Binibining Pilipinas in the Time of Covid

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on every aspect of our lives. Who knew that even the world of pageantry would be so shaken?

Pageant fans still haven't gotten over the recent news that due to the constant rescheduling of the staging of Miss International, Vickie Rushton, the low-key frontrunner even in the international arena, has aged out and is no longer eligible. 

Vickie, who is the very embodiment of Miss International, the very essence of Miss International. Vickie, whose face is universally, unequivocally, without a flaw. Vickie, the patron saint of every Filipino Miss International fan. Vickie, this Vickie:

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

The Philippines still has a couple of other girls to offer including the doll-like Francesca Taruc. Her anime-like eyes, porcelain skin, and youthfulness fit the mold. Even her smile and the shape of her face resemble former Asian winners and frontrunners Kevin Lilliana and Ahtisa Manalo. However, she's still no Vickie. I feel like she has to work on showing substance to make up for her current lack of engagement and presence. Maybe curating her IG can help exude some elegance and charisma. She has to be careful not to post photos of her in unflattering light and angles. Photos of her are hit or miss. Here's one that definitely hits the MI mark:

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A post shared by Francesca Taruc 🇵🇭 (@francescataruc)

There's also Karen Laurie Mendoza, who interestingly, also resembles former MI winners, Bea Rose Santiago, Mariem Velazco, and Edymar Martinez. She's the closest to Vickie's ethereal flawlessness. But there's a catch: Karen is too supermodel, too fierce, too game face to be Miss International. She should smile more, but her smile can still look more Miss Universe, Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International than Miss International. MI wants soft, delicate, youthful, unassuming, friendly, charming. Karen needs to work on that. Maybe lighten up the brows a bit? Make the skin brighter, minimize the tan, I don't know, maybe lighten up the hair? Wear more white and pastels? Get Vickie's makeup artist? Gain 5 lbs to soften the angles a bit? 

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A post shared by Karen Laurrie Mendoza (@karenlaurriee)

We also have Hannah Arnold. Personality-wise, she's very Miss International: soft-spoken, shy, bubbly, youthful, sweet and endearing. She has the MI charm down pat. Her calm demeanor, unimposing aura, and kind eyes are all reminiscent of past winners Lara Quigaman and Fernanda Cornejo. The most recent winner, Sireethorn Leearamwat, is very much like Hannah as well, seemingly unsure of herself and yet so princess-like. Unlike Vickie, though, Hannah is still every inch a pageant ingenue. She seems to not understand that pageants are not fairy tales, there's politics, marketing, a whole lot of body work, incessant mental and physical training, social media and traditional media campaigns, etc. I'm not saying Hannah is not working hard. I'm saying she needs a solid, experienced team who will guide her and give her all the inside info needed in order to win. But who knows, right? She might just pull off a Bint Sireethorn.

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A post shared by Hannah Arnold (@arnoldhan_)

Other girls vying for the top crown, but does not fit the fairy tale Disney princess MI template are: Gabby Basiano (too top model, better suited for Miss Supranational or Miss Earth); Maureen Montagne (undeniably sexy, better suited for Miss Grand International or Miss Universe); Patricia Babista (too inexperienced, but looks perfect for Miss World.)

At the end of the day, the pageant world still weeps for Vickie Rushton. There's just no replacing her.

Binibini will stage its finals night on April 17, 2021. And until then pageant fans will hope for stars to align for Vickie the way they did for Samantha Bernardo.

Looking back, these two girls should have been given their chances the first time they joined. Or the second time. 

Binibining Pilipinas 2018 winners line up should have been:

• BBP Universe - Catriona Gray
• BBP International - Vickie Rushton (Reserve Ahtisa Manalo for 2019)
• BBP Supranational - Someone that fits the Supranational prototype (Jehza is a sentimental favorite, but is too short for MS)
• BBP Grand International - Samantha Bernardo (Eva Patalinjug as Face of Binibini is a good enough award for her performance already)
• BBP Intercontinental - Karen Gallman
• BBP Globe - Someone that fits the Globe prototype (Michelle's beauty and overall packaging is strictly for MU as only MU celebrates unconventional beauty)
• 1st runner up - Michelle Gumabao
• 2nd runner up - Jehza Huelar

