Year-End Special: Sashes&Scripts’ Most Clicked Blog-Posts of 2019

2019 was a great year for the blog. The blog has reached over 2.6 million clicks in less than 3 and a half years. It was also a year that saw a steady growth on our social media channels: we’ve breached 10k followers on Facebook and are close to 5k followers on Instagram. Not bad for these social media channels that are only 2 years old.

As part of our Year-End Special, we are revisiting peoples/ personalities, blogposts and events that made 2019 very memorable for us. And before we end the year and open to a new chapter in pageantry, let me show you the most clicked blog articles this year.

12. Binibining Pilipinas Trivia, Part 2 – the second installment of the 4 part series was one of this year’s highly visited blogposts.
11. Binibining Pilipinas FAQs (AKA Everything You Need to Know) – this is a must read for every Filipina wanting to be a Binibining Pilipinas titleholder!

2010-2019: The Philippines’ Second Golden Era of Pageantry

From the years 2010 to 2019, the Philippines have raked over 16 international titles, 8 of which are from the four biggest international pageants: Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss Universe and Miss World…

The past decade is the Philippines’ most winning-est years in pageantry. 8 Alpha pageant titles,  over 10 international crowns (male and female pageants) and countless runner up placements and semifinal finishes. It truly is the Golden Era of Philippine pageants…
No matter how haters, trolls and naysayers are gonna say about the Philippines, the years 2010 to 2019 made way for the Philippines to be recognized as the most successful country in pageant of the decade. Harp all they want for a top 10 or a top 5 spot, the Philippines may have been called “Pagpag Land” but it is THE PAGEANT POWERHOUSE OF ASIA… The Philippines has collected 8 Alpha pageant titles in a span of 6 consecutive years, a feat no other country has done thus far, not even Venezuela.

View this post on Instagram

CAN YOU NAME THEM ALL? From the years 2010 to 2019, the Philippines marked its 2nd Golden Era in pageantry after scoring international titles one after the other. Overall, the country produced 20 international winners from different international competitions! Follow us @sashesandscriptsofficial for more pageant updates, rumors and trivia! . . . . . . . #SashesandScripts #PageantBlogger #UltimatePageantBlog #MissUniverse #MissInternational #missworld #missearth #misssupranational #catrionagray #piawurtzbach #jamieherrell #bearosesantiago #angeliaong #mutyadatul #anncolis #sharifaakeel #cynthiathomalla #wynwinmarquez #kylieverzosa #jeslynsantos #rizzinigomez #karengallman #meganyoung #angeligomez#karenibasco #sophiasenoron #janniealipoon #cyrillepayumo #puteriindonesia

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Apr 30, 2020 at 2:00am PDT

ALPHA PAGEANT CROWNS OF THE DECADE
* Miss World 2013 – Megan Young

* Miss International 2013 – Bea Rose Santiago

* Miss Earth 2014 – Jamie Herrell

* Miss Earth 2015 – Angelia Gabrena Ong

* Miss Universe 2015 – Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

* Miss International 2016 – Kylie Versoza

* Miss Earth 2017 – Karen Ibasco

* Miss Universe 2018 – Catriona Elisa Gray

INTERNATIONAL TITLES WON IN THE DECADE
1 Miss Supranational win – 2013, Mutya Johanna Datul
1 Miss Intercontinental win – 2018, Karen Gallman
1 Miss Asia Pacific International win – 2018,  Sharifa Akeel
1 Miss Globe win – 2015,  Ann Colis
1 Reina HispanoAmericana win – 2017,  Teresita Ssen Marquez
1 Miss United Continents win – 2017, Jesly Santos
1 Miss Eco-International win – 2018, Cynthia Thomalla
1 Miss Multinational win – 2018, Sophia Senoron

MALE PAGEANT WINS OF THE DECADE
1 Manhunt International win – 2012, June Macasaet
1 Mister International win – 2014, Neil Perez
1 Man of the Year win – 2016, Karan Singhdole
2 Mister Gay World wins – 2017, John Raspado & 2019, John Jeffrey ‘Janjep’ Carlos
1 Mister Universal Ambassador win – 2018, George Raylor de Lumen
1 Mister Model Worldwide win – 2018, Carlo Pasion
1 Mister Universe Tourism win – 2018, Ion Perez
1 Mister Tourism and Culture Universe – 2019, Yves Campos

All of this is thanks largely to the Philippine camp system, Kagandahang Flores produced half of the 8 crowns won, Aces & Queens has produced 3 titles, and an independent Catriona Gray won the 8th. It is also time to stop belittling the KF camp for they have produced 7 Alpha titles so far, a feat no other local camp has done. While Aces may have started the MU placements they have yet to replicate that success with their international wards, KF has been able to manage to score international crowns with their Filipina queens but they also have scored 3 other crowns with their foreign queens pushing their number to 7 Alpha titles. And it is also time to recognize smaller camps like RL’s Angels (who trained Thailand’s first Miss Supranational), and for them to come into the fray of training more Filipinas for competitions both local and international.

