The 30 Official Candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2012 in Jag Apparel
The ladies who will remain cool, calm and collected all throughout the 3-hour telecast
The ladies who will exude charm so unique that they will leave the judges’ mouth wide open while gliding to centerstage
The ladies who will not experience mental block during the Q&A and give replies that may be short, but sweet and worth remembering
The ladies who will show strong potentials to follow through the momentum built by Venus Raj and Shamcey Supsup. You know what people say? Third-time lucky.
At this point, allow me to say a prayer I personally composed just for tonight’s beauty extravaganza….
Dear God,
May all the 30 Official Candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2012 effortlessly shine tonight.
May the fated finalists shine better.
And may the truly deserving ones shine best.
May nobody lose their footing or blocking while doing the opening production number.
May nobody slip or fall on the stage while negotiating a 360-degree turn in platform heels, swimsuits and long gowns.
May nobody give incoherent/embarrasing answers during the Question & Answer portion.
May the non-fluent in English be brave enough to express herself in Tagalog to put the message across with wit and clarity.
May the proclaimed winners be the most humble.
And may the disappointed losers graciously accept their defeat.
And in the coming months, may our new beauty queens gift the Philippines with its 3rd Miss Universe crown or its 5th Miss International win or its 2nd Miss Tourism Queen International victory or hopefully, its 1st Miss Supranational sash or better yet, all of the above.
2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and 2011 Miss Universe 3rd Runner-Up Shamcey Supsup: Philippine Pride
Shamcey's journey in quick pics (L-R) Her crowning as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe; Showing her elegance onstage in Sao Paulo; Glam posing for Fadil Berisha; Making it to the Top 5 of Miss Universe 2011 and finishing 3rd Runner-Up (Photo credits: OPMB Worldwide, FotoArena.com and MUO/Fadil Berisha)
Shamcey (R) with boyfriend Lloyd Lee during their trip to Belgium.
As you start your gradual return to normal life next week, Shamcey, let me take this opportunity to thank you for a wonderful reign and for gifting the Filipinos continued hope in the Miss Universe Pageant. By now, it must’ve already sunk that your achievement is something so big and encouraging that the candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2012 have been spurred and ceaselessly motivated to fierce themselves up in hopes of approximating – if not exceeding – your Miss Universe placement. I’m certain that you would want your successor to follow up with a big bang. And I believe that whoever fills in your shoes will give her 110% to capture a crown that has eluded the country for almost four decades now.
The two Filipinas who re-started it all: Shamcey and Venus (R)
My selfish wish right now is for you to please help train, re-train and guide the next Bb. Pilipinas-Universe in her quest for the big one come December. I know that this is not too much to ask since the cause is not just for an individual but the whole nation. And with the added support from your ‘sister’ Venus Raj – who will be all too willing to pitch in more than her two cents worth – I can feel that a more successful campaign is in the offing for the next Filipina in line.
With these thoughts, I would like to reiterate my heartfelt thanks for bringing the best of the Pinay to the Universe and coming back with success. God Bless, Architect Supsup!
My Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Popularity Poll is now closed. I am posting the final results to acknowledge the efforts of those who supported their bets since February 17.
From a total of 9,083 votes casted, the 10 Most Popular Vote-Getters (in this order) are:
#24 Fer Mary Baliquig - 1,332 votes
#9 Mary Jean Lastimosa - 1,023 votes
#11 Marie Virginia Peter - 902 votes
#26 Angelee Claudett delos Reyes - 789 votes
#10 Jillean Camille Orbina - 708 votes
#27 Golda Mae Soller - 625 votes
#23 Goldy Baroa - 569 votes
#28 Marie Irisha Arcenas - 413 votes
#7 Patricia Lae Ejercitado - 380 votes
#8 Nicole Schmitz - 345 votes
I would like to thank everyone who participated in my poll. The results are definitely non-bearing, but it’s not purely for fun either. It shows who among the candidates have drawn the most number of votes from their respective fans and supporters, hence, giving us some ideas on how popular they are in this blog.