Or Binibining Pilipinas 2019 winners line up should have been:

• BBP Universe - Patch Magtanong (Could have placed at least in top 5 MU)
• BBP International - Ahtisa Manalo / Emma Tiglao (Ahtisa could have won MI 2019)
• BBP Supranational - Isabela Galeria / April May Short (Resham was just not the right beauty and body type for MS)
• BBP Grand International - Gazini Ganados (Could have won a back to back with SamBer)
• BBP Intercontinental - Leren Mae Bautista
• BBP Globe - Aya Abesamis (Could have won since the Miss Globe org apparently likes her)
• 1st Runner up - Resham Saeed
• 2nd Runner up - Hannah Arnold

Both Vickie and Samantha have proven their worth in both 2018 and 2019 editions. Sure they had flaws, with Vickie breaking under extreme pressure in 2019. But wasn't her loyalty, determination, overall performance (except on that last stretch) prove that she was worthy of the Miss International Philippines crown? Samantha Bernardo's reaction after being crowned 2nd runner up again was understandable. 

Giving both girls their chances in earlier editions could have prevented the heartbreaks of Vickie aging out for Miss International while still in the middle of BBP 2020/2021, and Aya Abesamis not accepting the offer for Miss Globe (which Rowee Lucero eventually took, and got her a 4th runner up placement) to compete for Miss Grand International only to age out. Just heartbreaking, 2 high caliber girls aging out of competitions they could have easily performed well in. 

Nonetheless, finals night is still in April and a lot can still happen. Miss International can still change its age requirements, not to accommodate Vickie, or the Philippines, but to honor their word in their previous statement. Also, the organization should consider that COVID has destroyed one too many dreams, too many plans, too many lives, and maybe easing up on their rules, which they already revised anyway, could bring cheer to many. 

We are still hopeful for Vickie. #VickieRush7on for Miss International. 

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

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Actual Winners

Okay so it turns out to be Rabiya! The photo is of Bella but, you'll understand later lol. Edit: okay, I've found no nice photo of the Top 5, and I really like this photo of Bella, so

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A post shared by Ysabella Roxas Ysmael (@bellaysmael) on Sep 15, 2020 at 1:10am PDT

Michelle Gumabao is 2nd Runner-up

I realized while watching the final 5 that I'd be saddest had it been Michelle. I've read through comments on social media and realized I wasn't alone getting heavy vibes from Ms. Gumabao. There's something about her that feels cold and dry. Her answers are all "smart" but superfluous and delivered in an uninspired manner. I'm not going to touch on the current scandal involving her alleged walk out, which might not even be true. 

There are rumors saying she's joining Miss World. My opinion on that: Miss World Philippines is known to favor showbiz personalities and Michelle Gumabao might enjoy a bit of an advantage. On the other hand, if a bigger named celebrity joins MWP, Michelle might have to be relegated to a lower crown: Miss Supranational, Miss Eco International, Miss Multinational, Reina Hispanoamericana, and Miss Tourism.

Considering what happened to Michelle's stint in Miss Globe previously, I do not want to get my hopes up in case she loses the top crown. Miss Supranational is essentially a model search, and it looks like she is deadset on convincing the pageant world that non-lithe, athletic frames are beautiful too. She's trying to change pageant standards. Miss Eco International, Miss Multinational, and Miss Tourism are not good enough for someone whose eyes were set on the Universe crown and the Universe crown only. Reina Hispanoamericana is also going to be tough for Michelle. The Latin community is the most superficial crowd in terms of their definition of beautiful. I'd be the proudest if Michelle gets sent there and proves the Amazonas of the pageant world that athletes are a higher level of beautiful. 

In case she does win Miss World Philippines, Michelle's chances of winning are all in the hands of The Madam. And pageant enthusiasts know how fickle The Madam can be. She's known to favor Indian, dusky, classic beauties. But in recent years, she has chosen non-traditional faces, so we'll never know. Miss World also has a sports category that Michelle can of course excel in. 

