Note: The article below is the same one I submitted to Rappler Entertainment.
This year’s edition of Miss Universe Philippines is something akin to a survival drama of a beauty pageant that can be loosely compared to the Netflix hit series “The Squid Game” where the original participants were gradually eliminated through a series of games (read: virtual challenges and physical tasks conducted inside a bubble) en route to determining only one winner who will take it all in the end.
At the onset, the 100 Official Delegates were like going through a “Red Light, Green Light” race where only the Top 75 were deemed qualified to reach the determining marker that would signal another round of play in the second stage. 25 aspirants fell by the wayside in the process.
And when it was “Sugar Honeycomb” time, the ladies have to decide which route will make it easy for them to pass through the eye of a needle. The ones who were smart enough to trust their gut-feel went for easy “triangles” (or fan votes), while the rest chose “circles”, “stars” and the difficult “umbrellas” (pure judgment from the organizers) just like in the said series. When it was time to carve their own fate in the competition, only fifty (50) pushed themselves forward to live for another few days or more.
At this point, the battle is now becoming a tug-of-war between the neophytes and the experienced pageant joiners. Who are measuring up to the efforts of the front-runners? And who remained middling – relying mostly on popularity votes that would save them from getting wiped out before the most important cut of all? Pageant fans and supporters scrambled to save their bets up to the last minute. On the other hand, the delegates whose popularity reach are not strong prayed hard that they have done enough to level up.
Only thirty (30) from the original roster remained standing after pulling the long end of the rope to their side. These finalists – a good mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces – moved on to the more exciting parts of the journey – riding the bus to Clark, staying at the Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, coming together physically to meet their opponents face-to-face, doing endless sponsor shoots, walking the runway and getting grilled for the crucial Preliminaries en route to flying to Bohol for the final leg of the big event.
Twenty-eight Finalists – nett of the two ladies (Joanna Rabe of Zambales and Ybonne Ortega of Davao City) who had to withdraw for health and/or COVID-related reasons – are now billeted at the paradise-like Henann Resort Alona Beach in Panglao Island where they excitedly await the much-anticipated denouement of it all.
Top 16
Who will go for all the marbles?
The ultimate format will take on a 16-10-5 contest template before Miss Universe Philippines 2021 gets to be crowned by Rabiya Mateo this coming September 30. So without further ado, my final forecast for the Top 16 are listed as follows:
Katrina Jayne Dimaranan of Taguig
Beatrice Luigi Gomez of Cebu City
Steffi Rose Aberasturi of Cebu Province
Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna
Izabella Jasmine Umali of Manila
Chella Grace Falconer of Misamis Oriental
Victoria Velasquez Vincent of Cavite
Maureen Wroblewitz of Pangasinan
Janela Joy Cuaton of Albay
Mirjan Hipolito of Angeles
Kisses Delavin of Masbate (who is likely to win the Lazada Fan Votes Fast-Track)
Christelle Abello of Aklan
Simone Nadine Bornilla of Marinduque
Ingrid Teresita Santamaria of Paranaque
Maria Corazon Abalos of Mandaluyong
Rousanne Marie Bernos of San Juan
This writer came up with the names above based on a combination of their performances during the Pre-recorded Preliminaries, various social media guestings, virtual challenges (including the Tourism videos plus interviews) and a personal assessment on their chances of doing well during the enhanced Finals at the Henann Resort Convention Center.
Top 10
From where the armchair judging begins, it won’t require a lot of thinking to determine who are likely to enter the Top 10. Based on how they delivered in the Preliminary Competition, the ten ladies ranked highest should make the cast after the Swimsuit and Evening Gown portions. And from this smaller group, the casual interviews are likely to produce the ones in the upper tier and otherwise.
Top 5
The Glass Bridge to Victory
With some jitters, my Top 5 who will attempt to cross the final hurdle towards the crown are:
Katrina Jayne Dimaranan of Taguig
Beatrice Luigi Gomez of Cebu City
Steffi Rose Aberasturi of Cebu Province
Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna
Izabella Jasmine Umali of Manila
The tougher question-and-answer segment should take centerstage at this point. And this is where presence of mind and nerves of steel will be of utmost importance. Predictions are open to an assortment of combinations. And whoever nails her answer/s (something that even this writer cannot accurately guess or read inside a crystal ball) with the sublime confidence of a winner will be crowned as Miss Universe Philippines 2021.