Before anything else, can I just say that never in my decades of pageant following have I experienced a more zealous, a more polarized, a more fanatical, a more ‘combative’ and a more vocal year in terms of Bb. Pilipinas excitement and anticipation.
When I posted my forecast for Bb. Pilipinas 2012 last Tuesday morning, I never expected readers to agree 100% (not even 75%) with my choices. Through the years, I have learned to hold my own in judging beauty contests. There may be years when almost everyone sings praises in unison for one candidate who takes it all the way, but that doesn’t happen all the time. Take for example the current edition. Nobody can say with certainty as to who will eventually take the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title because at least half of the contenders have either significantly bloomed or went full steam ahead with their game plan that it would be foolish to dismiss one over the other in an instant.
As an independent Pageant Blogger, I opted to zero in on specific ladies who meet my personal standards. This doesn’t mean, however, that those left out in the list are already sure losers in my opinion. The whole thing is a competition. Whatever will transpire on coronation night is something hard to express in advance. A surprise or two will most likely spring out of nowhere. Placements will be possibly questioned. A couple of Q&A performances might be laughed at. Bottomline is this: let’s be brave enough to share & defend our selections, but respect (or at least be civil with) the shortlist of the next individual if it doesn’t meet our own.
As strong runners-up in 2011, do you think MJ and Janine are guaranteed for the Top 2 titles? What say you?
And while we’re at it, let me just add one more thought. If I chose to be ‘heavily influenced’ with my predictions, then I might have been forced to come up with a separate list of candidates who will win based on a string of extraneous variables. For example, if both Janine Tugonon and Mary Jean Lastimosa were fully supported by BPCI to resign from their respective runner-up positions last year and re-join right after, then it is not remotely impossible to expect both ladies to be “rewarded” with the top titles. They’ve already paid their dues, proven their loyalty (and compliance) to the pageant and trained hard with the outgoing titleholders. What better way to give back than to have them realize the dream that was almost within their reach in 2011. But do I really know BPCI well enough to assume the same scenario happening for a second consecutive year and with two runners-up gunning for glory instead of just one? No. I have so much respect for SMA and the organization to even doubt their integrity in validating the final results handed in by the Board of Judges. If either MJ or Janine or both get to be declared beauty queens, then I trust that it was a decision reached democratically if not unanimously. And since luck will also be in play, I’d love to see which ladies will be smiled upon by good fortune on this upcoming life-changing Sunday night.
I stand by my choices. If I am putting my reputation at stake here, then at least I’m being gutsy. Maturity has taught me not to feel sorely bad or inconsolably depressed if all or part of my predictions get flushed down the drain after actual winners have been announced. Life goes on. And I will support whoever gets to represent us abroad. The victors will be wearing the Philippine sash after all.
P.S. to my P.S. Pardon If I sounded melodramatic above. You just read a passing episode of ‘The Angina Monologues’
After the extended Holy Week break, I am finally ready to reveal my predictions for Bb. Pilipinas 2012. The Primer last Sunday night helped a lot in my assessment of the ladies. I graded them using three (3) categories: Beauty of Face (with a maximum score of 40 points), Beauty of Figure (with a maximum score of 40 points) and Personality (with a maximum score of 20 points) for a total of 100.
This is how my spreadsheet looked like after I scored all 30 Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Official Candidates in three areas:
Karen Gallman topped Face, Mary Jean Lastimosa aced Figure and Katrina Dimaranan was highest in Personality. After adding up all the numbers, I am happy that almost all my favorites made it. What amused me was #28 Marie Irisha Arcenas claiming the final spot in a tie with Elaine Kay Moll. But then again, gut-feel tells me that this Cebuana will make the cut. The seven-highest scoring candidates are so close to one another that – up to now – it could be anybody’s ballgame.
