Tomorrow, the #phenomenalwomen of Miss Universe Philippines 2021 will depart for Bohol to start the final leg of their journey to the #Filipina crown.
Let us wish all of them the best of health and stamina. The next five (5) days will prove to be most crucial for everyone, including the organization and the production team.
For now, let me share the ladies who are occupying the sixteen (16) highest spots in my personal “Pre-Bohol” assessment to date.
The rankings may change once I release my Final Predictions next week. But for now, here they are.
Beatrice Luigi Gomez
Katrina Jayne Dimaranan
Steffi Pearson Aberasturi
Leren Mae M. Bautista
Maureen Wroblewitz
Victoria Velasquez Vincent
Kisses Delavin
Rousanne Bernos
Janela Joy Cuaton
Corrine Abalos
Christelle Abello
Izabella Jasmine Umali
Simone Nadine Bornilla
Mirjan Hipolito
Chella Grace Falconer
Ingrid Teresita Santamaria
Photo credit: MUPH X BYS Cosmetics PH
#MissUniversePhilippines2021
#InspireYou
#phenomenalwoman
As for a new take on Preliminary Swimsuit and Evening Gown Competitions, it is about to take off at the Clark International Airport.
Witness the finalists sashay to their hearts’ content on a long runway tomorrow, 7PM!
Who’s excited to see the ultimate fight for the most coveted crown in the country?! Book your KTX Season Pass now to witness the battle of the best among the best!
#MissUniversePhilippines2021 #MUPHSisterhood #PhenomenalWoman #InspireYou
normannorman.com 
Norman’s list is excellent.
I narrowed down my PERSONAL list to just eight candidates, with Katrina leading the pack:
Katrina Dimaranan
Steffi Aberasturi
Maureen Wroblewitz
Jasmine Umali
Mirjan Hipolito
Chella Falconer
Ingrid Santamaria
Corrine Abalos
My intuition tells me that one of these girls will be crowned MUP, but nothing is ever set in stone. Of course, any one of the other candidates could come from behind and win the crown. That is what makes beauty pageants exciting.
I wish all the candidates well. May the best candidate win come coronation night. Good luck girls!
I wanna special mention Davao Occidental. She’s tall and reminds me of a classic bbp candidate back in the day. She’s very asian and very demure looking.
My latest picks after the preliminary interview:
MUP- Dimaranan- total package, pageant veteran, would stand out in MU
1st runner up- Hipolito- almost complete package, good communication skills , answers with substance and depth, just needs more training in pasarela and styling which can be remedied before MU in December
2nd runner up-Aberrasturi- very pretty, excellent pasarela skills, has superb projection in front of the camera, has problem with communication skills
3rd runner up- Velasquez- good communication skills, pageant newbie which could be a disadvantage, has problem with posture but this can be remedied, would probably blend with the rest of MU candidates
4th runner up-Umali-her beauty is captivating, her styling is on point, has X factor, does not talk spontaneously but could give decent answer(this would be a problem when she will have to answer difficult question with time limit)
In 6th place but not far behind Umali is Falconer- pretty, good communication skills, just lacks X factor
Agreed kay Umali, kaya naman nyang mag-answer ng may substance pero training pa siguro sa poise at pagiging time conscious
Correction: blend in
Seeing Jasmine in the interview reminded me of Sovietskaya Bacud. Pati sana ma-remind sya na sunog na sunog yung sintido at patilya area nya.
Jasmine reminds me of Michelle McLean of Namibia, 1992 Miss Universe.
She is Michelle McLean and Carolina Iszac combined
Janella and Chella … are better alternatives to Steffi if you want a pleasant beauty to win MUP .. though I won’t be sad if Steffi ends up winning because of her skills on stage.
So my top 5 include:
Janella
Chella Falconer
VVV
Katrina
Maureen
Alternates:
Leren
Santamaria
Steffi
Bea
Janella Cuaton … such a pleasant beauty and ease of communication
I won’t mind if she wins MUP
Janelle’s has been consistently a working candidate. She’s very observant and quick to adapt.