The judges will do their final rankings (and a possible deliberation on who really deserves to finish on top) and decide on the ones to fill up the runner-up positions and who will actually wear the now-iconic “Filipina” crown. She is the one who will prepare for the bigger mission in the resort town of Eilat in Israel where the 70th Miss Universe will be chosen this coming December.
And finally…
Who will cross the finish line first?
Wrapping-up, Katrina Jayne Dimaranan of Taguig is the complete package. She’s tall, smart, with beautiful morena looks, sexy body, and an engaging personality. While she may not be close to perfect in the eyes of some, this 28 year-old has shown what wonders prior experience and training in both the national and international levels can do to a contender’s game plan. If she regrettably falters when it matters most, then one of the two highly-regarded Cebuanas – the openly gay Beatrice Luigi Gomez of Cebu City or the well-loved Steffi Rose Aberasturi of Cebu Province – can steal the limelight. Still, I am hoping for a welcome surprise from either Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna or Izabella Jasmine Umali of Manila even when the going gets resistant to their efforts. Making it to the Top 5, though, is no mean achievement.
Miss Universe Philippines 2021 will be the first national beauty pageant winner in the Philippines to actually go through a new hybrid of virtual and physical competitions. And she is bound to carry the hashtagged branding of the organization – #phenomenalwoman and #InspireYou – all throughout her reign.
normannorman.com 
See, i was right! Mali ang prediction mo Tito Norman.
Hoping Jasmine Umali joins again if she doesn’t win tonight. Winner ko sana sya kaso ang short time nalang ng preparation at medyo hilaw pa sya. Konting training pa, si Pia ang nakikita ko sa kanya (in terms sa journey ah) napakaganda lang talaga ng mukha at ang tangkad pa 👏
I’m on board with Katrina winning because bumalik man ang MU sa 2019 format na puro talakan, hindi parin sya dehado unlike Steffi na nanganganib talaga kapag back to speakers nanaman ang hahanapin ng MU. I would like to see Steffi ok Supra though, sure crown talaga sya doon sa ganda ng face nya
Brilliant write up. I agree with Norman. Having the complete armamentarium, Katrina Dimaranan is the most possible ultimate survivor in this game.
Thanks serge
Correction: armaments instead armamentarium
@ serge Is ‘arsenal’ better kaya?…
Sumakit tummy ko sa ‘armamentarium’; di aprubado yung bulate ko. Dami na kasing ‘~rium’ ngayon – aqua, viva, terra, paluda, ripa, etc.
Ha ha ha. Oo nga Flor aka Andrew. Arsenal is the right word. He he he
@ serge May ‘Arsenale’ sa Venice… Google if you like/have time. A hidden gem-of-sorts of the city.
Saan/anong bansa naman kaya ang balak niyang lipatan at irepresent pag di nanalo sa MUP 🥴
Last year’s crown was snatched by a darkhorse. And MG is the predictive winner.
kakairita ang edition na ito kung ang pipiliin lang pala ay yung may previous exprience sa pageant, nag appoint na lang sana sila.
I’m from Taguig so I’m rooting for Katrina D. But to be honest, this year’s batch has so many deserving and ready girls.
Leren, Beatrice and Maueeen are my top 3 picks with either Maureen or Leren winning.
hindi makakasali si katrina sa top 5. mali ang hotpicks mo tito norman
Gumawa ka ng sarili nong listahan then. Bakit mo pinakikialaman ang hot picks niya e kanya yon?
bawal na pala mag comment?
Mananalo sa Israel is blonde. Or Caucasian latina. Maybe India since Israel and India both hate muslims. Charot 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
jonas et al must be in a bind as to who to crown.. and to my mind, maureen was shortlisted. after all, kung mukha lang ang pag uusapan, angat sya at any camera angle… no need for any procedures..its gonna be maureen vs. steffi as the last 2 standing for me. fingers crossed.
i read back at alaga pala itong si KD ni mama j way back 2012..so well see how this edition ends…isang tulog na lang at magkaalaman na…let’s go girls!!! good luck to all.
Hi, I’m interested to know how tall the candidates are because the trend of Miss Universe winners over the years seems to be that the winners are getting taller. I’m assuming the goal is to win the Miss Universe crown. So the winner should ideally be around 5’7.5” to 5’10.5”, but in general Filipinas tend to be shorter.