So based on the totals above, I was able to come up with my Top 12 ladies, ranked from highest to lowest (with assigned numbers used for order purposes in case of a tie), as follows:
My Top 12: (Top row L-R) Nicole Schmitz, Karen Gallman, Mary Jean Lastimosa Katrina Dimaranan; (Middle row L-R) Ma. Alicia Elena Ariosa, Patricia Lae Ejercitado, Janine Tugonon, Roxane Joy Jesalva; (Bottom row L-R) Sherlyn Gonzales, Jaine Hidalgo, Elaine Kay Moll, Marie Irisha Arcenas.
92 Nicole Schmitz (8)
91 Karen Gallman (1) tie
91 Mary Jean Lastimosa (9) tie
91 Katrina Dimaranan (13) tie
90 Ma. Alicia Elena Ariosa (6) tie
90 Patricia Lae Ejercitado (7) tie
90 Janine Tugonon (18) tie
88 Roxane Joy Jesalva (19)
88 Sherlyn Gonzales (30)
87 Jaine Hidalgo (4)
86 Elaine Kay Moll (15)
86 Marie Irisha Arcenas (28)
From the dozen ladies who made my first cut, I am now applying one more factor – ‘Personal Whim’ – that should cover my preferences among the ones who scored a total of 90 and above. Due to the very close race, this ‘Personal Whim’ is in the form of stars that I will award to the girls who I strongly deem are most appropriate for each of the four (4) international competitions where the winners will be fielded in – Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Tourism Queen International and Miss Supranational.
Seven contenders are graded 90 and above. And I am now giving my Personal Whim stars to the following:
Four stars to Katrina Dimaranan as I see her the best bet for Miss Universe 2012 which may just be scheduled in Las Vegas in December. This 18 year-old is easily the most malleable in terms of training and can have her body shaped to everyone’s liking in due time. Her superb fluency in English adds great icing on the cake so to speak. And to top it all, she has this unique face that exudes exotic features hard to forget.
Three stars to Nicole Schmitz because she is a perfect fit for Miss International 2012 to be held in China. At 24, this Fil-German stunner has all the qualities that will definitely be pedestalled by the organizers. With her beautiful face, easy vibe and competitive spirit combined, there is no way she won’t top the Asians right away. From there, she can target the rest of the competition and do better than all her local predecessors, possibly gun for the achievement of Precious Lara Quigaman in the process.
Two stars to Karen Gallman since this beauty is just right for Miss Tourism Queen International 2012 to be hosted once more by China. In a way, I surprised myself upon seeing her ranking high after tallying the scores. But it was such a pleasant surprise. Just like Nicole Schmitz, this doll-faced 19 year-old can survive the onslaught of competition in China. Petite height notwithstanding, she can breeze through the heart of the locals and charm everyone with what she does best – being herself!
And one star to Mary Jean Lastimosa who I can visualize as tailor-made for Miss Supranational 2012 in Poland. This one’s a no-brainer. MJ is, quite simply, the best candidate to be sent to Central Europe. She will definitely create a stir with her va-va-voom body as well as effortlessly stand out among the Caucasian blondes and Latina brunettes. Some camps may be disappointed that I placed her in this slot instead of Miss Universe. But I firmly believe that she will be in her best elements in Supra. Besides, wouldn’t it be just as fulfilling to be the first Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational and – fingers-crossed – the first Filipina Miss Supranational?
Janine Tugonon is my choice as 1st Runner-Up – matching her finish last year, but with the strong possibility of representing us in a fifth international competition (Globe or Maja maybe?) that has also been rumored to be a fresh announcement during the finals.
Lastly, Patricia Lae Ejercitado is my 2nd Runner-Up to complete the Magic 6. She can also be considered for one of the second-tier pageants abroad where she can compete with confidence.
So there. After weeks upon weeks of observing, analyzing and listening to the girls, I’m glad my armchair-judging is now complete.