This decade is also the time where the Philippines outshone every pageant powerhouse in terms of performance in Miss Universe. It nailed 2 crowns and 4 runner up placements plus six other semifinal placements. The Philippines also scored 3 Miss Earth wins (a back-to-back and a sandwich win) pushing the country with the most ME wins. In Miss International the two times we missed making semis were in 2014 and 2017, coincidentally both Aces wards. They managed to redeem themselves though in Miss World Philippines where no girls from other camps have won the title since 2011.
Come 2020 and onwards, the Philippines would have to usher in more strategies, newer ideas and fresh perspectives to remain competitive in the ever changing landscape of international pageantry. And always have the mantra that “the Philippines come to win, not just to participate.”

Cheers to the next decade and all the crown to be won!

Joining BBP or MUP: Pros and Cons

The Binibining Pilipinas and the Miss Universe Philippines pageants have posted their respective deadlines for submission and they both are this January. First to post their dates is the Miss Universe Philippines pageant whose posted deadline is on January 18th. Application deadline for Binibining Pilipinas is on the end of the month, January 31st.

With those date it means that participating ladies would have to make up their minds and submit their applications before the deadline passes.  But for those still in the fence, today’s blogpost might be of help make that decision.

Year-End Special: 2019, A Year to Remember for the Philippines

A bunch of full placements for Filipina reps and a bag full of lessons learned, that is Philippine pageantry this year in a gist. No major crowns but a lot of lessons learned.

2019 wasn’t as spectacular a year for the Philippines as pageant fans would have hoped for. Despite this realization the Philippines has now cemented itself as the Asian counterpart of pageant powerhouse, Venezuela. Along with it comes several realizations that Sashes&Scripts believes Filipino pageant fans need to be mindful of as we enter a new decade.

1. ALWAYS BE HUNGRY – Never be complacent and Rest upon our old laurels
   It is time to realize that our past victories are not eternal. Every year, we have to be hungry for a victory (whether that means a crown or victories in other smaller ways). There are more mountains to climb. More battles to be fought. More crowns to win.
   And this is the time that the Filipino pageant fandom to rally behind out candidates. Yes there is that camp-war still being waged by pageant fans and even some pageant admins on social media. But once a girl is on the international stage, we should learn to respect their journey. The least we can do is to not to speak ill of them when they are doing their best in competing internationally.
2. NEVER ASK APPROVAL OR VALIDATION – specially from people who have achieved less that we have
   IMHO, we believe that Filipino pageant fans have to evaluate who we make “patol” on social media. Collectively, we have to set our eyes higher and aim higher. We do not need to explain ourselves to those that have achieved less than we do. We do not need to be validated by any other else’s opinion.
   The country has the most number of Alpha pageant wins in among any Asian country. We come second only to Venezuela in the most number of Alpha pageant wins. We just had 6 consecutive years of continuous Alpha pageant wins, the most for any country on record.
3. BE KINDER, MORE COMPASSIONATE – never put our girls down for the sake of ‘expressing an opinion’
   Let us never diminish the lower semifinal placements of our girls because we never know the battles they need to fight to be where they are. We never seen the demons they have to conquer to be the best they can be. They are hungry for a victory just as we all are.
4. WIN OR LOOSE, ACT LIKE A WINNER – we are never defeated, rather we just learned a new lesson
   With such achievements, we must also learn to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Not every year we are bound to win. It is not easy to win in a field of 90 or 100+, but let’s put up a good fight that the world, or the universe rather, trembles at their feet when they see a Miss Philippines.

Take the lessons learned this year. Take the small victories as well. We can always do better… .

The Most Memorable Miss Universe National Costumes of the Past Decade

The national costumes is perhaps one of the most festive aspects of the Miss Universe pageant. This segment of the competition is likened to a quick trip around the world in just minutes.

For a number of pageant fans, this is one of the most awaited portions of the pageant. While it no longer is a part of the finals night telecast of the pageant, it still remains a fan favorite.
Before we proceed to the list, let us first mention that these are personal picks of this blogger. Some of these costumes have won the Best National Costume award while some we’ve seen in person and in motion. This list But one thing is for sure, they all looked spectacular.

Racism and Colorism Against Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi

Beauty pageants has an ugly side to it. And what more to expose this than the hard push that women of color, women of darker complexion are not supposed to win beauty pageants…

Thousands of Puerto Ricans glued themselves to their various screens last week to watch what is a national sport. But it wasn't baseball, the other national obsession; it was the Miss Universe pageant...

Most of them hoped to see Miss Puerto Rico, Madison Anderson Berríos (who doesn't use her last name in competition) capture a sixth crown for the island. Anderson's own crown, though, didn't come without controversy. The Puerto Rican public initially didn’t see her as Puerto Rican when she entered the pageant because she was not born on the island, doesn’t speak Spanish and looks "American" with her light skin and fair hair.

“To be Puerto Rican, it is carried in your blood and heart. I am proud to be the voice of Puerto Ricans from outside of Puerto Rico,” she said in an interview with a local paper after her local win, after which many Boricuas embraced her as their own.

Tunzi was crowned, Miss Puerto Rico became the first runner-up and many Puerto Ricans, angry their entrant had not won, expressed their disappointment via social media — and showed people's authentic souls, which were racist instead of beautiful.