What a feat: only on its second year and everything that’s happened to it has so far been quite memorable 😂
I hope they take a yacht or a luxury ferry to Bohol and have some great pictures taken on board the yacht along the way … very much like MU 1979 and Mu 2003
What is this MJ factor being circulated in the major major gossip gossip … please we don’t need fake news, this is how democracy crumbles … especially when people are so susceptible to conspiracies and not analytical with the info they get …. there is a Japanese saying “IF YOU BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ, DO NOT READ”
Obviously , si MJ Lastimosa na naman ang masusunod Kaya Bisaya na naman ang manAnalo sa MUP .
Why let her take the reins on this organization ?????
English nga Lang , di pa nya maitama !
Ouch Fabian! I’m a fan of MJ. I like her sooooo much! Lol
Lol
You should watch After the After Party in YouTube
MJ x Rabiya x Janine
They are very candid. You’ll like MJ’s personality.
I have been watching her videos and I like her
I just hate that she has so much to say on who wins
I would trust Janine more
So much say
MJ is like Abygylle Arenas, Lia Andrea Ramos or Karen Agustin…….
Non placers who are all of a sudden “experts” on Miss U. Reminds me of Joyce Burton too.
I guess the saying “those who can’t, teach”. Lol.
World Peace.
😂 @thomas Sushmita and Lara trains miss India universe candidates to no good result. It’s not as if winner ka Magaling ka na rin magturo. Fyi mas Magaling pa magturo yung mga talunan kaysa sa winner mismo. Same logic goes to schools. It doesn’t mean na cum laude ka sa college eh best teacher kana. 🙄
@ Wynona Ryder Three things :
1. The best formal education is a synergy of teacher and student.
2. The best teacher and student were not necessarily the best in class.
3. And as always, education is not confined to classrooms.
Mga baklush! Pinanood niyo ba “lahat” ng candidates bago kayo namili?
Kasi ako ang rule ko, kapag nag-rewind ako ng video ibig sabihin hindi ko naintindihan ang sagot on the first attempt! Kaya marami kong nilaglalg from the QnA challenge but if I may continue dalawa pa na remarkable saken aside from the 5 na nasabe ko na is, Jan Louise Abejero & Michelle Okol! Parejo malaman ang sagot at calmado!
I would love to see Sam and Chella the last two standing on 9/30.
The swimsuit preliminary teaser that MUPO has released gives an exhilarating vibe. The one-line walk and the swimsuit are so glossy. Eye-catching are the elongated legs of VVV, Mirjan and Leren, as well as the hip-swaying walk of Kisses and Maureen. I can’t wait to watch the prelims!
Guys, girls and gays whining about the Ktxt platform for the show–I just hope that you find time to realize and consider that MUPO is doing business let alone a cause. They do not run the pageantry for free for our luxury because they spend a lot in producing the pageant. If you cannot pay for the subscription, you may want to wait for its free release on You Tube and in other social media platform. ‘Yun nga lang, late ka na sa ganap.
That’s all.
Ana, I agree that MUPO is a business franchise. They need to money operate.
Paying to access pre-pageant event is not the issue. What is P600 during a pandemic?
The issue is the business model designed to profit from pre-pageant activities produced by Empire.ph and digitally distributed through Ktx.ph.
They already have sponsors left and right. You saw the long list in their Facebook page. Why can’t they have an established media partner to broadcast the pre-pageant events anticipated and followed my loyal Filipino fans? Or why can’t they just put it up in their Youtube channel?
It is not difficult to see that there is conflict of interest with Mr. Jonas Gaffud’s businesses here.
Is it a coincidence that the winner of the last edition is now a talent of the Empire/Mercator Talent Agency? Of course I am happy for Rabiya and I know that she wanted this. But even right after her stint in MU2020, the agency already profited from her with a month-long inter-state tours in the US.
Now, even the reputation of Aces and Queens itself which started as a non-profit team of pageant enthusiasts aiming to produce successful Filipina international beauty queens is being dragged into these conflicts even though Mr. Gaffud already relinquished his leadership in the camp years back.
There is no problem with Mr. Gaffud’s businesses earning from the pageant if he owns the MUPO Franchise. But profiting from the sides at the expense of the efforts of the ladies and their teams and anticipation of the fans is not quite a lovely sight.