I postponed sleep for almost 2 hours last night after the Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Primer: The Road to the Crown was aired by ABS-CBN at almost half past 11PM. But it was all worth it because the individual interview clips of the 30 Official Candidates gave me a fresher and more renewed sense of what each can offer outside the usual visuals we get to see them in. I also appreciated the several videos shown where they underwent workshops on dancing (c/o Joane Laygo), styling (c/o Bang Pineda), posture & projection (c/o Precious Lara Quigaman) and the dreaded Q&A (c/o THE Boy Abunda).
In it, the veritable standouts in terms of self-expression and the natural (and candid) ability to compose themselves in front of the camera are:
Katrina Dimaranan is inarguably the best speaker of the lot. With her deep throaty voice, she can fluidly speak beyond her 18 years and relate on different subject matters with ease.
Nicole Schmitz is another cool and collected person when talking about random thoughts and the like. Her style is very relaxed. By the way, she was announced winner of the Best in National Costume towards the end of the program.
Karen Gallman is as spontaneous as she can get. Add to that her sweet manner of telling the most painful episode of her life (about almost losing one of her hands after one of the bones was nearly rendered useless) and how she survived after many operations is something that another individual could’ve done with excessive dramatics.
Ma. Alicia Elena Ariosa may not be the most engaging (read: too serious-looking) talker but she delivers her lines in grammatically correct English.
Instead of doing straight English, Golda Mae Soller intimated details about her life in Taglish. But this did not stop me from liking her train of thoughts. One can actually feel her strong desire to become a beauty queen after meeting her parents’ wish for her to become a Doctor first.
Elaine Kay Moll was a quiet surprise for me. She spoke sensibly and was never at a loss for words. Her style is more straight to the point.
Nicole Marable, on the other hand, may be the youngest but she clearly knows what she’s talking about. And in good English at that. There is definitely rawness in her approach, but nothing that would keep people from listening to her.
Marie Irisha Arcenas is another articulate lady. She did not deliver her replies with an American twang and instead, showed a no-nonsense style of English speaking.
How about the ones I started having my doubts on? Well, there are 3 ladies I initially had modest expectations from, but showed misses that need to be improved. I don’t mind hearing them speak 100% in the vernacular, but something needs to be done to correct the delivery so people won’t get turned off so easily. They are:
Okay, so Jillean Camille Orbina is more comfortable speaking in Tagalog. But she needs to refine the way by which she does. She comes off as rough in many ways. Some may call it natural. I see it as lacking in poise.
Another one is Roxane Joy Jesalva. I realized that she speaks with a thick regional accent, but there is a better way of getting around without it coming off too strong for people’s taste, like splicing her lines with some English here and there. Polishing in communication is a must.
Annalie Forbes is a true-blue Bulakena and it is reflected in her manner of speech. But for someone who works as a lounge singer in 5-star hotels and who must’ve learned how to deliver spiels and ad-libs in between songs, she projects roughness that I half-expected to be…well…not there.
As for the rest, especially the favorites not included above, they simply performed accordingly – neither attention-grabbing nor disappointing. In short, they were ok. Girls in this group are Janine Tugonon, Mary Jean Lastimosa, Liezl Alcantara and Patricia Lae Ejercitado.
These impressions are based on what was shown during the Primer. The ones I did like show the kind of promise that gives a stamp of approval on how I have been scoring them so far, while the ones who stood out on a not-so-positive way can still try to improve.
What say you, dear readers?
So you can judge for yourselves, here are uploaded videos of the Primer courtesy of theEmeraldVideos
Miss Korea 2007, Honey Lee, in her before and after pictures. Surgical enhancements really worked wonders for her - a 3rd Runner-Up finish in Miss Universe 2007 in fact!