I think the main reason the organization removed height requirements is so more people will apply and promote themselves as candidates which also promotes the organization generating higher income.
When it comes to Q&A the candidate with the most politically correct answers will also be favored too because the powers that be won’t risk giving an esteemed platform to someone who doesn’t conform to their political agenda.
The shortest Candidate is 5’3”. The tallest is 5’10”
Katrina Dimaranan all the way!
Miss San Juan will win
she is a true blue Pinay
can easily blend in in Israel
easily recognizable as Pinay
short, hardworking, well spoken Pinay
its about time
runner up: Masbate
bubbling up: Siargao Island, Marinduque
Still Steffi Aberasturi for me! Pageant fans including me, all waited for her to try the Nationals and here she comes, prepared, determined, unbothered! Girl dint fail us with her everyday pasabog. I really want her to win tomorrow.
As of September 29, 2021 (9th Update) –
Next Update will be tomorrow morning (in case there are additional inputs / changes)
================================================================
Miss Universe Philippines Choice:
TEAM BEA GOMEZ:
– Regina
– 4M
– K
– Nunya
– WillYam
– Ana Winter Lund
– GlaxoSmithKlein
– Lemontree
– Abcde
TEAM STEFFI ABERASTURI:
– K
– Andrew
– Sky
– Kembular2021
– Paui
– Closer2Fame
– Ramon Lua
– Globeguy85
– ThrowBakla
– Anonymous
TEAM KATRINA DIMARANAN:
– Norman
– Fabian Reyes
– Serge
– Jaret
– Philip dela Torre
– Lala
– Bella
– Thomas
– Casper
TEAM LEREN MAE BAUTISTA:
– Bago 21
– Jaret
– Crystal Belle
– Just Passing By
– Cool Brew
– Miss Tissa
TEAM JASMINE UMALI:
– John
– Fashion Pulis
– GlaxoSmith Klein
– Closer2Fame
TEAM MAUREEN WROBLEWITZ:
– JS
– Sunny
– PaquitaX
– Mik
TEAM VICTORIA VELASQUEZ:
– Nunyabiz
– Bonsaihater and 2 pamangkins
TEAM MIRJAN HIPOLITO:
– Lireo
TEAM INGRID STA. MARIA:
– Claire Ibbetson
TEAM AYN BERNOS:
– Bonus
– Bong 700
World Peace.
@ THOMAS Kung nagkataon palang manalo si Ingrid, tiba-tiba si @ ClaiRe… Or @ Lireo for that matter with Mirj.
By tom, kung wala pang desisyon si you-know-who, kay Kirsten na lang siya para meron din si Masbate dito. Kahit sino daw, OK sa kanya. And we have to admit, she is working her as_ off. If only for effort, A+.
Lol. Tiba tiba nga si Claire at Lireo.
P300 worth of Grab food to be sent to them by anyone (or everyone) from the losing teams. But most of all, the bragging right to have solely chosen Ingrid and Mirj.
Without referring to anyone, I also find it kinda lame and Pollyanna-ish to declare that anyone of the 28 is deserving to win because each of them is beautiful. This is not the time to fence sit.
Now is the time for guts and guile. Declare and be proud of the girl you are betting on.
World Peace.
@Thomas let your choice be counted …
Dear, read up. =)
As I have mentioned in my previous comment, Katrina has all the qualities of becoming a Miss Universe,
The only hurdle I have with her is her dual citizenship, Patch Magtanong was not given the opportunity to be MUP considering what she has is only a “green card” which means she didn’t change her citizenship.
Anjeanette Abayari was refused to join MU after it was found out that she lacks the necessary residency length of stay to be considered as a Filipino citizen,
At ang pinakamatinding nightmare is baka magbukas ako ng IG at makita ko ang mga shupit na gumagawa ng collage “in a destructive kinda way” about a different sash she is wearing in another competition!
As fans, hindi natin alam kung ano yung mga logistics behind the submission and or requirements ng MU before a candidate can be considered on-board and I’m sure MUP is considering those factors!
Sa ngayon, para saken, hindi muna tayo nag-a-aspire ng another MU crown, we just need to return to the Top5 or yung kauna-unahang 2nd runner up finish!