Ang galing nunya.
World Peace.
Hi Nunya dear,
I get your sentiments but running a business is entirely a business prerogative. Whatever design the organization is adopting, they have already studied hard on it to make sure that they get their ROI.
I always understand the business side, especially during these trying times. And I think running a pageantry needs innovative business models because it’s a once-a-year staging. They can only engage sponsorships while the pageant is ongoing, and the revenue they generate therefrom will be used to run the organization for the entire year. I can only imagine how much they pay for a monthly rent in their studio space in Uptown Mall in BGC. That must be a million!
End-consumers such as us, pageant fans, have a clear option if we don’t like the way they run the pageantry. We can simply not watch the pageant, that’s it, but we cannot dictate what they think suits their affairs.
Lest I forget, MUPO has also contracted GMA-7 to be its delayed broadcast partner. That means a pageant fan who cannot pay for a Ktxt pay-per-view fee can watch the coronation night on the free TV. And I hope the pageantlandia will then be gay la la considering that free-vilege. Lol.
P.S. Ayan, may magsasabi na naman siguro na empleyado ako ng Empire o MUPO. Lol. Dati pinagbintangan akong empleyado ng Mandaluyong City Hall. NKKLK.
That’s all.
@AWL: you’re absolutely correct! To mount a pageant in this perilous time of unpredictable health and safety protocols is no joke! An organization has to have several contingency plans. It has to have adequate resources to keep keep its momentum. It is all too easy for us to forget that pageantry nowadays has to operatte without the usual source of revenue stream of a kive spectator event business– ticket sales, broadcasting rights– and high-paying sponsors are hard to come by in this yet unchartered waters of digital media. My point is: we have to realise that the herculean efforts of pageantry organizations to give us an entertaining show at this time does not come cheap. Wew need not look very far at the alternative scenario if a pageantry organization lacks the same agility, business savvy, and never-say-die attitude– postponements (not once but several times!), hibernation and possible extinction. And this is not just a local, but an international, phenomenon!
Hi Scorg sweetie,
Yeah, we are exactly on the same page, always. That is precisely because we are in the business world doing consultancy work. And the survival of a business makes the entire ecosystem happy because a lot can benefit therefrom.
Ingat ka lagi, dear. People with high IQ, EQ, and AQ like you are few now, and we run the risk of losing you. This world deserves legit geniuses, otherwise it will die.
That’s all.
@AWL: you’re absolutely correct! To mount a pageant in this perilous time of unpredictable health and safety protocols is no joke! An organization has to have several contingency plans and adequate resources to keep keep its momentum. It is all too easy for us to forget that pageantry nowadays has to operatte without the usual source of revenue stream of a kive spectator event business– ticket sales, broadcasting rights– and high-paying sponsors are hard to come by in this unchartered waters of digital media. My point is: we have to realise that the herculean efforts of pageantry organizations to give us an entertaining show at this time does not come cheap. We need not look very far at the alternative scenario if a pageantry organization lacks the same agility, business savvy, and never-say-die attitude– postponements, hibernation and possible extinction. And this is not just a local, but international, phenomenon!
@AWL: you’re absolutely correct! To mount a pageant in this perilous time of unpredictable health and safety protocols is no joke! An organization has to have several contingency plans and adequate resources to keep keep its momentum. It is all too easy for us to forget that pageantry nowadays has to operatte without the usual source of revenue stream of a kive spectator event business– ticket sales, broadcasting rights– and high-paying sponsors are hard to come by in this yet unchartered waters of digital media. My point is: we have to realise that the herculean efforts of pageantry organizations to give us an entertaining show at this time does not come cheap. Wew need not look very far at the alternative scenario if a pageantry organization lacks the same agility, business savvy, and never-say-die attitude– postponements, hibernation and possible extinction. And this is not just a local, but international, phenomenon!
I would love to see someone who is a breath of fresh air to win the crown. Ayn Bernos winning the crown would be a pleasant surprise and will break several beauty pageant stereotype. I really hope she will continue to do good in MUPH and that she will not change in the course of the competition. May the universe align on her favor.