“Nothing like a beauty contest to uncover the disgusting racism that is lived in Puerto Rico every day,” wrote Colectiva Feminista en Accion, a Puerto Rican feminist group active on the island.

Was 2019 a Repeat of 2014?

2019 was almost a repeat of our placements in 2014. After winning multiple crowns the year before, the placements in 2019 were  decidedly lower.

In 2014, we had Aces & Queens girls Bianca Guidotti (unplaced at Miss International),  Valerie Weigmann (top 20 at Miss World) and Kagandahang Flores girls Mary Jean Lastimosa (top 10 in Miss Universe) and Jamie Herrell (Miss Earth). This time however, 2019 saw Janelle Tee in the ME top 20, Michelle Dee in the MW top 12, Bea Patricia Magtanong in the MI top 8 and Gazini Ganados making top 20. So what possibly went wrong for our reps this year?

Gazini and her Cary Santiago Finals Gown

This was supposed to be her finals gown! You heard that right. Here are several interesting stories behind Miss Universe Philippines, Gazini Ganados’ Cary Santiago gold gown…

Earlier in November, we all heard rumors that the Miss Universe organization gave a new directive that the preliminary gowns will also be the candidates’ final telecast gowns. Well, that was if the Miss Universe organization stuck with their that decision. This was never okay, however,  with some of the National Directors as well as candidates. Rumor has it that several ND’s were vocal in verbalizing their disapproval during the National Directors’ Dinner. And of course they should be vocal about this as the Miss Universe organization has some of the highest franchise fees around. So rumor has it that Miss Universe Org President, Paula Shugart, had caved in due to the incessant requests from the NDs.

When we had a #chichiAndChaah date with Tita Lavinia, we touched into this. And the gold gown was indeed to be Gazini’s finals gown. IMHO, I think it was a great choice to have this gold gown used during the prelims because it made her shine in the EG competition. If she wore her red gown, it wouldn’t make much of an impact in a field of 90 ladies. So for me at least, it was a good happenstance that Gazini wore this in the prelims so that we saw it in action.

View this post on Instagram

The eagerly anticipated gown for Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados did not disappoint! This was among the standout gowns and EG performances in the preliminaries! • • • • • • #MissUniverse2019 | GAZINI THE GOLDEN 🇵🇭 ~ Gazini Ganados (@gazinii) representing the PHILIPPINES glides down the Miss Universe stage wearing her evening gown made by the incredible Cary Santiago (@carysantiago) that is reminiscent of the piece she wore during #BinibiningPilipinas2019—but BISH…this one’s GOLDEN. — #Repost @heiresses_of_pageantry . . . . . #MissUniversePhilippines #confidentlybeautiful #Ganado5 #gaziniganados #bbpilipinas #bbpilipinas2019 #SashesAndScripts

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 6, 2019 at 7:18pm PST

So since the gold gown have already been worn, her next best option was to wear the red phoenix gown by Cary Santiago. Had Gazini made top 10 and had this on the evening gown competition, she would have stood out among the ladies in the top 10 with her intricate red gown without any trace of beadwork. It would have stood out just like how Oxana’s white tent gown (coincidentally with no beadwork as well) stood out in a roster of heavily embellished gowns.

But that is not the end of it! We were told another rumor from one of the people who was in the final dress rehearsals that an eventual runner up in the pageant changed gowns and wore her prelims gown because she saw Gazini wearing red. Another one of those in the VIP section saw that said candidate had a quick talk with her ND and heard in passing that they were discussing gown colors. We’re not saying the rumors are 100 true but it goes to show that people are willing to change plans based on what they see from our girls.

View this post on Instagram

Look for a #SilverLining in every situation. With Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados placing among the top 20 this year, marks the 10 consecutive years of placements for the country. This places the Philippines among the only 5 countries to place in MU 10 years or more. USA leads with 22 (1977-1998) and 18 (1958-1975), followed by Venezuela's 21 (1983-2003) and India's 12 (1992-2002). Germany also had 10 from 1952-1961. Thank you ladies for the honor! 2010 – Venus Raj, 4th runner up 2011 – Shamcey Supsup, 3rd runner up 2012 – Janine Tugonon, 1st runner up 2013 – Ariella Arida, 3rd runner up 2014 – Mary Jean Lastimosa, top 10 2015 – Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2016 – Maxine Medina, top 6 2017 – Rachel Peters, top 10 2018 – Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2019 – Gazini Ganados, top 20 & Best in National Costume winner Gorgeous Artwork done by @archibald.art . . . . . #SashesAndScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog#VenusRaj #ShamceySupsup #JanineTugonon #AriellaArida #MJLastimosa #PiaWurtzbach #MaxineMedina #RachelPeters #CatrionaGray #GaziniGanados #BbPilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas #MissUniversePhilippines #BeyondBeauty #MissUniverse #MissUniverso #missusa #mexicanauniversal #puteriindonesia #missvenezuela #senoritacolombia #misssouthafrica

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 9, 2019 at 6:01pm PST

According to our pageant friends, haute couturier Cary Santiago created 4 lovely gowns for Gazini to select from. It is said that aside from the gold and the red, the designer also created a lovely silver gown for Gazini.
Now our only hope is that Sir Cary Santiago, Mama Jonas Borces, Sirs Gio and Rodgil Flores would have Gazini take a photoshoot in these evening gowns for the pageant fans to enjoy…

