There is always this lingering fondness of the Filipinos for foreign beauty queens who visit the country, fell in love with the people and culture and made a go of staying longer for possible opportunities.
Back in 1974, four of the five Miss Universe finishers grabbed the chance to do so. Maureen Ava Vieira of Aruba and Johanna Raunio of Finland launched short-lived movie careers, while Amparo Muñoz of Spain and Helen Morgan of Wales appeared in one movie each.
During the 70s, two winners of Miss Asia (Eva Arni of Papua New Guinea and Tara Fonseca of India) also made a movie each with Joseph Estrada.
In 1994, the outgoing Miss Universe did more than just movies after crowning her successor. Dayanara Torres of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico was given several showbiz offers, started a hosting/dancing career on TV, learned how to speak Filipino and even had a romantic relationship with actor Aga Muhlach. It went on for a few years before she decided to leave and return to her Latina roots when she also married singer Marc Antony, had a career in Puerto Rico and a celebrity status in the US.
Time came when she was diagnosed with skin cancer which she battled at length until recently when she was diagnosed free from the disease.
Below are highlights from Dayanara’s Miss Universe win and homecoming in Puerto Rico
Highlights from Dayanara’s first Filipino movie with Aga Muhlach “Basta’t Kasama Kita”.
A clip from Dayanara’s movie with Gary V, “Hataw Na”
When Dayanara guested in the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” with actor Cesar Montano
TV interview on ANC’s Headstart
Fast Talk with Boy Abunda
Interview with Vice Ganda on GGV
Dayanara being announced on TV being free of cancer
If Dayanara did not win Miss Universe 1993, she would have no reason to visit the Philippines. As fate would have it, Manila hosted Miss Universe 1994. Having been the reigning titleholder then, she savored the host country more intimately and that started her interesting love affair with the Filipinos.
The whole nine yards of it all.
17 comments on “The memorable Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres (and why she was fated to have a love affair with the Filipinos)”
I’ve had moments in Puerto Rico where I said “wow, parang Philippines”. I can see how Boricuas would take easily to our country.. the warmth and culture have the same feel.
Nag-aral talaga siya mag Tagalog noong nandito siya , di tulad ng mga ibang artista at beauty queens na Pinoys na ilang taon na dito sa bansa pero baluktot pa rin mag Tagalog or wala talagang interest mag-aral mag Tagalog 🤷🏻♂️
How are you all during this trying time? Perhaps most of you are experiencing terrible boredom, especially if you only have limited space to roam at the confines of your home. At least those who brought their works at home could have time to flex their creative minds and break monotony. For the last three days, I cleaned my room here in our old house, organized some useful items, and readied things to donate to less fortunate people. This most dreadful challenge might have been given to us all in order for us to revisit some things we tend to forget, reorganize them, and relive the good moments with them. Whilst it is not financially and economically okay, this catastrophe still gives the best in us. For one, it gives us more time to bond with our loved ones. It instills in us that no matter how financially challenging it is nowadays, we have to linger on to our family.
Now I have more time to watch beauty pageants on YouTube. I have watched Miss Universe 2018 several times already. I can’t get over of the performance Catriona gave in the pageant night. There is no question that Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was so stunning in that perfect skin complexion, and her facial beauty was absolutely gorgeous. I thought she was the toughest competition of Cat. She was also good at swimsuit and evening gown rounds, however, her performances always came close at second to Cat. Cat, on the other hand, kept her momentum from the very beginning up to the end. She perfected everything. Hence, you would not say that the stars favored her that night. Cat herself wrote her stars because she came prepared and ready to claim the Miss Universe crown. Her answer in the final QnA was given within the exact allowed time of 45 minutes. Her “thank you” made it in the 46th second. Haha!
Cat’s performance was tough to follow. I wonder if we have a future MUP who has the same caliber as hers.
The slow-motion turn, while truly aesthetically-pleasing, was calibrated precisely to accommodate the fact that she has scoliosis. So, that SUDDEN split-second turn she did in the Swim Prelims should have REALLY hurt! Unless like a battle-scarred-but-tested ballerina or gymnast, she took painkillers prior, as an insurance.
You have to hand it to her. You gotta do what you gotta do. She’s very brave, or stubborn, indeed. This made her more relatable. She has democratized pageantry, in that sense, though she herself set lofty standards as far as technicalities are concerned.
No, I honestly do not believe we will find someone to even match her. Her legend is now a constellation.
It’s all in the realm of memories now. Just like all these throwbacks. MYGAS! Even this term – THROWBACK – only (ever) arose in the last few years. I am just stunned…. But yeah, Lara Dutta is still my all-time fave. 🙂
And as for nCoV19 on my end at least….