Pauline Amelinckx is 3rd Runner-Up

Pauline is an early favorite of mine. There were plenty of doubters, and it was understandable considering she's a threat to the frontrunners. She proved to be a strong contender for the crown during preliminaries. I was actually seeing her along with Bella in the Final 2. I mean, she earned 4 awards, including Face of the Universe! Maybe it was simply the wrong gown, maybe her form wasn't Universe-ready yet, maybe it's the hair, maybe it just wasn't her night. Maybe she's destined for Miss International or Miss World. 

I'd like to see her in Miss World. Maybe not this year due to MUP contract restrictions, and also it's best to wait til the pandemic is over. She's only 24 after all. 

Billie Hakenson is 4th Runner-Up

Billie gained truckloads of fans over the course of the competition. She was overlooked in the beginning, but boy did she deliver when she needed to deliver. Except, I guess, on the final night. I don't know what went wrong. She was ticking all the right boxes: Body, Beauty, Backstory, Charisma, Personality. Billie seemed to have lost momentum at the final Q&A. 

I'm guessing everyone in the top 5 simply succumbed to exhaustion. It's all pre-taped, and things must have taken hours and hours longer than they would have had it been a live event. The girls also had to do their hair and make up on their own. No family around to support them. Must have drained all their energy. I'd be tired too, I mean, imagine being in heels all day for days, rehearsing, doing your own hair and makeup, and having to repeat shots endlessly. 

Nonetheless, this grueling process only showed who deserved the top 2 spots:

Bella Ysmael is 1st Runner-Up

I wasn't specifically seeking spoilers prior to the actual airing, but before the top 5 were announced, I already found out that Rabiya won. My initial reaction was a mix of anger and disappointment. Bella was the One! How could the judges have overlooked her elegance, her sass, her eloquence, her effortless appeal, her commanding presence, her otherworldly beauty?! How dare they?!

There's been a handful of girls whose grace, beauty and elegance have been showcased in the local pageant scene, but Bella is a different level. She's simply, breathtakingly the most beautiful soul I've ever seen in Philippine pageantry. (I was obsessed with Catriona so this is something!) Okay, so I have no idea what Bella's like in person, at home, behind closed doors, but on stage, on screen, she is a queen. She is the very definition of a beauty queen: aspirational, strong, intellectual, cultured, engaging, beautiful, talented, unbothered by superficial things, a woman who never loses her manners, I could go on and on. I bet she gets angry too, but she won't be ranting on social media, nor throw shade at other women, or treat reporters rudely, or fake friendships with other queens. And with the way some girls after the finals have treated Rabiya and the organization, Bella just proves she deserves to be Miss Universe, too. This is not to take away the crown from Rabiya. I just feel like they both deserve the crown and it's a shame there's only one.

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A post shared by Rabiya Mateo (@rabiyamateo) on Sep 13, 2020 at 5:58pm PDT

Rabiya Mateo is Miss Universe Philippines 2020

Girl was on fire. And there's no stopping her. I tried to not be impressed, I tried not to root for her, out of loyalty to Bella and Pauline lol. But Rabiya won me over. She performed well. She was prepared. She must have been just as exhausted, just as nervous as the other girls, but she did not waver, I saw no sign of her breaking under all the pressure. She had laser focus. And a refreshing humility.

The best part about Rabiya winning is that she's a universal beauty. Even the most vicious of the Philippine haters were converted to PH worship. Rabiya instantly racked in followers on social media, I wouldn't be surprised if she reaches millions by December. Latina fans love her. I've never seen Latin fan pages ever praise a Filipina beauty queen, but Rabiya's face is plastered all over Instagram. I hope Filipinos finally understand real beauty and not get swayed by complexion and nose bridges. We need to stop sending women who look beautiful only to Filipino eyes. We need more Rabiya faces: proportioned just right, with exactly the right length and width, with healthy-looking bone structure, with harmonious features that sit exactly where they should be. I do not mind nor promote plastic surgery, but let's keep things natural and tasteful.

I'm not saying only faces that look like Rabiya's are beautiful, I'm saying WE SERIOUSLY NEED TO STOP WORSHIPPING WHITE-LOOKING FILIPINAS, THE REST OF THE WORLD, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, FIND THEM PLAIN. This isn't an issue of contestants with pure or foreign blood (Rabiya is half Indian), this is an issue of reassessing our standards. Are we automatically celebrating women with the slightest hint of Caucasian blood in them? Are we unconsciously cancelling women for their skin color and Filipino features? Let's look for harmonious features, signals of good health and good taste, and natural-ness. We need to stop celebrating unnatural-looking rhinoplasties, and unnaturally white teeth.