5 Filipinas Who Could Have Been Miss World Winners

The new Miss World Philippines organization has already started its siren call for applicants to the national competition. To drum up the buzz for the pageant we list down several past Miss World representatives that could have been Miss World winners…

Evangeline Pascual – it is said that she should have won the Miss World title in 1973 which went to Marjorie Wallace. 17-year old Evangeline was relegated to 1st runner up at the pageant held at the Royal Albert Hall. So when Marjorie was dethroned, the Miss World organization offered the responsibilities of a winner to Evangeline, who was already under a movie contract by then. Only the responsibilities of a winner is offered and not the title as Miss World. Evangeline declined the offer due to contract conflicts; she would have been the first Filipina Miss World.

View this post on Instagram

Did you know that #EvangelinePascual was offered the duties and responsibilities of the 1973 Miss World title without being acknowledged as winner after Marjorie Wallace was removed? … Check out the 10 biggest Miss World Scandals on the link in bio… https://sashesandscripts.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/the-biggest-scandals-and-controversies-of-miss-world/ . . . . . #SashesandScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlogger #pageant #pageantry #MissWorld #MissMundo #MissMonde #scandal #controversy

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Sep 13, 2018 at 6:05pm PDT

Sharmaine Ruffa Gutierrez – beauty, poise, wit and charm, those were the qualities that distinguished 19-year old Ruffa among her competitors in Sun City, South Africa. Despite being the favorite to win, she only managed a 2nd Princess finish that has left a number of pageant observers baffled.

View this post on Instagram

Bb. Pilipinas Trivia! Sharmaine “Ruffa” Rama Guttierez – the first and only Bb. Pilipinas to crown her successor and be crowned with a Bb. Pilipinas title on the same night. A year prior she was handpicked to represent the Philippines in Elite Model Look 1992, then competed and won Bb. Pilipinas World 1993. She was also the first Bb. Pilipinas titleholder to pass on her national title even before competing in her international competition. She had to pass on her BBP-World title to Caroline Subijano during BBP94 (held in October 1993) to prepare for the coming Miss Universe 1994 pageant in the Philippines. . . . . . #SashesandScripts #PageantBlogger #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog #pageant #pageantry #RuffaGutierrexz #MissWorld #MissWorld1993 #BbPilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas #BbPilipinas

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Feb 11, 2019 at 9:00pm PST

Carlene Aguilar – hers was a landmark year where it was announced that the Miss World semifinalists will be selected through a worldwide voting. Previous year had a bit of a controversy when there was a sudden inclusion of judges at the 2004 finals when it was previously announced that internet and SMS voting would determine the winner. Carlene placed among the top 15 in Sanya, China that year despite being among the top 3 bets to win the title. She was also popular among the locals and pageant connoisseurs/ experts to win the title.

Valerie Weigmann – she came in at the heels of the first Filipina Miss World, Megan Young yet she prepared stronger in her participation with strong Beauty with a Purpose Project, Multimedia and Topmodel fast-tracks. The 25 year old German-Filipina was also shut out from the Beach Fashion as well despite having modelesque body proportions. Her non-inclusion among the top scorers in the latter 2 were baffling. Some believed that had she been able to make top 5 that year, she could have provided ample competition to reps from South Africa and India.

View this post on Instagram

When I first met Miss World Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigmann, I was nervous to speak with her fearing that she might not understand me when I speak Tag-lish. It was a pleasant surprise that she spoke very fluent Tagalog with an accent. She immediately became more endearing in my eyes because she communicated with me in the language I am comfortable with. Language which have been an endless source on conversations in pageants, among pageant fans. Should being able to speak Filipino and English be a requirement in pageants? Comment below and check our link in bio for more on this topic! . . . . . #SashesandScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlogger #pageant #Filipino #Tagalog #Philippines #MWP2014 #MissWorldPh #ValerieWeigmann #MisterWorldPh #MisterWorldPhilippines #BbPilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas #MissWorldPhilippines #MissPhilippinesEarth #MissEarthPhilippines

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Oct 23, 2018 at 5:20pm PDT

Catriona Gray – undoubtedly the strongest Filipina rep to ever set foot to the Miss World stage. Tall, articulate, talented, and well prepared, she was poised to become the second Filipina MW winner. During the finals, she was named one of the top 5 finalists and was awarded the 3rd runner up honors during the post coronation ceremonies. Her placement left a number of Filipino fans angered at the lack of transparency on the judging criteria and process of the pageant (having also removed earlier the leader-board which showed the rankings of the candidates during the fast-tracks).

View this post on Instagram

The DIfference a couple of years make. Catriona Gray in 2016 and in 2018. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray now understands why she didn’t win a major international title before Miss Universe… “Yeah, I believe everything happens for a reason in God’s perfect timing.” says Catriona in her interview with http://GMANetwork.com. The 25-year-old beauty queen adds that while these experiences were painful, she knows that they were necessary. Read the rest of the post on the Latest Post on our link in bio! . . . . . #SashesandScripts #PageantBlogger #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog #pageant #pageantry #CatrionaGray #MissWorld #MissMundo #BeautywithaPurpose #bellezaconunproposito #BbPilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas #MIssUniversePhilippines #MissUniverse #ConfidentlyBeautiful #MissUniverso

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Feb 20, 2019 at 5:00pm PST

 

Gazini Ganados’ Final Walk: Bb. Pilipinas or Miss Universe Philippines?