Nvertheless, even if the stars won’t aligned with me, my bet would still be Ingrid Santamaria with Jasmine Umali as alternative and Jan Louise Abejero, Beatrice Luigi Gomez and Leren Mae Bautista completing the Top5! Good luck to all the girls!
Hi ClaiRe – Why is this an issue? Catriona is a dual citizen of Australia and the Philippines. Pia is a dual citizen of Germany and the Philippines. Obviously, and ironically since you mention it as a “hurdle”, their being dual citizens did not prevent them from winning Miss Universe. 😊
MUO has no issue at all with candidates who are dual citizens. Other Miss Universe winners in the past who are dual citizens include Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad & Tobago who won the title in 1977, was also a citizen of the U.S. at the time when she competed.
Pia and Catriona did not represent other countries except the PH. I think that is the reason kung bakit tahimik lang ang mga kapitbahay. But Katrina representing USA and almost won, that is a different story.
Kaya nga Miss Universe ang tawag kasi pwede kahit anong citizenship meron ka because you are a miss of the universe, and not a miss of the Philippines only and the like.
kaloka eh bakit hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin sila tmatanggap ng taga ibang planets na part namn ng universe? aber???
anyway, my gut feel tells me katrina will not enter top 5.
Sovie, I don’t know if nagpapatawa ka o seriouso ka. Kaw nalang kaya sumali kasi ang comment mo ay napakasuper-alien hahaha.
Gut feel mo lang naman na hindi makapasok sa top 5 si Katrina. Ang gut feel mo na napakasuper-allien din hahaha.
Now I realize what is somewhat off in Leren’s figure… it is her shoulders and her arms .. her arms are kind of short for her body , and the shoulders are stiff and not sexy … you can see this clearly if you watch Katrina’s swimsuit and Leren’s swimsuit walks simultaneously … but these two are still my top 2 with Steffi being the big spoiler among the three of them …
A tall, articulate, assertive, engaging, dark morena beauty like Katrina will be more able to withstand the onslaught of the competitive Latina combatants in Eilat, Israel in December.
Katrina will definitely stand out and stands a great chance of continuing the Philippines’ uninterrupted placement streak which was jumpstarted by another morena beauty, Venus Raj in 2010.
As Norman stated, Katrina is the complete package.
She may not be the most appealing,
but Katrina ticks all the boxes.
She is the most combat-ready.
@Zeyr — Yes, Katrina isn’t all perfect or may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she is definitely combat-ready. As I said earlier, she will stand out. She’s my top pick for MUP.
Ako naman iba ang kutob sa kokoranahan bukas. The judges will pick the candidate whose foremost strong asset is her beautiful refreshing charming face and then the ability to communicate follows as consideration.
Thus, my pick is either Leren Bautista or Bea Gomez. If Maria Corazon Abalos cracks the swimsuit and evening gown via an improved pasarela, then I won’t mind her being considered darkhorse for the crown.
That’s all.
i don’t know kung totoo po ung usap-usapan sa ibang forums and vlogs/blogs na dalawa raw kokoronahn ng MUP this year… one for 2021 and another for 2022. parang ung ginawa ng Mexico sa Miss World national pageant nila.
according dun sa source… gusto nila n starting 2022, ndi n ganun kagahol ung preparation nung isasali natin.
if that is the case… pwedeng si Katrina for 2021 and Steffi for 2022 or kahit palit pa… kung pwede pa sa 2022 edition si Katrina.
the others ay pwede pa after 2 or 3 years or kahit sa ibang pageants pa sila sumali… swak pa rin.
kung hindi ito totoo… ok lang!
kung 22o siya… pwedeng-pwede!
@ Vietnamese Pinoy Granted this is true,…
Katrina needs to go NOW (2021). At 28 yo, she will age out next year. So, Steffi will be 1st RU & be asked to sign a longer-term contract than Katrina.
(Steffi will then have to be incredibly careful! She needs a lawyer to go over the fine print. And she will have to carefully negotiate her expectations but also what she can commit to and deliver.)
Hanggang kailan ba kontrata ng Telemundo with MUO? Baka factor din to in Jonas’ mind as far as the franchise is concerned.
Hopefully si Bella for this year then Steffi for next year.