Maureen Wrob, FOR THE WIN. Dati tatlo pa sila gusto ko. Katrina and Steffi. May kulang kay Kat, di ko alam ano. Mahina sa q and a si Steffi. Maureen Wrob, maganda, low profile (iwas basher), bankable (ANTM) and a decent finish in her q and a.
If I were MUP, this will be my criteria: Someone who can make the brand expansive. Someone who can commercially make ALL sponsors happy and lucrative. Someone who can keep the streak alive. And someone who will not create another divisive reign and be mentally strong from Day 1 til MU competition.
With that said, my top picks are: Steffi, Katrina, Maureen, VVV and Leren. In as much as I cringe Steffi during the interviews, I think they should pick her to prove that this is not another Aces and Queen’s pageant aka cooking show. Steffi’s commercial appeal can help this financially strapped organization get back on the right track. Maureen’s too timid of an attitude can bite her at the end. We need someone who is palaban and not another Rachel Peter’s chill vibes. VVV to me is still “too foreign”… She needs more seasoning.
Leren, as much as I love you, I think your best chances would be a runner up finish.
Di mo pa derechuhin na maka Steffi ka teh!
Madaming sponsors. Hindi kailangan si Steffi
Gaga hi hihihij. I actually like A&Q girls than KF.
Hi Norman,
What about posting an update about Miss Earth 2021 too specially the live episode that you and Stephany Zreik had hosted.
Yung 599 pesos na access sa ktx.ph ay per show pala i thought for 3 events na yun, very clear naman na nakalagay na purchasing 1 ticket can have an access in all 3 events – interview, preliminary and final yun pala 599 each. Ano eto scam? Ganun pala kaya di ko magamit na yung access code ko last night sa preliminary interview. Bwaaaahhhh!!!
Bakla, good for three events na yun.
Yung cutomer service mismo nagsabi sa akin one time event lang daw yun.
@ BeReal Sir, di kaya nabudol kayo nung CSR?
Or, did she/he misunderstand in the sense that ‘one-time event’ probably meant that way to her/him? Na akala niya, parang concert o boxing match ni Sen. Pacquiao… She/he was not aware of concepts like Preliminaries, interviews, etc.? Baka inaantok. Nabagot na after being asked about it x times?
In other words, negligence but this is a harsh word kasi people can get fired for it.
Or, simply that you missed the scheduled stream so that afterwards all viewing will be considered ‘re-run’ and so is no longer included in the 600. Refer to previous post. In other words, na-technical.
Pero yeah, frustration is real.
Hirap ng ganito. Despite the justifications given by @ scorg and at @ Ana Winter-Lund, sana next year these kinds of ‘galawan’ will no longer be necessary. Or, sana may anda na sila next time.
Yung mga Miss World candidates. Nood nood nlng muna kayo. Yung ibang girls tumaba na aw kaka-mukbang hbng antay pa ng finals. 😅😅😅
MG is his top pick last year so I dn’t understand where is this “most pleasant to work with” criteria is coming from considering MG’s attitude after she lost. Kaplastikan!
My Current Top 16:
Steffi Aberasturi
Katrina Dimaranan
Maureen Wroblewitz
Beatrice Gomez
Ingrid Santamaria
Leren Bautista
Jasmine Umali
Victoria Vincent
Chela Falconer
Janela Cuaton
Kisses Delavin
Christelle Abello
Mirjan Hipolito
Rossane Bernos
Corrine Abalos
Simone Bornilla
@THOMAS, don’t cancel them right away.
Let them redeem themselves.
My critique is that for small profit, they made the MUPH pageant very inaccessible to many Filipino fans.
It is indeed an Empire.
They’ve successfully transformed the pageant into a marathon. From 100 down to 30 finalists, more like the Hunger Games.
Haven’t they profited enough from all these sponsored activities where most materials are provided and paid for by the candidates and their teams?
Why not let the anticipated segments of the competition be free for all so the ladies, designers and creative teams get broader recognition?
I just hope the ladies and their teams are well-compensated — win or lose.
Thanks Nunya. You are right, they have made the pageant very inaccessible to many fans.
