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Anna Theresa Licaros, 22; Margaret Wilson, 17;
and Nadia Lee Cien Shami, 19, romped-off
with the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Bb. Pilipinas-World,
and Bb. Pilipinas-International titles,
respectively. They beat 27 other girls,
including first runner-up Liezel Verses, a
22-year-old nurse from Baguio City, adjudged
Best in Long Gown; and second runner-up Abigail
Lesley Cruz, a 22-year-old professional model
and events host from Quezon City, named Best in
Swimsuit.
(L to R) Liezel
Verses - 1st Runner-up, NADIA LEE CIEN SHAMI
- BB. PILIPINAS INTERNATIONAL, Margaret
Wilson - Bb. Pilipinas World, Anna Theresa
Licaros - Bb. Pilipinas Universe, and Abigail
Lesley Cruz - 2nd Runner-up.
Texter’s Choice Edferlyn Quintero instantly
entered the semifinal round together with Kean
Mallari, Angeline Tucio, Luisa Beltran,
Theofeliz Marie Francisco, Jamie Burgos, Miss
Friendship winner Melanie Adjarani, and crowd
favorite Nicole Schmitz.
Schmitz, dead-ringer for Miss World 1995
Jacqueline Aguilera Marcano of Venezuela, almost
fell flat on her face during the opening number
of the pageant when her high heels stepped on a
“wrong stairway” on stage.
Absent in the “top 13” were Readers’ Choice
awardee Contessa Maria Santos; Starstruck Batch
2 “Avenger” Ailyn Luna; Kapamilya Deal Or No
Deal suitcase girl Melissa “Missy” Cruz; top
models Erika Pangan and Paulette Quinto; and
“Binibini repeaters” Ricamarie Ann Taylor
(Readers’ Choice, Texters’ Choice and
semifinalist in 2005), Grace Patricia Francisco
(2004), and Sheila Alonso, who’s been through
this pageant in 2002 and 2004.
But Alonso won Miss Talent—reaffirming the same
award she got five years ago—besting first and
second runners-up Almira Ramos and Clayd Torreon.
Francisco and Alonso were seen by kibitzers
walking out of the Big Dome minutes after they
got eliminated.
Licaros had the lion’s share of special
awards—Miss Bacchus Energy Drink, Watson’s Woman
Award, Miss Philippine Airlines, and Miss
Natasha Class and Style—while Wilson came close
to bagging three—Miss Photogenic, Miss Ever
Bilena and Watson’s Style Icon.
The Best and the Worst
Devout watchers of the Binibining Pilipinas
beauty pageant who were at the Araneta Coliseum
said this batch was one of the best in recent
years as there were a handful of veterans and
amateurs who have the look and energy to fight
for the crown.
World-class beauties Charlene Gonzalez-Muhlach,
Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas and Precious Lara
Quigaman were among this year’s judges. Many
past titleholders graced the event, like Bb.
Pilipinas-Universe 1970 Simonette de los Reyes-Feraren;
Miss Universe 1975 fourth runner-up Chiqui
Brosas-Hahn; Mrs. Globe 2006 first runner-up
Maricarl Tolosa-Cabel; Bb. Pilipinas-Universe
2002 Karen Loren Agustin; Miss World 2003 fourth
runner-up Mafae Yunon-Belasco; Bb. Pilipinas-International
2004 Margaret Ann Bayot; and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe
1998 Jewel May Lobaton, wife of opposition
senatorial candidate Koko Pimentel.
Madame Stella Marquez de Araneta succeeded in
surpassing the opening presentation of Miss
Earth beauty pageant staged at the National
Museum in Manila last year. Revolving around the
concept “Asian Royalties,” the competition
opened with the 30 candidates donned in
traditional Thai costume while singing and
dancing to a faster version of Christina
Aguilera’s song, “Beautiful.” The ladies then
stripped off their dresses, revealed their
skin-tone colored leotards and tights
accentuated with dazzling beads and sequins, and
sang the Binibining Pilipinas theme song.