@Claire, i agree. It would be a nightmare to have the neighbors splash the photos of Katrina with the United States Supranational sash if she wins MUPH
who cares about what our neighbors say??? hihjihih
Steffi is the safest choice.
Now I think I know the reason why ayaw ni Jonas sumali si Cat sa BBP 2018. Ni-rereserve niya si Cat sa 2019, the year na makuluha nila ang franchise. Para pak sa 1st edition. Eh sorry na lang. Naging partnership lang with BBP in 2019 due to Cat’s winning. Strings of kamalasan after that. Hmmmmm.
Naisip ko rin ito. I thought na si Cat ang gusto nilang paunang salvo because they were already working underground to get the MU franchise, hindi lang siguro nila masabi kay Cat that time. Eh, gigil na si Cat to join BBP and bag the MUP title. Kaya nung nanalo si Cat, nagtagal pa ng isang taon bago nila nakuha ang franchise. Kaya ganun na lang din siguro isnabin ng MUPO si Cat. Come to think of it, for two years in a row, hindi nila maimbita si Cat sa coronation ng MUP, kaya si Cat go pa sa South Africa at dun gumawa ng ganap sa Miss Sudafrica Pageant. This divisiveness poignantly makes the MUP pageant’s inaugural winner unblessed.
Nonetheless, I wish MUPO the best of luck and of course for them to be an instrument to unify the pageant industry.
That’s all.
@ Ana Winter-Lund Ang naisip ko naman, baliktad.
Maybe, IN FACT, Jonas DID ask Cat to be his ‘long-range missile with a nuclear warhead’.
BUT, Cat being the ‘smart pants’-type, probably realized exactly how much she’s worth and concluded she would fare better apart from him.
Or, that she was guided by angels at the time…
I am not saying Jonas is a demon. For all we know, he could still have steered her ship to safe port and win it all.
But perhaps how he managed her MW stint left her wanting. If that’s the case, then HE NOT HER has the burden of explaining exactly what happened. Alangan namang sabihin niyang b_tch si JM.
Baka hindi rin natin alam, naamoy agad ni Madam Stella Araneta ang plano nila Sir Jonas na kunin ang franchise sa kanila, kaya nung umatend si Cat ng Binibining Pilipinas 2017 coronation night, special treatment sya sa BPCI at sa frontseat s’ya pinaupo ni MSA to show na welcome s’yang sumali sa BbP at once na manalo s’ya ng BbP and MU, as she did, madi-delay ang pag-alis ng franchise sa BPCI.
Wala lang. Overanalysis lang. Lol.
That’s all.
Steffi Rose or bust.
Gee SP , is that you ?
Tito Norms captured it perfectly with this:
“Predictions are open to an assortment of combinations. And whoever nails her answer/s with the sublime confidence of a winner will be crowned as Miss Universe Philippines 2021.”
May the best woman win. 👑
May she be an embodiment of the true Filipina beauty – one who will unite the ever critical Filipino
pageant fans and one who will gain the
respect and admiration of the Universe. ❤️
My picks…
Here are my final top five picks for Miss Universe Philippines 2021 coronation night on September 30.
Winner: Cebu Province – Steffi Rose Aberasturi
First runner-up: Taguig – Katrina Jayne Dimaranan
Second runner-up: Laguna – Leren Mae Bautista
Third runner-up: Cavite – Victoria Velasquez Vincent
Fourth runner-up: Cebu City – Beatrice Luigi Gomez
Top Two sleepers
Angeles City – Mirjan Hipolito
Albay – Janela Joy Cuaton
I think MUPH should go with the veterans like 25 or older who are more polished and ready to go.
People gave me heat for leaving out Maureen Wroblewitz and Kristen ‘Kisses’ Delavin, but they still have more upside in their game and I want those two to be some of the bright futures of Philippine pageantry in the next few years.
@ Anonymous I think now that Maureen and Kirsten are, kumbaga sa political parties natin, ‘guest candidates’ (lang) ng A&Q. As such, they may have simply been used for fan leverage…
But then Rousanne probably served the same function over at KF.
My point : highly doubt they will give it another shot.
Maureen has a channel 2 show business career management contract atm; Kirsten is of manor born. I don’t think they will require an in-depth pageant ‘phase’ for the immediate future.
The more important objective has been accomplished – a more inclusive/representative roster, less alienating, & more relatable.