Will reigning Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados take her final walk in Binibining Pilipinas? Or will it be in Miss Universe Philippines?
With the establishment of a new national pageant comes with a headache. Where will Gazini Ganados take her final walk as Miss Universe Philippines 2019? Read our thoughts below…

This blogger feels that there will be a tug of war between two national pageants on Gazini Ganados’ farewell walk. There surely will be a catfight between the organizations specially if they both time their finals/ coronation night on the same date. While that possibility has a slim chance to happen, it still is a possibility if the two pageant are aired on separate television networks. So the question is not who ‘owns her contract’ but on which organization is the bigger one to be willing to share her schedule.

View this post on Instagram

MUST WATCH THIS! #Repost @mickeysee • • • • • • She’s sultry. She’s pretty. She’s ready. @gazinii 👑 #GaziniForTheUniverse #MissUniverse2019 #MakeupbyMickeySee #HairByAriesManal #Qurator Video by @samrmorales . . . . . #Sasheshandscripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog #pageantblogger #gaziniganados #MissUniverse #MissUniversePhilippines #MissUniverse2019 #bbpilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 6, 2019 at 4:24am PST

Gazini Ganados is the last Miss Universe Philippines produced by the Binibining Pilipinas pageant so it makes sense that she takes her final walk at Binibining Pilipinas 2020. But it also makes sense that she should be able to crown her successor in the 2020 Miss Universe Philippines pageant. Hopefully both organizations can work out their schedules so that everyone is satisfied, but most importantly both organizations are able to give nod to a winner that served them both to the best of her abilities.

Let us know your thoughts on the poll below or on the comment section…

View this post on Instagram

Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados in her national costume depicting the Philippine Eagle! Master couturier Cary Santiago used his fabric manipulation techniques for this national costume. It also features fabric laser cutting, one of the designer's favorite technique. No single feather is used in this costume which is a marvel in construction. It was all fabric! • • • • • • Atlanta Marriott Marquis Miss Universe Philippines 2019 @gazinii National Costume inspired by the Philippine Eagle by the master coutourier @carysantiago 🇵🇭👏🏻 #Repost @iamolisara . . . . . #SashesAndScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog #GaziniGanados #MissUniverse #MissUniversePhilippines #MissUniverse2019 #MissUniverso #bbpilipinas #BinibiningPilipinas

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 6, 2019 at 9:03pm PST

Was Miss Universe 2019 a Total Disaster?

More than a week after the pageant and some fans are still cannot get over how the Miss Universe 2019 pageant was staged. It went by like nothing really ever happened and that it was like a dream that fans wished didn’t happen at the same time. And one of the things that is being discussed with several long time pageant friends of ours is whether or not the 2019 Miss Universe edition was a total disaster. These are our thoughts…

To say that it was a total disaster is an overstatement, but it did go terribly for some pageant fans… specially those who watched the pageant live.

1. The Short 10-day Pageant – we have mentioned in a previous post before that the 10-day pageant can be potentially problematic. Well look how things did play out. Everything that was rushed became a huge problem from the tickets, the VIP seating, the pageant format, the production errors, the lack of pre-pageant activities, the judge oversight, candidates who weren’t able to secure a VISA on time, etc… The problem this year had snowballed from one simple issue: things were rushed.
2. The New Crown – to say that the crown was a little underwhelming is no easy thing to say. I have previously mentioned this in a previous blogpost that my problem with the new Mouawad crown isn’t that it wasn’t grand but rather it lacked personality. You see it and you see a Mouawad crown Not A Miss Universe Crown. It lacks the iconic appeal of the old Sarah Coventry crown or the visual impact of the Mikimoto crown. It doesn’t even have the personality  of the DIC ‘french fries’ crown. The fact that it is shaped like a tiara instead of a full crown doesn’t add to its appeal. We may yet have to get accustomed to this crown. IMHO the cheaper Diamond Nexus crown looks more “pageant worthy” than the Mouawad crown.
3. The Paid Voting -to have a paid voting and yet not have the winner of the voting announced feel like a rip off just to get earn a quick buck from the pageants’ fans. I have a problem with any pageant that charges money for votes just to make it to the semis. Because it is sending a statement that “you can buy yourself a placement and not earn it by merit“. That is why I personally voted only using the free vote and not spent a single cent on the paid option. This was it is more of a popularity vote rather than “buying a placement on the semis“.