Spectators inside the Big Dome were amazed when
reigning queens Lia Andrea Ramos, Anna Maris
Igpit and Denille Lou Valmonte entered the stage
like Thai princesses seated on carts adorned
with flowers—and carried by men! Eventual
winners Licaros, Wilson and Shami “paraded” on
these carts, too, at the last part of the show.
At the evening gown competition, boys clad in
Muslim costumes provided the background music
through their native music instruments.
The farewell-walk segment of the outgoing queens
became much more interesting—to both live
audience and TV viewers—because there were
backgrounders about the Miss Universe, Miss
World and Miss International as well as photos
of previous Filipina bets who figured
prominently in these tilts. But due to technical
problems, the pageant got finished after
three-and-a-half hours. The awarding of the Miss
Talent winners had to be repeated because its
pre-recorded voice-overs didn’t jive with what’s
happening on stage.
Paolo Bediones and Raymond Gutierrez did great
hosting chores. Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2005
Gionna Cabrera, despite being stiff sometimes,
showed a lot of potential. The “more
experienced” Miriam Quiambao buckled a lot of
times. She’d rather glance at her cue cards than
make an adlib when she forgot something to say.
Her speech impediment really became her downfall
in the 1999 Miss Universe pageant.
And adding actor Robin Padilla in this year’s
roster of judges was the greatest mistake the
organizers did. He somehow put semifinalist
Adjarani in misery during the casual-cum-final
interview when he spoke in our native tongue.
His being a judge also fueled speculations that
Wilson would be favored and will end up as one
of the winners. Wilson happens to be one of his
co-actors in GMA-7’s top-rating TV series Asian
Treasures.
Three Beauties
In the final interview, Licaros was asked: “If
you were made to choose between the crown and
your love life, which would you prefer?” Her
winning answer was: “I’d choose the crown
because this is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. I believe that I’d be able to reach
out and touch more people, to be of greater
service, should I achieve the crown. And I’m
very confident that my love life will be there
once the crown is no longer on my head and pass
it on.”
Standing at 5’9” with a whistle-bait figure of
33”-25”-34”, this broadcast communication summa
cum laude graduate and sophomore law student of
the University of the Philippines-Diliman who
hails from Batangas will be the country’s bet in
the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this coming
May.
Competing in Miss Universe, she said: “…Is
another challenge that I know will help me
maximize my potential.” She sees herself as a
lawyer-beauty queen—just like Bb. Pilipinas-Universe
2001 Zorayda Ruth Andam—specializing in cases
involving children.
“What is the one thing you cannot live without
and why?” was the question asked to Wilson, who
replied: “My family, because my family will
always be there for me. People come and go, but
my family will always be there.”
This 5-foot-9 native of Bacolod who grew up in
Saudi Arabia, a high school senior of Angelicum
College, will carry the Philippine flag at the
Miss World competition—the lone beauty title the
country never won—in Warsaw, Poland, in October.
Wilson now holds the record being the youngest
Bb. Pilipinas-World titleholder in the 44-year
history of Binibining Pilipinas.
Meanwhile, Shami said if she would have the
chance to study another foreign language, it
would be Arabic. “Since I was two years old, my
mom and dad [got] separated. I want to learn the
Arabic language. Someday [soon], I want to see
him [and go to Jordan]. I want to talk to him
and ask [him] things [as to why] did it happen.
I want to feel how it is like having a father,”
she said.
This 5-foot-91/2 mestiza from North Cotabato, an
information technology freshman of Central
Colleges of the Philippines and radio announcer
of dzMM, will represent the country at the Miss
International Beauty Pageant in Tokyo this
September. She was first runner-up to Genebelle
Raagas in the 2005 Miss Philippines-Earth beauty
contest. She’s now the second “Carousel beauty”
to win a Binibining Pilipinas title, the first
one being Carlene Aguilar.
Winning a beauty title is an amazing
opportunity and a brilliant experience, but it
also entails a very huge responsibility. Let’s
wish Anna Theresa, Margaret and Nadia the best
of luck in their pageant assignments abroad. May
they do better than their predecessors—and make
their countrymen proud!
Link to article:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife3_mar7_2007
Webmaster's Note:
Nadia is a
member of Knox UMC's Tagalog Congregation.
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