I get the hype on Umali but she is not my cup of tea and her highest placement would be top 10.
My tough 5 remains: Leren, Maureen, Steffi, Bea and Katrina.
4M’s pick goes to Bea (I am going to stick with my gut as she has all the momentum leading to finals night)
Who I think will win: Maureen (she will be universally accepted, no drama unless she bungles the Q&A and still wins)
Who I think should win: Steffi (based on sponsorships and branding perspective)
4M’s Sentimental Fave to Win: Leren (yes, I love a classic Filipina beauty to represent us)
4M’s El Tocuyo: Katrina- she will make the top 5 but might end up at the lowest placement (4th runner up, as her nerves will get the worst of her and falter, might even come up with a major major memorable answer, in a very bad way)
At the end of the day, I will be happy if anyone in this circle of 5 wins. This edition has definitely made it harder to predict unlike last year where Rabiya just turned the tables after preliminaries and made her a clear favorite with my personal pick and favorite Bella the ballerina. Now, it makes me want revisit last year’s post to see who I really picked. hihihihih
The nerve of this guy to talk in the 3rd person
Magkape ka muna te para Kabahan ka ng konti pls
veks, i have nerves, but i have guts too…hihihihihi tse ka!
The whole universe is holding its breath as to the Pinas delegate will be in the 70th MU pageant … all the pageant fans and pageant websites are betting on their favorites , who will the powerhouse Pinas send to the 70th MU pageant … the question will be answered in about 48 hours … KJDLMBSRA … everybody has three initials except for Maureen Wroblewitz , but she is falling off my top 4 just barely…
Maureen’s full name is Maureen Christa Wroblewitz so MCW.
Branding wise, the crown just might go to a girl who hasnt crossed over from BPCI or Mutya
That would make either of the two Cebuanas win, CB
Takes balls of steel to not include Ayn and Kisses in top 10, and Maureen in top 5. Earned my respect.
I agree with the choices. However, the set of judges and the actual criteria are surely going to impact who makes it and who doesn’t, regardless of experience, popularity, beauty and even performance.
Do we have a list of judges na and actual criteria for top 16 – top 10 – top 5?
I guess we’ll only know the judges on Finals Night
The new title of Norman : Marshmallow Heart, Balls of Steel.
Lol.
World Peace.
Oh wow hahaha
Kat vs leren Ang top 2. Pero gusto ko manalo c Ayn para maiba nman🤭👍
Agree with Ayn. Super love her.
Pingback: FINAL PREDICTIONS: Miss Universe Philippines 2021 – Fast Sentinel
As of September 29, 2021 (8th Update)
==============================
Miss Universe Philippines Choice:
TEAM BEA GOMEZ:
– Regina
– 4M
– K
– Nunya
– WillYam
– Ana Winter Lund
– GlaxoSmithKlein
– Lemontree
TEAM STEFFI ABERASTURI:
– K
– Andrew
– Sky
– Kembular2021
– Paui
– Closer2Fame
– Ramon Lua
TEAM KATRINA DIMARANAN:
– Norman
– Fabian Reyes
– Serge
– Jaret
– Philip dela Torre
– Lala
– Bella
– Thomas
TEAM LEREN MAE BAUTISTA:
– Bago 21
– Jaret
– Crystal Belle
– Just Passing By
– Cool Brew
– Miss Tissa
TEAM JASMINE UMALI:
– John
– Fashion Pulis
– GlaxoSmith Klein
– Closer2Fame
TEAM MAUREEN WROBLEWITZ:
– JS
– Sunny
– PaquitaX
TEAM VICTORIA VELASQUEZ:
– Nunyabiz
– Bonsaihater and pamangkins
TEAM MIRJAN HIPOLITO:
– Lireo
TEAM INGRID STA, MARIA:
– Claire Ibbetson
TEAM AYN BERNOS:
– Bonus
World Peace.
Thomas 2 pamangkins ko ha. Tatlo kami hahaha
Count me in, I’m for Bea.
Count me in for Katrina.
Brilliant work Normani! Although, I’m not surprised nor excited about the choices. The same names were rolled up and it’s already expected. Strong set of top10 and top5 (I think MW should be there and CGF maybe a surprise inclusion considering how strong she is in SS & EG). I like that your top pick is Miss Taguig (for selfish reason).