The City Government just sent out firetrucks to spray disinfectant on the streets. It was a delightful sight for the neighborhood kids, to say the least; the PPE suit made the “firemen” look like astronauts. 🙂
I have thrown out and away EVERYTHING now meaningless to me. And from hereon obey what I saw on Google concerning tomorrow evening’s Earth Hour 2020 “celebration” (which for the first time will go fully digital) – #StayTheF_ckHome and switch unnecessary lights off 2030H to 2130H. As for yourself and many others like you, stayinbedwiththeoneyoulove. Kami’ng mga single-yet-yummy-at-least, well,…. hahanap kami ng paglilibangan sa dilim. It’s just one hour. We’ve had worse. We’ll get through this. 🙂
Hahaha! You made me laugh on the last four sentences of your comment. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So, I have high hopes that you can remedy your singlehoodness, dahlin’. Our househelp, who happens to be a loveable gay, was on vacation before the lockdown ensued. He is currently in Nueva Ecija. He wrote: “Teng muxhta poh kayo jan?! Souree hinde poh aquo agad nakaouwi naabutan aquo ng lockdown. Miz ko na poh si Max kayakap sa gavi, at si Rayton na xobrang seloso. Enjoi naman poh ako dito sa Gapan, dami boyz dami awra. Charaught.” Dami time ni veks manglalaki. Sana nagbibiro lang s’ya, and I wish he won’t get infected by Covid-19. Max and Rayton are my dogs, by the way.
I did not hear exactly from Cat’s interviews about the scoliosis theory being the reason of her slow-mo-then-quick turn during the swimsuit round. Be that as it may, that Cat’s signature turn is already a trademark, so any candidate who can replicate the same in the future will be second-rate, trying hard copycats.
That’s all!
@ Ana Winter-Lund May kilala ako’ng hardcore baks sa La Union…..
Malalaki’t matigas daw du’n. Puwede’ng sampayan ng basa’ng kumot. Hindi bibigay.
🙂
Gapan? Siya, sige.
Abangan ko mga magigi’ng pambato nila sa Nationals. Hihihih.
For me, Dayanara is the second most beautiful Miss Universe of all time, next to Oxana Fedorova of Russia. Yari can easily captivate someone’s heart because of her superb charm and sweet demeanor. She had easily grown on Filipinos’ hearts because she was conservative, naïve, and lovely.
I remember when I was a kid and had a family dinner at Manila Pen with my family, I saw Yari on the other table and I waved at her and did flying kiss. And she replied to me with a flying kiss as well. And so when I went to the restroom with my nanny following me, Yari summoned me which I obliged and then she gave me a hug and kiss. I tell you, guys, she was mesmerizing and gorgeous. Unfortunately, we did not bring our idiot camera then, so we failed to capture that great moment.
I am still following Yari, and I am happy that she is now cancer free. I am just sad for her that her fiancé broke her heart during the time she was battling for skin cancer.
You got it, Scorg! The fifth one is the Miss Universe drawn from our hearts.
Hi norman, I would like to know more about Eva Arni. Can you feature her in your future throwback article? What’s her vital stats and how did she beat out the rest of the Asian delegates.
It wasn’t hard for Eva Arni to stand out back then, apart from her color. She was unlike previous representatives of Papua New Guinea because she had this constant warmth and friendliness in her aura. On top of that, she knew how to handle her interviews well. That was also the year when Pacific Islanders Tahiti and Samoa did very well in the competition – finishing 1st and 3rd RUs respectively.
After her reign, Eva represented PNG in Hong Kong for Miss Universe 1976. To date, she is the only Papuan I know who won an international beauty pageant crown.
During the long draught in Philippine pageantry, Yari was the Filipinos’ own MIss Universe. She was a remarkable role model– wholesome, humble and relatable. I wish her well in her future endeavours.
Mr. Tinio, is it true Fernando Alvarez do Soto took Tagalog lessons from Mark Andrew Baron?
Pero hindi rin kalaunan, umuwi. Reecently, PR endured a natural calamity of MASSIVE proportion? Earthquake or hurricane? I think he was either adversely affected or helped in relief efforts.
He married a Miss Grand-PR, right? They have kids, already?
Ta’s, speaking of MGI….
Is it true inipit ni Angkol si MB sa paggamit ng “Grand International” sa patimpalak niya, with the result that the PR ND was left no choice but to withdraw what would have been their rep then at the inaugural edition, AMONG OTHER THINGS?…. 🙂
Hi! Norman here. When I'm not working, I spend most of my free time planning on daily blogs. If you will notice, I always make sure that a fresh topic comes out everyday - not an easy thing to do but it's all good. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the visit!
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There is always this lingering fondness of the Filipinos for foreign beauty queens who visit the country, fell in love with the people and culture and made a go of staying longer for possible opportunities.
