My heart is still grieving over Ahtisa Manalo's almost win. Sure, Venezuela is still Venezuela. Mariem Claret Velazco, birthday or not, deserved the crown. She was polished, queenly, and elegant the entire competition. What breaks my heart is the fact that even though we saw how Ahtisa gave her 101% and was fan, judge, and co-contestant's favorite prior to competition night, we all know how she missed the crown. People have the silliest excuses, trying to pull the destiny card and all but anyone free of bias know why Ahtisa lost.
The competition was for Ahtisa to lose from the very beginning. Angelic beauty, elegance and grace, charm and humility - she's got everything down pat. It was a sure win. Even with Venezuela, Laos, Mexico and South Africa giving her a tough fight, Ahtisa was ahead of the pack. Always ahead of the pack. Even the Philippines' biggest haters (Latinas and Indonesians) refuse to take her down. I've seen some bashing here and there but never as bad as what they do to most Filipina beauty queens. Ahtisa's arresting beauty and charm is relatable in all cultures. It also doesn't hurt that the Japan-based competition favors girls who look, behave and carry themselves like Ahtisa does effortlessly. I mean take a look at this picture and get back to me if you think this isn't as Japanese doll-goddess-princess as a woman can get:
1. THAT EVENING GOWN. THERE I SAID IT. PAYT ME FASHION GURU WANNABES.
So I'll try to not let this get lengthy. But damn. Whoever told Ahtisa to wear an effin T-Shirt at a pageant that wants its muse all Disney princess-like seriously needs to apologize to Ahtisa. Again, Miss International wants a Fairy Tale Princess at a gala, not a 35 year old Princess of Wales at a fundraiser. I mean, if it has to be this boring in front, make it elegantly interesting at the back! We know an updo hairstyle doesn't work for Ahtisa, we know she's definitely going to wear her hair down, so why make her wear an evening gown that has nothing going on in front?! This makes me so angry!!! LOL
That neckline doesn't help. A bateau neck would have worked if they're really going for the conservative, understated look (which doesn't work in pageantry - even in Miss International!) Ahtisa, even with all the "intricate, expensive, masterfully crafted details", looked too underwhelmingly casual and chill. AHTISA DOES NOT DESERVE THIIIIS.
Now, look, fashion guru wannabes who defend and excuse this misstep. I understand it's a Michael Cinco creation. The guy's a genius. AND CRAZY EXPENSIVE. But this just did not work for Ahtisa. Enough of the you've got no fashion sense excuses. First of all, the judges are clearly not fashion designers, fashion gurus, fashion bloggers, they're not going to go OOOH MICHAEL CINCO, OOOH LOOK AT OUR FASHIONISTA FRONTRUNNER TAKING THAT RISK, OOOH LOOK AT THAT TRENDSETTER. The judges wanted someone who looked stunningly pretty from where they were seated. They did not need to be told who created the gown, how much it was, and how pretty it looked up close. If anything, the gown was distracting. Ahtisa came on stage and guess what the judges saw - a pale girl in a pale t-shirty dress that looked plain and without details from afar with all the lights. Oh, did I mention the gown was the same color as the stage?
Also, there is no excuse for the ill-fitting sleeves.
I've been keeping my mouth shut since Eva Patalinjug's loss in the recently concluded Miss Grand International. But if the rumors are correct that Eva took fashion styling advice from the same people who influenced Ahtisa to wear this gown at the most important event of that night - YOU OWE THE PHILIPPINES TWO CROWNS. Or at least one Miss International crown and a runner up placement for Miss Grand International.