As for my personal choice, the winner, she’s none other than Miss Cebu City the new Ambassadress for LGBTQ+ community. Then runner-up is Miss Taguig – Ambassadress of United States to the Philippines.
Bea Gomez is the one with the highest potential to spoil things for Katrina, imo.
But Bea is wanting in terms of physical beauty and comm skills
According to my sources, though, she is one of the most pleasant to work with – a factor that could play to her advantage during crunch time.
Whoahhhh!!! 😘😘😘
But Tito norman, Bea is not showbiz type. Gusto ni Jonas yung pwede mag artista. Para manage nya. Of course para kumita sya, ex. Rabiya. Bow.
My Top Five in alphabetical order:
Aberasturi
Bautista
Dimaranan
Gomez
Wroblewitz
Norman is right. It will be anybody’s game when one reaches top five. The Q&A will be the determining factor. All we can do is come up with conjectures and likely scenario during the final Q&A moments:
More than the content of the answer, it will be the ability to quickly reply with ease and confidence (and not translate the question from English to Tagalog, then translate the thinking process from Tagalog to English) that will hamper some of the candidates.
1) Leren, the most facially beautiful of this batch, with matching height and experience will most likely get nervous and falter during this segment. And she will be one luck girl if she gets a question she has prepared an answer for.
I don’t mind her winning MUP.
2) Steffi and Bea while fluent will be challenged with the content of their answers. Steffi and Bea are borderline pageant-patty in terms of her answers. And while the all inclusivity lesbian aspect of Bea may work for her, it may also NOT work in her favor.
I don’t mind this “ ABC tandem” (Aberasturi & Bea of Cebu) winning MUP.
3) Maureen and Katrina should go through the Q&A effortlessly.
While Maureen has the most proportioned body of them all, and has been identified as an early favorite by the MUP organization, her relatively short height, her last name (that MIGHT work against her in Israel) and experience as a model (which is not exactly the same as a pageant contestant) are the things that may not be in her favor.
I don’t mind Maureen winning MUP. (I believe in signs though: MW is meant for MW).
4) That leads to Katrina. She is indeed the complete package.
Height
Experience
Her strong showing in the both SS and EG competition
Fluency
Filipina beauty and color (whatever that means nowadays)
A last name that undoubtedly “Filipino”
Age that will not qualify her to join again next year (in short, sayang naman)
Therefore:
Who will win : Katrina Dimaranan
Who should win : Katrina Dimaranan
Who can win : Katrina, Maureen, Steffi, Bea, Leren
World Peace.
Well thought out and well written. Let’s see who the stars align for… It’s anybody’s game and anyone can win, they’re all that good…
On a personal note, I agree with your top five, the winner and also the possibilities…
Thank you once again for your insight…
OK. So, I will take this to mean that Uncle deems Umali as ‘Miss Smarty Pants’, the Runner-up tasked with spicing up the brew.
@ Cool Brew,…?
For a start, MSP (above) can request the waters around Panglao be desalinated in deference to her luminous~sensitive complexion. We’ve seen/heard how comical she gets when she’s on a roll!
Uncle, ang lupit niyo po sa (The) Camp! VVV is not doable? Pati sarili niyong citymate, nilaglag niyo sa Top 10. Kung sa bagay, only the better of the two ang dapat mag-advance…
Come what may, Leren should get the ‘Alona Beach Beauty’ sponsor prize – a 350-foot yacht! And a certain commentator/reader at normannorman.com gets to interview her exclusively. Guess who.
My current TOP 16
Steffi Aberasturi
Katrina Dimaranan
Jasmine Umali
Leren Bautista
Beatrice Gomez
Maureen Wroblewitz
Chela Falconer
Victoria Vincent
Kisses Delavin
Janela Cuaton
Christelle Abello
Mirjan Hipolito
Ingrid Santamaria
Corrine Abalos
Rosanne Bernos
Simone Bornilla
Hmmmmm… 1st time that I’m not sure who would win…but I want either Steffi or Jasmine to win since they both have not competed Internationaly yet.
Who will bring home the El Tocuyo Award
tomorrow?
Katrina
naku sana naman walang duguan
sa squid game na ito
its anybody’s game… excellent assessment/prediction sir Norman 🙏
Of course, nothing less from the blogger extraordinaire.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️