   View this post on Instagram

   Here are some tips you for buying your Miss Universe tickets… 1. Don't Procrastinate – MU tickets will sell like hotcakes. The best seats are always sold out in just a matter of hours. See a good seat? Book it immediately! 2. Synchronized Booking – have a partner to book tickets so that should one of you not able to login on the ticket website you have another fall-back. 3. Don't wait for cheap tickets – hoping for a scalper for a ticket is not a good gameplan. Cheaper tickets on good seats are almost never purchased on the day of the finals. 4. Have your credit cards on standby- this is specially true when one card doesn't go through during payments. 5. Purchase tickets in groups – it is better to have an extra seat than none at all. You can even sell your extra ticket on the venue on fans who weren't able to get one online. • • • • • • Tickets on sale soon! For ticket and venue information about the 2019 #MissUniverse competition, visit the link in bio.✨ We hope to see you there! #MissUniverse2019 • • • • • • #Repost @missuniverse . . . . . #SashesAndScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlogger #pageant #MissUniverse #bbpilipinas #MissVenezuela #senoritacolombia #mexicanauniversal #missusa #MissTeenUSA #puteriindonesia #missuniversephilippines #missbrasil #missbrazil #missuniversethailand

   A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Nov 15, 2019 at 8:43pm PST

4. The Limited Tickets – The limited tickets meant that some people would take advantage of it. Just check how the MU tickets were re-sold in exorbitant prices. Let’s not forget to mention that because of the small venue of the pageant and the pageant has to put paid streaming and voting just to recuperate losses from the limited ticket sales. The usual 5-6k seating capacity is sacrificed for the 2-2.5k seats of Tyler Perry Studios.
   Let’s also mention the issue of the VIP tickets being not so very VIP being seated at the back of the stage. We have heard complaints about the VIP tickets coming from different people that they aren’t happy with the experience vis-a-vis the exorbitant ticket prices.
5. The Quality of the Candidates – this is the aspect that the pageant can take pride of. This year’s batch of candidates is a strong batch of women from different walks of like. What is remarkable in this year’s set of candidates is the level of diversity in the group. There are strong girls in every continental grouping, even the usually weak Europe was able to send strong girls this year too.
6. The Selection Committee – an all -female judges? I don’t mind, only if they are a set of very accomplished judges. Yet all we saw are past winners who have yet to prove themselves in their chosen careers or women who caters to the more American taste. By all means invite past winners but invite those that have made a great deal out of their careers after winning MU like Mpule Kwelagobe or Angela Visser. Even Shawn Weatherly or Kelly Hu would be a great option. Where have gone all the A-list celebrities who used to sit as judges in the pageant? Or foreign dignitaries and well-accomplished public servants and artists. There was once upon a time that even a Secretary General of the United Nations sat in the judging panel of the competition. Even Broadway stars and icons of the fashion industry used to sit as judge.

   View this post on Instagram

   Miss Universe will be crowned with a new $5 million, 167-karat stunner designed by jeweler Mouawad. The new Power of Unity Crown was unveiled for the first time Thursday in a ceremony led by Miss Universe president and CEO Paula Shugart and Mouawad CEO Pascal Mouawad. The crown design features intricate 18-karat gold vines and ivy leaves inlaid with more than 1,770 diamonds. The centerpiece is a 62.83-karat golden canary diamond. It’s flanked by two smaller diamonds cut from the same stone mined from Botswana, Pascal Mouawad said. Shugart and Pascal Mouawad had discussed collaborating on a Miss Universe crown for years, but were finally able to this year, Shugart said. “The Mouawad family has designed magnificent pieces for royalty around the world,” Shugart said. “Now, you have designed a crown for our queens.” The ivy leaf and vine motif is meant to represent the seven continents and the interconnectedness of the world’s communities, Pascal Mouawad said. Source: https://www.ajc.com/ . . . #SashesandScripts #MissUniverse

   A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 5, 2019 at 3:43pm PST

7. The Pay-per-View Prelims – #facepalm. The issue here is that it was announced to be pay per view then we saw the entire prelims uploaded in the pageant’s YouTube channel mere 5 hours later. Then immediately removed again within hours of uploading on YT. If you are to have people pay for it, they make it an experience worth the price.
   Make it a well-planned production and stage as well. What people saw and remembered were 1) candidates falling onstage, and 2) production crew mopping the stage while a candidate is doing her walk. We even saw a couple of audiences picking up fallen beads and sequins off the stage after seeing several girls fall onstage.
8. The Host Venue – well it seems that in the instances that the pageant is held in US soil, there is something amiss or something that goes wrong. This time, we now see why the MUOrg is pushing for pageant to be held outside of the US. This edition was a major downgrade from the 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013 editions.

   View this post on Instagram

   The MISS UNIVERSE STAGE is going to be a challenge for its horizontal set up. Based on photos from candidates' social media accounts, the MU finals stage is going to look amazing on a relatively smaller venue. The set up is going to look like the candidates will be moving from side to side of the stage. The amazing LED backdrop will look good on TV no doubt. But audiences who are seated at the back fo the venue would probably not see much of it as the floor/seats isn't inclined like an arena. We guess is that we really have to make do with whatever the MU can find during the peak of the US Football season also happening in Atlanta. In fact people in the city aren't aware that the Miss Universe pageant is actually happening right now in their city. Those are based from our insiders who are currently in the host city. . . . . . #SashesAndScripts #UltimatePageantBlog #PageantBlog #pageantblogger #MissUniverse #MissUniverse2019 #confidentlybeautiful