Today, let us talk about the age-old subject matter of surgical enhancements for Beauty Queens/Beauty Contest Candidates. Are you for or against it? Or are you in favor for as long as the person involved is not one of our national titleholders? Or are you not in favor simply because it defies the all-natural beauty that global pageants should give more emphasis on? Truth be told, I don’t really give a hoot to the physical part of it all. What I’m more concerned with is the post-reign emotional stronghold of the ‘enhanced’ individual, especially the ones who were ‘forced’ at the onset.
Once a beauty queen undergoes significant (read: at least 50%) alterations in her facial and body features, does she really enjoy the benefits of the same after an unsuccessful (read: thank-you-girl internationally) reign? Sure, her self-esteem may still be up there in a year or two after. But what about ten years after when her youthfulness is gradually playing hide-and-seek with maturity and the like? Or in another ten years maybe at which time re-enhancements may be in order? I’m no Doctor, but since I finished Psychology with equal focus on Clinical and Industrial, my interest is more on the long-term emotional/behavioral effects of such ‘cookie cutter nip-and-tuck’ procedures once she reaches middle-age.
The logic of my questions comes from this: women (and men as well) usually ‘improve’ on their looks in their mid-30s to 40s and up. But when the person involved is in her late teens or early 20s, don’t you think something natural is being prematurely hurried up for dissection? And all for a year of reign or worse, a failed attempt in winning a national crown if ever?
And since we’re in the subject, let me play devil’s advocate and add this one angle meant in support of the same. If everything is consensual and the cosmetic surgeries will jack up self-confidence big-time and give the potential beauty queen an almost 100% probability of winning nationally and internationally, should the practice be treated as S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure) in each country which can afford the cost?
Would love to hear your two-cents worth, dear readers.
Before anything else, let me greet everyone a ‘Happy Easter’ and may you be productively spending the long break which continues until tomorrow.
For today, let’s continue with an interesting discussion about something that has been bugging not only myself, but most everyone else following Bb. Pilipinas 2012 – the matter of height reporting. Truth be told, the issue has been constantly floating in national pageant limbo for a number of years now. I do believe, however, that it needs to be clarified once and for all by the organizers – be it BPCI, Carousel, MWP or Mutya.
Let’s start by looking at the photo above and use #15 Elaine Kay Moll’s height of 5’10″ for comparison. It would seem right to conclude that #14 Gina Joy Howell, #16 Liezl Alcantara and #17 Anna Czarinah Buenviaje stand 5’9″, while #18 Janine Tugonon looks approximately 5’8″ or close to it. Agree? So why does Janine’s candidate profile state 5’9″ instead? You see, an inch of difference from the actual cannot be taken lightly unless we’re all willing to turn a blind eye to the same.
In my more than three decades of pageant craziness, the rule of thumb has and will always be measuring one’s height from the tip of the skull to the sole of the bare feet planted firmly on the ground. If the measurer(s) is not eagle-eyed, then anyone can ever-so-slightly tiptoe to alter what’s real. Or it’s also possible that the same measurer(s) is fond of selectively rounding up numbers upwards like a 5’4 3/4″ becoming 5’5″ or worse, a 5’6 1/4″ ending up as 5’7″.
Suzette Hernandez, as shown on the Miss Universe Canada website being 5'9" instead of 5'6 1/2"
Am I making such a big deal out of something that is not peculiar to local beauty contests? Other countries can also be pointed at as practicing the same. Take for example the current Miss Universe Canada candidates. One of them, the 100% Pinay Miss Vancouver Suzette Hernandez – who took part in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2010 and Bb. Pilipinas 2011 – is reported in their website as 5’9″ when previous stats showed that she is at least two and a half inches shorter than that.
Anyways, tell me your thoughts about the whole deceiving subject of height reporting while I go egg-hunting (for real!)
FOR FULL EFFECT, PLEASE CLICK PLAY ON THE SIZZLING HOT MUSIC VIDEO OF J.LO’S NEW SINGLE “DANCE AGAIN” BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN. THIS IS THE THEME I AM VISUALIZING THE GIRLS PARADING WITH DURING THE OPENING NUMBER OF BB. PILIPINAS 2012. ENJOY AND DON’T GET SIDETRACKED BY THE VID AS I KNOW MOST OF YOU WILL.