It is just mind-blowing how their true colors showed this early in their squid game. Lol. It seems their Mission Statement is : Profit Before Honor. And what is more annoying is the way they spin their narrative assuming Filipino fans are stupid. (Ex. We want a young and fresh vibe. It will be an interesting experience for all. Pwe. Lol).
I am not cancelling the pageant. In fact I am eagerly waiting for the big day. It is just heartbreaking how the many years it took BPCI to build the MUP reputation and credibility, the Hole-y Trinity of Jonas, Shamcey and Voltaire took less than two years to wipe out.
World Peace.
Let me guess.
The swimsuit will be four-minute long ala TikTok.
And the evening gown will be six minutes all MTV.
I still can not get over the stupidity and insensitivity of the organizers to limit the National Costume competition to a five minute MTV presentation. Tita Lavinia is right. It feels like the hole-y trinity that is Jonas , Shamcey and Voltaire were promoting the band singing the song and the girls were used as mere accessories. No matter how one analyzes it, the backlash it reaped far outweighs whatever benefit they are claiming to have gotten from that short presentation. Unfair to the designers, unfair to the girls, unfair to the fans. Again, may I say, Jonas et al…you are all….#$#%*#!
Now for my prediction ala Norman:
As of today, my Top Five : Maureen, Steffi, Katrina, Leren, Victoria.
World Peace.
At the end of the day, ang mananalo ay ang BET ng Frontrow. 2 of the judges are the owners of Frontrow. Kahit si Jonas hindi kakayanin ang powers ichange (example: Michele Vs Rabiya)
Parang wala atang sumasagot sa tanong ko kahapon. Bohol raised their Quarantine Classification from MGCQ to GCQ with Heightened Restrictions…so tuloy pa rin?
Diba GCQ with heightened restrictions ang nagpahinto sa staging ng MWP Finals?
#AllTeaNoShade
MUPH was given the approval of Bohol for them to create a strict bubble in the Panglao Island area.
Thank you for the answer Sir Norman. If MUP can pull this off, then wala ng rason ang MWP ipostpone ang Finals ng dahil sa IATF.
#AllTeaNoShade
@ Sunny It’s now clear everybody needs to fall in line. BPCI did. MUPO did; watch the new TPP FB chat with Tristan Francisco, Gerard Ruivivar, Uncle, and three renowned NatCos designers.
Seems the IATF cannot be rushed. This Bohol Finale apparently was in the pipeline from the beginning; the Clark and a third venue (just watch for yourself) were Plans C and B, respectively.
(May parang lumalabas tuloy na issue regarding venue kasi recall many were saying noon na dapat Iloilo ang mag-host kasi nga si Rabiya ang nanalo last year. Now, if Bohol/Clark/Plan B were the ones under consideration all along, bakit may ‘grupo’ na nag-propose sa IloIlo City LGU?)
MWPO, parang nitong huli na lang formally humingi ng IATF approval; they were probably hoping the GCQ restrictions would stay in place just long enough for them to be able to squeeze their Finale in. Yun nga lang, naabutan sila… Just my impression. I could be wrong.
And recall yung post dati (nung in-announce na na 11-7 ang Finale ng BBP 2021) na may nag-comment na the IATF does not want, ata, na sunod-sunod ang pageants, parang at least two weeks interval dapat. But this was when vaccinations had only just begun; our situation is slightly better now.
In any case, we can be sure ALV is keeping his options open and is carefully monitoring developments. Let’s just hope it won’t be long. Finale na lang naman sila. Tapos na Prelims. At nairaos na si Dindi… MW sa Dec na lang naman ata ang hahabulin; the rest – Eco, RHA, etc. – ay 2022 na.
Awkwafina mananalo
siya ang kumakatawan sa tunay na Pinay na OFW saan man lupalop ng mundo
short, morena, hardworking, well spoken
I hope she wins
its about time
Mr. Blogger, I remember you saying here in a previous post that the Org has taken a particular liking for Maureen Wrob. Am I remembering things correctly, and is it true?
I’ll be fine with Maureen Wrob as the eventual winner. Beatrice Gomez is a good choice as well. For me, they’re the perfect fit for MU.
Yes I said that. But there are so many things (performance and the like) that can happen between then and now for the halo to transfer from one head to the next.