   A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 6, 2019 at 3:13pm PST

9. The Finals Show – there was a general lack of musical guest this year and that was pretty much evident with the way the production team had to fill in the 3-hour production with so much talking and speeches from the candidates. Having the candidates speak 5 times is just too much, there wasn’t enough ‘beauty and competition’ in the pageant. Having too much talking takes away from the showmanship of the pageant. It’s not that it isn’t a good show but comparative to previous year’s telecast, this year is not up to MU standards of the past. If you are to compare it with the 2013 Moscow edition with musical guests overflowing the pageant, then the Atlanta edition would be a C to the Moscow’s A++… It was as if the MU pageant left all of its showmanship in Moscow and forgot to have it delivered back ever since.
10. The Winner, Zozibini Tunzi – she probably was the best thing to happen in this year’s edition. Her win alone made us almost forget how bad and rushed and messy this year’s pageant is. She was fresh, looked authentic and did seem to be easy to work along with in real life. Zozi is perhaps the anti-thesis to the diva-esque winners of the 2000’s.
    Yes, some people might say that the All-Black winners this year seems to be a contrived specially with the pageant being held at the epicenter of the Civil Rights movement, but even if you factor that in Zozibini still is a deserving winner. What happens next in her reign should be something that the MUOrg would really have to make memorable.
    

What are your thoughts on the entire pageant this year? Were you happy with the overall pageant? Was it a total disaster or just plain messy. Let us know on the comments below…

4 National Pageants: Who Wins, Who Losses?

Binibining Pilipinas, Miss Earth Philippines, Miss World Philippines and now Miss Universe Philippines. With four national pageants this 2020, who is bound to lose much?

The year 2020 will mark the first year that there will be four national competitions that will select the best and brightest ladies for the 4 biggest international pageants. While some may welcome this development with open arms and embrace the changes, there may be a downside to having 4 different national pageants. Today we will be discussing about that. What would be the negative side effects of having too much of a good thing…

Binibining Pilipinas – despite the MUP franchise no longer in their stable of crowns, BBP is still considered the most prestigious pageant in the country. All thanks to years of brand equity. It remains to have a good name in pageant because of the history that no other pageant can level up to. Honestly, I see that they will suffer a little setback on the number of girls competing for the title. But I don’t think that it will matter in the long term. Until it is no longer able to come up with deserving winners, I don’t see the pageant dying or fading away. What it can now do is to level up the Miss Supranational title with the Miss International title. The Philippines has the most number of Miss International title and it is time that we get to celebrate that in ways we haven’t done in previous years. The Miss Supranational title on the otherhand is said to have a very lucrative cash prize that goes along the very ‘glossy’ pageant finals. This is the time to really elevate this title by sending a facially gorgeous girl with impressive pasarela skills to the Polish-based pageant.

Miss Earth Philippines – IMHO, I think the MEP pageant should be a stand-alone pageant. It has its own pageant niche and a dedicated pageant following. The pageant is as much about its message rather than just a pageant. So having a separate pageant will put emphasis on a very urgent global issue. In fact If Carousel production is able to level the entire finals night production to MU/ MW/ MS levels, it can possibly be the top pageant in a worldwide scale. So I don’t see it being merged into another pageant as the pageant’s eco-advocacy will not glue well to other pageants, unless they adapt environmental causes into their own. Leaving it alone to thrive on its own is possibly the best we can do for the MEP for the time being.

Miss Universe Philippines – of course the draw of the MUP title will bring forth a strong initial number of candidates. Of course the chance to be Miss Universe is every pageant girl’s dream, that alone will bring in candidates flocking into the pageant. It has great promise and people have high expectations. But the question is will it be enough to sustain it in the years to come? The worry here is that with the people behind the organization coming from a single predominant camp might make other girls question to join in the future. If this is going to be another MWP in the making, where no independent or girls from other pageant camps winning the main title, then expect that there will be a decline in the number and quality of candidates joining the pageant.

View this post on Instagram

#Repost @themissuniverseph • • • • • • Announcement: The Miss Universe Organization expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the Araneta Group and Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. for their more than 50 years of stewardship of the Miss Universe brand and franchise in the Philippines. Both organizations have made an indelible mark in the international pageant scene for celebrating the intelligence, beauty and grace of hundreds of Filipina queens, and for garnering several international titles through the years. Undeniably, the most prestigious of these titles continues to be the coveted Miss Universe Philippines. The foundation and fundamentals of Philippine Pageantry are known worldwide to be solid and shall endure all because of the hard work and commitment of the Araneta Group and BPCI. Today is a momentous occasion as the country and the Miss Universe Organization focus their collective gaze towards the future of pageantry. It is but fitting that the path to the future be led with vigor and a vision aligned with the transformative purpose of Miss Universe. The Miss Universe Organization is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Miss Universe Philippines Organization – a fresh team that will lead the country towards its continued quest to share the beauty and grace of the Filipina to the rest of the world. The new organization will be headed by Shamcey Supsup as the National Director. She will be joined by Albert Andrada as the Design Council Head, Jonas Gaffud as the Creative Director, Lia Ramos as Head of Women Empowerment Committee and Charity, Atty. Nad Bronce as Head of Legal Affairs, and Mario Garcia as Business Development/ Marketing Head. Rooted in the same strong foundations that have earned the country title after title in the past half century, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization is poised to bring the Miss Universe franchise to greater heights. More importantly, it is the continued support of the pageant fans and community that inspires the Miss Universe Organization to take this crucial step forward. With the Filipina at the center of it all, a bright and beautiful future lies ahead. Mabuhay!

