, 2020. It also increased the minimum age from 17 to 18, thus having the same age range as that of the Miss Universe and Miss Earth pageants.

Age Requirements for Major International Pageants

Age and pageants are two concepts that go hand in hand like bread and butter. As we have previously posted on the age requirements of international pageants in the past, there have been some updates since then. Before we are to post the age requirements of the four Alpha pageants, we thought it would be of help if we also posted on the age requirements of other international pageants around.

The age requirements/ age limits posted below are acquired from various sources such as the pageants’ websites, news articles, information from their national franchises (as in the case of Miss Globe), etc… Some of the pageants’ website do not actually say their age requirements which is a quandary as this would help build up their reputation.

Age Requirements for Miss Supranational, Miss Intercontinental & Miss Globe
Age Requirements for Misses Global, Grand International and Miss Tourism International

In the Miss Intercontinental website, the age requirements are listed as: “Delegates must be at least 18 but under 27 years of age before the date of the Miss Intercontinental pageant.” This meant that a candidate cannot turn 27 during the pageant proper until the finals. Safe to say that any delegate should be around 26 within the competition proper.
So for the ladies who are thinking of applying or joining a beauty pageant, it helps to know the age limits as required by each of the pageants you hope to join in. Make sure as well that you check the national franchisee’s website as they may have a narrower age brackets than those of the international competition.