Back in 1974, four of the five Miss Universe finishers grabbed the chance to do so. Maureen Ava Vieira of Aruba and Johanna Raunio of Finland launched short-lived movie careers, while Amparo Muñoz of Spain and Helen Morgan of Wales appeared in one movie each.
During the 70s, two winners of Miss Asia (Eva Arni of Papua New Guinea and Tara Fonseca of India) also made a movie each with Joseph Estrada.
In 1994, the outgoing Miss Universe did more than just movies after crowning her successor. Dayanara Torres of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico was given several showbiz offers, started a hosting/dancing career on TV, learned how to speak Filipino and even had a romantic relationship with actor Aga Muhlach. It went on for a few years before she decided to leave and return to her Latina roots when she also married singer Marc Antony, had a career in Puerto Rico and a celebrity status in the US.
Time came when she was diagnosed with skin cancer which she battled at length until recently when she was diagnosed free from the disease.
Below are highlights from Dayanara’s Miss Universe win and homecoming in Puerto Rico
Highlights from Dayanara’s first Filipino movie with Aga Muhlach “Basta’t Kasama Kita”.
A clip from Dayanara’s movie with Gary V, “Hataw Na”
When Dayanara guested in the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” with actor Cesar Montano
TV interview on ANC’s Headstart
Fast Talk with Boy Abunda
Interview with Vice Ganda on GGV
Dayanara being announced on TV being free of cancer
If Dayanara did not win Miss Universe 1993, she would have no reason to visit the Philippines. As fate would have it, Manila hosted Miss Universe 1994. Having been the reigning titleholder then, she savored the host country more intimately and that started her interesting love affair with the Filipinos.
The whole nine yards of it all.
I’ve had moments in Puerto Rico where I said “wow, parang Philippines”. I can see how Boricuas would take easily to our country.. the warmth and culture have the same feel.
Nag-aral talaga siya mag Tagalog noong nandito siya , di tulad ng mga ibang artista at beauty queens na Pinoys na ilang taon na dito sa bansa pero baluktot pa rin mag Tagalog or wala talagang interest mag-aral mag Tagalog 🤷🏻♂️
She also represented Puerto Rico in Miss International 1992 and placed in the Top 15
How are you all during this trying time? Perhaps most of you are experiencing terrible boredom, especially if you only have limited space to roam at the confines of your home. At least those who brought their works at home could have time to flex their creative minds and break monotony. For the last three days, I cleaned my room here in our old house, organized some useful items, and readied things to donate to less fortunate people. This most dreadful challenge might have been given to us all in order for us to revisit some things we tend to forget, reorganize them, and relive the good moments with them. Whilst it is not financially and economically okay, this catastrophe still gives the best in us. For one, it gives us more time to bond with our loved ones. It instills in us that no matter how financially challenging it is nowadays, we have to linger on to our family.
Now I have more time to watch beauty pageants on YouTube. I have watched Miss Universe 2018 several times already. I can’t get over of the performance Catriona gave in the pageant night. There is no question that Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was so stunning in that perfect skin complexion, and her facial beauty was absolutely gorgeous. I thought she was the toughest competition of Cat. She was also good at swimsuit and evening gown rounds, however, her performances always came close at second to Cat. Cat, on the other hand, kept her momentum from the very beginning up to the end. She perfected everything. Hence, you would not say that the stars favored her that night. Cat herself wrote her stars because she came prepared and ready to claim the Miss Universe crown. Her answer in the final QnA was given within the exact allowed time of 45 minutes. Her “thank you” made it in the 46th second. Haha!
Cat’s performance was tough to follow. I wonder if we have a future MUP who has the same caliber as hers.
That’s all.
@ Ana Winter-Lund I am going to pop the balloon.
The slow-motion turn, while truly aesthetically-pleasing, was calibrated precisely to accommodate the fact that she has scoliosis. So, that SUDDEN split-second turn she did in the Swim Prelims should have REALLY hurt! Unless like a battle-scarred-but-tested ballerina or gymnast, she took painkillers prior, as an insurance.
You have to hand it to her. You gotta do what you gotta do. She’s very brave, or stubborn, indeed. This made her more relatable. She has democratized pageantry, in that sense, though she herself set lofty standards as far as technicalities are concerned.
No, I honestly do not believe we will find someone to even match her. Her legend is now a constellation.
It’s all in the realm of memories now. Just like all these throwbacks. MYGAS! Even this term – THROWBACK – only (ever) arose in the last few years. I am just stunned…. But yeah, Lara Dutta is still my all-time fave. 🙂
And as for nCoV19 on my end at least….