This needs to be mentioned:

Alaiza Malinao should be in Top 5

My heart still breaks a bit thinking about it. Alaiza did nothing wrong during the preliminaries. People say she has no business in the Top 5 because she's not a strong speaker. I mean, wow. Rabiya wasn't the strongest speaker of the batch, but look at how well she did at the final Q&A. Who knows how Alaiza could have performed had she been given the spot she deserved in top 5.

I'm still waiting for the dust to settle, and for the tea-spillers to finally spill the promised tea. 

Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Winners

So they're filming the finale today and broadcasting it on local TV on Sunday. 2 days is quite a long wait. And we all know that at some point between today and Sunday, some killjoy will spill the results.

I am trying my hardest to not make an effort to know, but if the information randomly passes by my social media feed, then sorry, MUP Org. It's really not the wisest to delay broadcast by 2 freakin days. I mean, I know you're trying to capitalize on the excitement and all, but this is blatant torture.

I read/heard somewhere that there's a surprise twist waiting on Finals Night. Which could be that they filmed the finale today, but they kept the final winner announcement on Sunday. So we might be seeing a live broadcast on Sunday with two candidates holding hands and waiting for the announcement with us. That would be quite a pleasant surprise.

Before my predictions, which is really what this whole thing was originally about, I would like to commend the new organization for pulling off an amazing string of events during a pandemic. They took a risk (and my, one frontrunner became a casualty, but I guess that's inevitable.) I wish BBP would do the same, but I understand their apprehensions. Miss Earth Philippines did an ok job, given the limitations during their stint. But MUP, thank heavens, had the audacity courage to go do what they got to do. I envy Thailand and most other countries for staging such grand shows, but I guess they made better decisions in handling COVID-19, so they deserve their amazing performances. 

Okay. Now for the predictions.

I'd go right ahead with Bella Ysmael. She wasn't my cup of tea in the beginning. Her claim to the crown was being Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran's niece. Margie was a clear winner during her international stint, and I wasn't feeling that same vibe from Bella. She's pretty alright, but she was bland and seemed uptight. So I wasn't exactly rooting for her. But girl, did she surprise everyone during the Runway Challenge. She's a ballerina and the grace, the posture, the elegance showed on the runway. She walked and turned as if she was floating on a cloud. Bashers made a big deal about her teeth/veneers, which were truly distracting if you hate her. I found myself enchanted, and was absolutely drawn to her intimidating yet calming presence. She reminds me of a tigress, for some inane reason. I also love her face and queenly aura - she simply can't be more elegant. She's also intelligent and eloquent, and did not answer pageant questions in a rehearsed, pageant patty way. Her preliminary interview showed she's in it to win. I wouldn't mind if she bags the crown. I absolutely see her walking down the runway alongside Latinas on the Miss Universe stage. 

There are only two girls who could steal the crown from Bella. One of them is the popular athlete Michelle Gumabao. I'm also not her biggest fan. She was from Catriona Gray's batch in BBP, and back then I didn't understand what the hype was about. Sure, Michelle is 5'10, and that's an easy way to stand out in Miss Universe. Sure, she's popular and has quite a following on social media. Sure, she's smart and answers well. I just felt that she's not strikingly beautiful enough to compete internationally. She's pretty when seen on the volleyball court, but alongside fellow pageant candidates, Michelle's beauty pales in comparison. Bashers say it's the body type, she's an athlete so she's more muscular than the average beauty queen. There's also something about her aura that feels... heavy, and I swear it has nothing to do with her weight. It's probably her competitiveness, which can sometimes come off as subtle aggressiveness? She compensates for it by being friendly, or by being a team player in sports speak. 