Let's talk a bit about Eva. Whoever told her to go all feminine and frothy and fluffy clearly went overboard. Eva's look and appeal was old Hollywood glam. Who in their right mind would tell her to ditch that winning signature look and style her differently. The inauthenticity of it all and the poor fit on Eva's Marilyn Monroe body type was an eye sore. Had they allowed Eva to be Eva - sultry, sexy, and dangerously alluring she would have placed in top 5 even with that joke of a cooking show. Eva was less toned in MGI compared to when she joined BBP. They should have considered that before making her wear this unflattering gown:
I know whoever advised both Eva and Ahtisa meant well. But they need to be told they're overthinking things. Let beauty queens be beauty queens and not fashion guinea pigs and trendsetters and statement makers. The focus should be on the queen, not on the dress she's wearing. I hope this doesn't have anything to do with Indonesia. The Philippines is already MADE in the pageant world. Let's leave the Best Dresser Award to Indonesia. Why compete with them for an unimportant award? We are losing crowns and placements all for trying too hard beating Indonesia at the fashion arena. That's their forte, let's not be greedy. ALSO, STOP THAT SILLY WAR BETWEEN INDONESIAN AND FILIPINO PAGEANT FANS. THE PHILIPPINES IS A POWERHOUSE, AND INDONESIA IS A RISING STAR, THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM FOR EVERYONE TO SUCCEED, STOP PULLING EACH OTHER DOWN.
2. THE SPEECH. IT WAS AMAZING BUT
Ahtisa did not need a writer for her speech. Unlike the other finalists, Ahtisa's speech was heartfelt, authentic, and powerful. It wasn't a ready made speech peppered with pageant cliches. The trouble was - it was a little too Miss World/Miss Universe. I was listening to it on live streaming and while I thought it was amazing, I felt it was a little too erm boastful to Japanese ears. We all know Japanese customs value self-effacing humility more than anything, and Ahtisa confidently sharing her achievements at such a young age seemed a little "look at me, i've done this and that, amazing right?" Ahtisa did acknowledge her fellow finalists and was probably just trying to stick to the empowerment theme, ergo the strong delivery and powerful aura - but I guess the Japanese are the Japanese regardless of that year's theme. They wanted a Disney princess. They weren't ready for a strong, empowered woman. Which was confusing, really.
The winner, Miss Venezuela, on the other hand, looked and spoke like she was straight out of a fairy tale. It was her birthday, too, which she did not forget to mention. Clearly, it was an effective strategy, as it appealed to the Japanese who are known to be polite and not very keen to hurt feelings. Just to be clear though, had it been Mariem vs. Mariel De Leon, or Mariem vs. Bea Santiago, I'd go for Mariem. Mariem's very pretty (Ahtisa is prettier) and was, again, polished and poised, she deserved to win too. Watch her winning speech and you'd know why even though Ahtisa was absolutely adorable the entire competition, Mariem nailed the most important part of the competition.
3. LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL... TWO OF THE JUDGES ARE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LAND OF THE PHILIPPINE HATERS
There are people who do not have the right to judge competitions out of partiality. But for the oddest reasons, they're invited/they invite themselves to judge, whatever. So. LOL. Regardless if they understood who started this silly war, there is just no way they can judge without the slightest bit of bias. I once sat as a pageant judge too, and I know how an extra point here to boost my favored contestant, and a little deduction there to eliminate my least favored contestant can affect total scoring. Note that there were 9 other judges too but my little pluses and minuses affected total scoring! Imagine there's two of them whose country wouldn't like it if the Philippines won.
At the end of the day, the result is what it is. I read somewhere Ahtisa missed the crown by one point. One freakin point, which makes it all the more depressing. What if she wore a nicer gown? What if she delivered the speech in her usual sweet, charming way, the way she won the hearts of many in Binibining Pilipinas Q & A? What if there were no Indonesians in the judging panel? What if it wasn't Mariem's birthday?! LOL
People everywhere are clamoring for Ahtisa to join Miss World. The lesser informed want her to join Miss Universe. Like Meenakshi Chaudary, the girl that almost won Miss Grand International, we can only wait and see what the future holds for Ahtisa. In an ideal world where the deserving, most hardworking, most qualified wins, Ahtisa would make it anywhere. But we all know how pageantry works, politics, mudslinging and all. Still proud of Ahtisa. Still one of the best queens we've sent in the international arena.
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