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).