Nonetheless, I still see Michelle as a strong frontrunner. I think her performance during the preliminary interview sealed her position as the one to beat. If the MUP's format is scores go back to zero at the final 5 (or 3 or 2), and Michelle makes it that far, Michelle is sure to win. My only apprehension is that, on the Miss Universe stage, Michelle will have to prove herself FIRST at the swimsuit and evening gown portions. Heck, she has to sell herself as soon as she sets foot in NY (or wherever the location is this year.) Which means, she needs to prove herself first via social media posts and pre-event media coverage, and to do that she needs to work on her charisma/fashion sense/walk/confidence in her body type. Catriona went through similar challenges, but Catriona is a universal beauty and was already modelling for years. Michelle will have to work harder to prove herself. If, by chance, MU 2020 becomes an online event like MEP 2020 (heavens, please no!!!), Michelle has an advantage. Her beauty, for some reason, translates well on cellphone and web cameras. I have not seen her in person, but I have a feeling Michelle is gorgeous irl. 

To complete my top three, I'll have Bohol's Pauline Amelinckx. I remember how excited people were for Gazini to win last year. They say her name is already a brand. Ms. Amelinckx has an easy recall and an interestingly relevant ring to it (#Morenax #Filipinx) and I'm excited for fans from other nationalities to make #Amelinckx trend. Pauline is an early favorite of mine. Though honestly I wish she'd joined BBP instead as Miss International is the perfect organization for her. She has the right type of beauty, the charming shyness, the unassuming simplicity of her aura. I felt also that she might break under pressure because she reminds me a bit of Vicky Rushton in that while she is a clear winner face-wise, her personality like Vicky's, seemed too kind, too innocent, too breakable for a cut throat competition like Miss Universe. 

Behold Bohol. I was elated when I saw Pauline's preliminary interview. Not only can she talk, she can talk with conviction. And among my top three, I feel that Pauline's way of answering questions is the most sincere and most genuine. While Michelle gives the best answers, her way of answering can sometimes sound aggressive, rehearsed and... heavy? I don't know. It leaves you impressed, but like, you want the interview to be over with, because it feels like an interview for a top executive position. It was too business-like. Which doesn't have to be a bad thing, just a matter of taste. Bella, in comparison, was conversational. She's elegant and classy, but not snooty. She was enjoyable to watch and a pleasure to listen to. However, Bella's answers were always about herself, even when she was asked about her community and a local tourist spot. Something that can change maybe after a few years working with charitable organizations? She's young and possibly sheltered, so it's forgivable and can be endearing so. Pauline, though. Pauline's answers were not as thorough and specific as Michelle's, but they were succinct, sincere, and moving without being pageant patty-like. She also has a bit of Bella's charm and enigma. 

Interestingly, Bella and Pauline look like sisters. Bella is Pauline's fierce, fashion-forward, self-assured version. Pauline is Bella's pragmatic, softer, cuter version. Which, in an alternate universe, would make them perfect as Miss Universe Philippines (Bella) and Miss International Philippines (Pauline) which gives me an idea: what if we let Michelle Gumabao win MUP this year, and then next year send Bella to Miss Universe and Pauline to Miss International? I feel like 2021 with them as the Philippine representatives would be a winning strategy. We have a strong chance with Michelle if Miss Universe will indeed be virtual. I am, of course, just imagining alternate universes.

To complete my top 10, in no particular order:

Biliran's Skelly Ivy Florida. Girl is an absolute high-fashion gem. With the right marketing team (Paolo Ballesteros), girl can hoard international fans. I mean, who would have expected her to win over Gumabao in a popularity contest, without a marketing team at that? Skelly is young though, and she'll benefit from a few more years of life experiences for Q&A. I worry though that Skelly's beauty may be age-bound. Her youth and freshness might be the basis of her sudden popularity. I am unsure of how things would go for Skelly in the next few years. If only she can may be condense 5 years worth of maturity in a year so she can rejoin next year stronger. 

Davao City's Alaiza Malinao. I took notice of Alaiza during Catriona's reign. She was said to be Catriona's team's new project. I saw the Angelina Jolie-Barbie-multiracial yet ethnic vibe they were pushing, but I still remain unconvinced of Alaiza's strengths. She poses astoundingly well, but can be uninteresting in motion. I feel like brighter make up can help increase her chances of winning. Dark, thick brows on dusky skin can look harsh. And I feel like Alaiza needs to show more of her Angelina Jolie-at-her-peak side. She should also showcase her amazing body during the competition. Her Q&As leave much to be desired. Makes me feel like this isn't the year for her. 