Courtesy of newurbanvideos
Let us all welcome the 30 Official Candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2012 in their glam shots as taken by Raymond Saldana…starting with Candidate #1 Karen Gallman…
Candidate #2 Romelin Roxanne de Castro…
Candidate #3 Nicole Marable…
Candidate #4 Jaine Hidalgo…
Candidate #5 Rose Ann Aguilar…
Candidate #6 Ma. Alicia Elena Ariosa…
Candidate #7 Patricia Lae Ejercitado…
Candidate #8 Nicole Schmitz…
Candidate #9 Mary Jean Lastimosa…
Candidate #10 Jillean Camille Orbina…
Candidate #11 Marie Virgenia Cecilie Peter…
Candidate #12 Ayelee Marie Dasalla…
Candidate #13 Katrina Jayne Dimaranan…
Candidate #14 Gina Joy Howell…
Candidate #15 Elaine Kay Moll…
Candidate #16 Liezl Alcantara…
Candidate #17 Anna Czarinah Buenviaje…
Candidate #18 Janine Mari Tugonon…
Candidate #19 Roxane Joy Jesalva…
Candidate #20 Roxanne Tadique…
Candidate #21 Giselle Angelica Munoz..
Candidate #22 Meiji Cruz…
Candidate #23 Goldy Baroa…
Candidate #24 Fer Mary Baliquig…
Candidate #25 Chloe Zanardi…
Candidate #26 Angelee Claudett delos Reyes…
Candidate #27 Golda Mae Soller…
Candidate #28 Marie Irisha Arcenas…
Candidate #29 Annalie Forbes…
And last but not the least…Candidate #30 Sherlyn Gonzales…
At this point, I am reposting J.Lo’s video so you can play while doing a quick second scroll of the ladies…
Courtesy of newurbanvideos
There they are…the 30 lovely candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2012 in their glam photoshoot with Raymond Saldana. Let’s all give them a big round of applause!
Since it’s a Good Friday, I thought it would be fitting to have a (hopefully) calm and sober discussion.
Previous years have seen the likes of Attorneys-at-Law Zorayda Ruth Andam (2001) and Anna Theresa Licaros (2007) joining and winning the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title. Way way back in 1976, Neurologist Dr. Lizbeth de Padua also participated and was named the same. The one common thread among the three (aside from being UP Diliman alumni) is their excellent communication skills in English on top of intelligent (scholarly, if you will) minds. Of course, it goes without saying that they are beautiful. Sadly, such qualifications failed to lift them to notable placements in their respective Miss Universe stints.
Has the trend changed for the better? In this year’s batch of Bb. Pilipinas, we have a Doctor (Golda Mae Soller) and a Lawyer-to-be (Giselle Angelica Munoz) in the roster. They may not be the most talked-about candidates, but the minute you hear them speak, everyone listens. It cannot be denied that both ladies are very likely to nail their preliminary interviews. And should their scores in other areas manage to catch up, a semifinal slot or two is in the works.
So my question is this: can Doctors and Lawyers become good Beauty Queens? We all know by now that Shamcey Supsup has proven the affirmative for Architects. But does it really matter what profession they each have? Or are they just relying too much on their English fluency or gift of gab?
Do share your thoughts, but spare us of any form of bashing in keeping with the spirit of the Lenten Season. At least for today and tomorrow.
Licensed Physician and currently General Practitioner Golda Mae Soller
Law Graduate and Soon-to-be-Bar-Exam-Taker Giselle Angelica Munoz
The ladies who will remain cool, calm and collected all throughout the 3-hour telecast
Before anything else, let me greet everyone a ‘Happy Easter’ and may you be productively spending the long break which continues until tomorrow.