I’m all for Leren Mae Bautista.
Next is Maureen Wroblwitz
Kund hindi tong dalawa na to si Ayn na lang ipadala ng matapoe na ang lahat😂😂😂
I don’t agree if Bea is your top pick right now over Katrina. Bea’s performance at the closed door interview was lackluster and lacking in energy, poise and presence. I’m starting to smell a cooking show here. I hope not. Katrina is the one to beat so I’m praying for fair and objective judging not based on which camp a candidate is from.
Jane, many things can still happen between now and next week. So my rankings can still change. Also, don’t forget the factor of who is the most pleasant to work with. That will also be a major consideration for the organizers.
@ Norman Uh-oh…. Attitudes are begun to reveal true color, Uncle?
(Katrina?)
Maybe you want to answer @ Sunny (above)?
Anyway, lost in the din are Makati City (whom, imho, was the only one who fully complied with the ‘Carnival Queen’ specifications), Pasig City (a Ganiel Krishnan clone!), and Romblon (+Col. Nolasco’s ‘intervention’ is much appreciated now, please).
Davao Occidental is the Perlyn Cayona of this batch – a stunning discovery in the deepest of Mindanao.
Paranaque City facially resembles Cole Silvernale; at least, she is noticed, thanks to her illustrious pedigree and consistently-classy demeanor and styling.
We don’t have a dusky~black beauty this year like Smith. But we do have a frizzy hair advocate like Skelly in DavSur (Fil-Samoan or -Solomon Islander?).
Were you able to identify the Doktora Adee of this batch? Or the class clown like City of Manila (the Baguio City ‘please-lower-the-aircon’ wit)? How about the 2021 ‘spunk-street’ version of Pasay City?
The Swim should reveal the successor to MBUP 2020… Do give us eventually your top selection for Perfect Body.
Not to attitude levels naman. What I want to point out is that if I am a part of the organization – for example – I would be happy working with someone who will be the least stressful to be with or who will give less headaches along the way.
I agree with this. “Most pleasant to work with” is a factor to heavily consider when predicting the winner din talaga. I firmly believe that Michelle Gumabao had too much of a push-comes-to-shove attitude and that’s why she lost to the more pliable and obedient Rabiya.
This year, I sense the same issue with Katrina and Steffi. Both girls are much too pageant-immersed already with an attitude that can come across as too strong.
kodus to you sir norman… bea luigi is also my pick based on her performance winning miss cebu 2019❤️
Important din ang performance sa pageant night itself. If MUP declared MG as winner last year, I am sure, there will be a lot of casual viewers who will question the result. Rabiya won it fair and square(she just radiates, something na nawala noong nasa actual MU stage na, ang gloomy ng aura niya) with Bella as a decent alternative.
@ Norman Good Sun AM.
Got to see these photos up close (on your Fb).
Pakisabi naman po sa beautician/s, pag matangos na ang ilong, huwag na kagalitan yung bridge. Like what they did with VVV and Jazmine but especially with Jazmine. Hayyst!
I will mention her again – Davao Occidental. Imo, she is the striking Pinay belle of the Class of 2021. Angeles City, Mandaluyong City, Albay, Antique, and Cebu City would inter-blend like spilled paint if you quickly go back and forth across their photos.
Nonetheless, on height and credential alone, I expect Mabuhay Campos to surprise at the Finale.
Kirsten’s not bad at all. I can so see her endorsing a cosmetics line…
If I am to choose on facial beauty alone, my Top 5 will be MisOr, City of Manila, City of Paranaque, Davao Occidental, and… Pangasinan.
VV (CDOCity) has that ‘edgy moda’ Baba Parma thing. And yes, keep the bangs; bagay sa kanya!
Ay, mali!
Iniisip ko, hindi si Maureen kasi baka by Western lens baka plain Jane lang siya.
Leren pala.
Leren’s beauty, yung tipong puwedeng mahirang na Missosology Timeless Beauty, like Tirsin.
So, to correct myself, Leren, Jazmine, Ingrid, Chella, and Krizalleen.
If this were, the last two standing would be Chella and Ingrid.