Iloilo's Rabiya Mateo. She keeps getting called The Dark Horse, and her fans/marketing team keep correcting people and saying she's The Frontrunner. I am not for nor against Rabiya. She has pictures that make me go wow. But then she also has pictures that make me doubt her chances. Q&As could be improved. Miss World suits her better. 

Aklan's Christelle Abello. Beauty 9. Body 10. Q&A 9. Charisma 10. Effort 10. Why is she not a frontrunner? I'm not sure, to be honest. I see her though as Supranational or Intercontinental or Earth material. 

Cavite's Kimberly Hakenson. There are two girls this batch with short hair and it was the other girl that I noticed in the beginning. Short hair is notice-me hair in pageantry, and you'd need a ton of confidence to pull that off. We'am, the other girl, did alright in the beginning, but somehow fizzled out mid-competition. Kimberly started proving herself to be the stronger notice-me girl by showing substance. I wouldn't mind if Kimberly wins the title. I feel like she also stands a chance in the Miss Universe arena. I honestly haven't seen her walk yet so.

Taguig's Sandra Lemonon. She reminds me of Miss Universe Albania 2018 (Catriona's reign), she is not likely to win MU, but she's going to get noticed for sure. Sandra is gorgeous and offensively hot (a pageant page called her out for being too hot lol) and during BBP 2018, she was a strong frontrunner. I am unsure why Sandra seemed to have thrown in the towel this year and decided to just have fun. Or she's probably enjoying the experience too much that she forgot she's in a cut-throat competition. If she were competing in a Latin country, she'd easily win. But she's in the PH, were pageant fans care more about advocacies and rehearsed answers. Right girl, wrong country. Or hey, actually, she might be a perfect fit for Miss Grand. Nawat would love her bubbly personality and offensive hotness.

Cebu's Apriel Smith. I've come across her name several times in recent years and have only seen photos. I wasn't sure why people were clamoring for her to join MUP. Probably has to do with the Black Girl Magic movement. Unfortunately though, Skelly is this year's poster girl for Black Girl Magic. 

So there's my top 3 and top 10. Competition must be over by the time this gets posted. I will be updating as soon as I get information. Hopefully that's prior to Sunday's airing, but that's illegal I think so let's all sit and wait. Do be nice and comment if you already know who won though. LOL

ALLEGED LEAKS

Who else saw videographic evidence of the last 5? Apparently it's Ms. Iloilo Rabiya Mateo, Ms. Paranaque Bella Ysmael, Ms. Bohol Pauline Amelinckx, Ms. Quezon City Michelle Gumabao, and Miss Cavite Billie Hakenson!

I am only 90% convinced that they are the women in the blurry video "leak", but heck if they're the real final 5, then I'm sleeping well tonight. I mean, what can be a better top 5? In the beginning of the pageant, I was sure Ms. Davao Alaiza Malinao already has a sure spot at the finals, maybe even at the final 2. But looking at the "final 5" now, none of them can be called the weakest and most replaceable. The top 5 is perfect.

There's rumors that it's Rabiya who won. Rumors that Michelle won. I haven't seen one social media post about Pauline or Bella. But while Miss Hakenson is not the weakest, I realized I'd be most surprised if she was indeed the winner. 

Considering her lack of marketing machinery, strong fan base, and pageant strings to pull, she proved herself worthy of the crown. Smart move for the MUP org too for choosing someone who would stand out on the Miss Universe stage for her hair and androgynous aura. She's going to make some noise being a member of the LGBTQ as well. And if there's anything that the MUP needs right now, it's noise. But again, I have no solid proof that it is indeed Miss Hakenson who won. 

I'm a little sad for Bella and Pauline, but again, imagine having them as the Philippine representatives for Miss Universe 2021 and Miss International 2021! I'm not complaining though if one of them actually won this year. We'll all find out tomorrow. Or later, let's wait for more leaks. LOL

Why are Filipino fans not allowed to support Paweensuda?