The City Government just sent out firetrucks to spray disinfectant on the streets. It was a delightful sight for the neighborhood kids, to say the least; the PPE suit made the “firemen” look like astronauts. 🙂
I have thrown out and away EVERYTHING now meaningless to me. And from hereon obey what I saw on Google concerning tomorrow evening’s Earth Hour 2020 “celebration” (which for the first time will go fully digital) – #StayTheF_ckHome and switch unnecessary lights off 2030H to 2130H. As for yourself and many others like you, stayinbedwiththeoneyoulove. Kami’ng mga single-yet-yummy-at-least, well,…. hahanap kami ng paglilibangan sa dilim. It’s just one hour. We’ve had worse. We’ll get through this. 🙂
Hahaha! You made me laugh on the last four sentences of your comment. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So, I have high hopes that you can remedy your singlehoodness, dahlin’. Our househelp, who happens to be a loveable gay, was on vacation before the lockdown ensued. He is currently in Nueva Ecija. He wrote: “Teng muxhta poh kayo jan?! Souree hinde poh aquo agad nakaouwi naabutan aquo ng lockdown. Miz ko na poh si Max kayakap sa gavi, at si Rayton na xobrang seloso. Enjoi naman poh ako dito sa Gapan, dami boyz dami awra. Charaught.” Dami time ni veks manglalaki. Sana nagbibiro lang s’ya, and I wish he won’t get infected by Covid-19. Max and Rayton are my dogs, by the way.
I did not hear exactly from Cat’s interviews about the scoliosis theory being the reason of her slow-mo-then-quick turn during the swimsuit round. Be that as it may, that Cat’s signature turn is already a trademark, so any candidate who can replicate the same in the future will be second-rate, trying hard copycats.
That’s all!
@ Ana Winter-Lund May kilala ako’ng hardcore baks sa La Union…..
Malalaki’t matigas daw du’n. Puwede’ng sampayan ng basa’ng kumot. Hindi bibigay.
🙂
Gapan? Siya, sige.
Abangan ko mga magigi’ng pambato nila sa Nationals. Hihihih.
For me, Dayanara is the second most beautiful Miss Universe of all time, next to Oxana Fedorova of Russia. Yari can easily captivate someone’s heart because of her superb charm and sweet demeanor. She had easily grown on Filipinos’ hearts because she was conservative, naïve, and lovely.
I remember when I was a kid and had a family dinner at Manila Pen with my family, I saw Yari on the other table and I waved at her and did flying kiss. And she replied to me with a flying kiss as well. And so when I went to the restroom with my nanny following me, Yari summoned me which I obliged and then she gave me a hug and kiss. I tell you, guys, she was mesmerizing and gorgeous. Unfortunately, we did not bring our idiot camera then, so we failed to capture that great moment.
I am still following Yari, and I am happy that she is now cancer free. I am just sad for her that her fiancé broke her heart during the time she was battling for skin cancer.
That’s all.
Just when we think the Philippines has four Miss Universe title holders– no, we have five. Dayanara is the fifth! The Filipinos love her.
You got it, Scorg! The fifth one is the Miss Universe drawn from our hearts.
Hi norman, I would like to know more about Eva Arni. Can you feature her in your future throwback article? What’s her vital stats and how did she beat out the rest of the Asian delegates.
It wasn’t hard for Eva Arni to stand out back then, apart from her color. She was unlike previous representatives of Papua New Guinea because she had this constant warmth and friendliness in her aura. On top of that, she knew how to handle her interviews well. That was also the year when Pacific Islanders Tahiti and Samoa did very well in the competition – finishing 1st and 3rd RUs respectively.
After her reign, Eva represented PNG in Hong Kong for Miss Universe 1976. To date, she is the only Papuan I know who won an international beauty pageant crown.
Nauto na naman ang Pinoys. Sinabihan lang ng MAHAL KITA Philippines. Chweh!
During the long draught in Philippine pageantry, Yari was the Filipinos’ own MIss Universe. She was a remarkable role model– wholesome, humble and relatable. I wish her well in her future endeavours.
Mr. Tinio, is it true Fernando Alvarez do Soto took Tagalog lessons from Mark Andrew Baron?
Pero hindi rin kalaunan, umuwi. Reecently, PR endured a natural calamity of MASSIVE proportion? Earthquake or hurricane? I think he was either adversely affected or helped in relief efforts.
He married a Miss Grand-PR, right? They have kids, already?
Ta’s, speaking of MGI….
Is it true inipit ni Angkol si MB sa paggamit ng “Grand International” sa patimpalak niya, with the result that the PR ND was left no choice but to withdraw what would have been their rep then at the inaugural edition, AMONG OTHER THINGS?…. 🙂
I can confirm to you that Fernando indeed took Tagalog lessons with Mark
Nakakatawa naman si Yari Torres, in those local TV interviews eh nakakapagsalita pa rin ng tagalog. And even Michelle Van Eimeren still can.