A post shared by Sashes&Scripts (@sashesandscriptsofficial) on Dec 8, 2019 at 11:16pm PST

Miss World Philippines – REAL TALK, this is the pageant that is most likely to suffer among all 4 national pageants. The number of quality girls joining the pageant has dwindled so much that it had to lower height requirements so that pretty girls on the shorter side will be able to join. With another national pageant in the horizon, it surely will eat into the number of girls joining MWP. Unless the pageant produces another winner in 3-5 years, I honestly don’t see the national pageant surviving. Philippine pageant fans are not so keen in supporting the pageant anymore. And the international pageant’s brand equity in the Philippines has suffered all time lows in the past several years. So the MWP should really hustle harder because the clock is ticking against them.

The Philippines in Misses Universe, World, International & Earth

With the national pageant season again to start soon, let’s go down and list our achievements in 4 of the biggest international pageants in existence.
How did we fare so far in Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth? And in which pageant are we the winning-est?

Miss Universe
– established in 1952 and was first held in Long Beach, California.
– 4 titles, 9 runner up wins and 11 finalist/ semifinalist placements for a total of 24 placements out of 62 participation. We didn’t compete during the years 1958 to 1961 as the two Filipina candidates didn’t opt to compete internationally and there were two years that no pageant was held to select a Filipina delegate.

The Transfer of the Miss Universe Philippines Franchise

The news of the transfer of the Miss Universe Philippines franchise may have come as a shock to regular Filipinos outside of pageantry. But for pageant fans, this was no longer a surprise…

But what does it mean to have the franchise moved to the Miss Universe Philippines organization under the FrontRow/ LCS/ MUPh group? These are some of our thoughts and speculations…

TRANSFER OF FRANCHISE NOT A SURPRISE
Even as early as December of 2018, the talks that the Miss Universe Philippines franchise has been moved to a different organization became the talk of the town. Those rumors were put to a stop when Catriona Gray won Miss Universe, as it is stipulated in the franchise agreement that whosoever produces a MU win retains the franchise for another year. So it is safe to say that Gazini Ganados is the last Miss Universe Philippines/ Binibining Pilipinas Universe winner from the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc.

GAZINI AGANDOS’ TURNOVER OF HER TITLE
Does that mean though that Gazini won’t be having her final walk in Binibini? We suspect that she will be given that opportunity to have her final walk under BBP. After all she is still a product of the BBP pageant. However we won’t be sure if she will be given the chance to crown her Miss Universe Philippines successor in the new pageant. It would be nice if she does so but until there is actual word on it, we can only speculate.

SEPARATE PAGEANT WITH DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS
Every pageant organization is unique in its own. No two organizations are exactly alike. So expect that the MUP will be run a little differently as we are used to. With a young organization, expect that the first year will be a trials and testing of sorts. There will be growing pains and that is expected.
But there are also good things to expect from this development. We are expecting that with a new franchise owner, they would be able to find a “Miss Universe” potential winner. Fans would expect that after a 10 year placement, the next Filipina rep would be able to bear the brunt of the expectations from fans.
The MUOrg is looking for a different kind of winner nowadays so we expect that the next MUP will be able to tick off every box of being absolutely stunning and commercial, well informed and well read in the social issues of the times, articulate, warm and genuine, and is an advocate for a certain cause personal to her.

CONFLICTING PAGEANT DATES WITH BB. PILIPINAS & MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH
This is a given specially with dates of screenings have been named. Deadline for application for MUPh is on January 18 and final screenings on January 25th. Application for Miss Philippines Earth is also open although the deadline hasn’t been officially named. As of this writing, no mention on the dates for Binibining Pilipinas has yet been announced.
With that being said, candidates will have the lion’s share of which pageant they would want to join in. So pageant organizations would have to step up their games to be able to compete at a level playing field to get these girls to join in their respective competitions.

2020 is going to be an exciting year for pageantry. And we hope that the new decade will open up with major crowns for the country…

Miss Universe Country Rankings with Winners

Today’s blogpost is in response to a private message regarding the countries that ranked highest in terms of Miss Universe wins. We are listing the names and years of the Miss Universe winners based on their ranking!

17. France – 2 wins, 19 placements
1953 Christianne Martel
2016 Irish Mittinaere
16. Thailand – 2 wins, 1 runner up, 11 placements
1965 Apasra Hongsakula
1988 Porntip Nakhirunkanok
15. Trinidad and Tobago– 2 wins, 2 runners up, 8 placements
1977 Janelle Commissiong
1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam
14. Canada – 2 wins, 3 runners up, 19 placements
1982 Karen Baldwin
2005 Natalie Glebova
13. Mexico – 2 wins, 5 runners up, 19 placements
1991 Lupita Jones
2010 Ximena Navarrete