Let me address the bashing towards us supporters of Miss Universe Thailand 2019 Paweensuda Drouin by raging, nationalistic fellow Filipino fans of Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados. Let's discuss one fallacy, you guys:

False Dilemma Fallacy

Also known as False Dichotomy, Bifurcation, Excluded Middle. This fallacy presents a false range of choices and encourages a flawed black-and-white mindset. This fallacy forces one to choose black or white, when gray and many other colors are available options. 

e.g. 

She supports Paweensuda, she must HATE Gazini. 

FALSE. Supporting A does not mean hating B. Supporting A ≠ not supporting B. Heck, non-support ≠ hatred.

She supports Paweensuda, she must DISLIKE Gazini.

FALSE. Supporting A does not mean disliking B. In a highly subjective competition where winners need to be a 10 to win, where B is a 10, and A is a 10.5, both deserve to win, both can be supported to win, but A is just preferred to win. Because hey, we are allowed to have preferences. 

She wants Thailand to win, she is a traitor to the Philippines!

FALSE. The Philippines is in a very tricky situation. Catriona Gray's well-deserved Miss Universe 2018 win was tainted with false accusations after the involvement of the Singsons. There is much to lose in winning a back-to-back. The Philippines wins the battle but loses the war. We win again this year and we lose our sash factor to black propaganda. We win again this year and we run the risk of not getting another crown for until the controversy dies down. The Miss Universe Organization has much to lose as well if it picks the Philippines yet again.

Refer to the Philippines' well-deserved Miss Earth win with Karen Ibasco - we won the crown in 2017 but we lost the chance of winning another Miss Earth crown for the succeeding decade. Our win was questioned all because Karen Ibasco's beauty is not everyone's cup of tea, we happened to own the pageant organization, naturally there's going to be black propaganda and accusations of cheating, so here we are -  we can't win another crown or else Miss Earth loses worldwide support. (And with all the petty mudslinging from that pageant that must not be named, Miss Earth better not mess with non-Filipino fans if it wishes to still exist in the next years.)

Silly, I know, but pageantry has its own unspoken political and diplomatic rules. Pageantry is business. You don't want to alienate 75% of your customers for the 25%. And I dare say we're the 25% because what other nationality devotes heart and soul to Miss Universe as much as we Filipinos do? The Filipina candidate is one delegate in a sea of a hundred candidates, 1 out of 100, yet our supporters are probably a quarter of all the fans of MU, I bet that out of the current 3 Million Instagram followers of Miss Universe, at least a quarter is Filipino. We love Miss Universe and the MU loves us, but not so much that it's going to risk losing the support of the 75% for us. There's so much of us, and the MU appreciates that, but the MU does not exist for us, they have other customers to please. 

Bottomline, we want Thailand to win, because, ironically, we LOVE the Philippines. If you want to keep looking at it with such myopic lenses, then go and rally for a back-to-back. If you see the long term implications of a back-to-back, then you know what's truly best for the Philippines. Mabuhay. 

Binibining Pilipinas 2019 - Malka Shaver

Malka Shaver, the tiny-faced, doe-eyed, cherub-like mestiza. Also the Persian/East European doppelganger of Miss International 2019 1st Runner Up Ahtisa Manalo. She's both the cuter and the harsher-featured version, which is an odd oxymoron until you realize that Malka IS cute and HAS strong features. She looks innocent AND intimidating, a child AND a diva.

From Malka Shaver's Twitter

She has an interesting set of features that when played right, theoretically can look doll-like and sweet and cute, like the Miss International prototype. Except she still looks a tad bit too fierce to be Miss International. Ahtisa has large, expressive eyes too, but I guess it's balanced by her adorable bedimpled smile and sweet aura. Malka, on the other hand, still looks strong, which makes you think she's better fit as Miss Universe.

Photo from Malka Shaver's Instagram

Here she is, channeling her inner Catriona and resembling Miss Universe 1994 Top 6 Charlene Gonzales:

I was under the impression that she's a young pageant newbie blessed only by Lady Luck to have made it into top 40. She looked raw, young and inexperienced. Surprise, surprise, though, this girl's far from a newbie. She's a veteran. And she's also not very young, despite looking like a reserved, shy teenager. At 23, here's her list of pageantry victories:

• Miss Dumaguete 2014
• Miss Mandaue 2016
• Binibining Cebu 2017 Top 12
• Miss Manila 2018 1st Runner Up
• Binibining Sibugay 2019 1st Runner Up

If you're wondering what she's like in motion, here's a video of her charming the audience with her sweet voice. She made a bit of a speech by the end of the clip. Transition from singing to speech wasn't smooth lol but girl could talk and charm. 

You won't find her in a lot of pageant pages' leaderboards. She also got a bit of flak when the unimpressive photos of the official candidates were first released, but I have a strong feeling Malka's going to snatch one of the crowns if the frontrunners turn out to be disappointing come finals night.

She went to UP Diliman, but graduated with a Mass Communications degree from Silliman University, so we're betting if this girl reaches Top 15, she's getting a crown. Which crown? At this point, she looks and talks like a Miss International, but she also somehow reminds me of Mutya Datul's charm and youthful playfulness, so there's Miss Supranational too. Malka's on the short end, and that could hamper her chances at the higher crowns. Whichever crown she ends up winning, I know she's going to do well on the international stage. 

Here's a glimpse of Malka's fun, charming, quirky personality:

What crown suits her? Here's her laudable answer to the question, "If you are given the power to be a man for one day, what is the first thing you will do to make the City of Manila a better place?"

"I don’t understand why I would have to be a man to make Manila a better place. I believe women’s nature is to nurture, and if women had more power in society, then we would have a better chance to really heal the world."

Is she now part of your top 8?  

Binibining Pilipinas 2019 - Martina Turner Diaz

Candidate number 3. Martina Turner Diaz, 22, Muntinlupa City.

Gorgeous girl with a great bod. My biggest issue with her is that 1: She looks like Vickie Rushton. Which isn't so bad, except when you see Vickie, you see Vickie, but when you see Martina, you still see Vickie.

Martina Turner Diaz

Good thinking on BBP's part to keep them away from each other, with Martina at #3, and Vickie on the opposite end at #38. Their number assignment means they're also the same height! Issue #2 is that, yes, she's no taller than 5'6. While winning is doable for girls on the petite side, it takes some serious redeeming quality to get noticed by judges on stage. Imagine being in a row of 40 girls, all of them pretty and sexy, and you looking like at least 3 of them. I say three, because, she also resembles Gazini Ganados, Binibini 12:

And Ilene De Vera, Binibini 19:

You don't see it? Here they are side by side: 

Sometimes Ilene resembles Vickie due to the thin and long-ish face shape, Caucasian nose, eye shape and veneers, but when you see Ilene, you see Ilene, not Vickie. I know Martina is a nationals newbie, which is why she has not established her own identity yet. However, it's been over a month since the filing of application, and we still do not see Martina engaging the public with her story, her shoots, or her opinion on things that matter. Where is Martina? Who is Martina?

To be fair, Martina can look like herself and no one else when she's not all dolled up for BBP events:

See how fresh, young and pretty she is? Which is why it's such a shame she isn't as gung ho as the other girls: frontrunners, dark horses, newbies and veterans alike. She seems chill, carefree, and oddly quiet. Which can be a good thing if her game plan involves "knowing when to peak." Of course, it is a bad thing if she joined BBP 2019 only to test the waters for later editions. She's only 22 so that's possible. It's also a little sad that while her advocacy is sweet and genuine, it's not exactly unique as it is Gazini Ganados' exact advocacy LINK

Here she is with a different advocacy:

All in all, Martina is a diamond in the rough. She's relatively young, and would need at least 2 years of training and polish. She has decent comm skills, decent pasarela, good enough stage presence, and with the right hair, makeup and styling, she can enter top 15 in June. Right now, I am as unsure of her as she seems to be of her BBP stint. I trust though that if she spends the next two years committed to an advocacy, body work, self mastery classes, and shameless self-promotion on social media, one crown is already hers for the taking in BBP 2021. After all, the official Miss International IG account liked a photo of hers. That photo however, is the one where she looks like Vickie, and rumor has it that MI is already rooting for the crown-hungry veteran Vickie.

Surprise us, Martina. We're still rooting for you.