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11 comments on “And then there were two”

1. Mr. Blogger, pansin ko marami’ng formerly with MPE na sumali in this year’s MWP. Dito rin ‘yun’g Mia Jane Salisbury, no? ‘Talisay City’ sash? Narlah Alshotbaji’s batch?

   Kumusta na po si Naelah?

   Baka mapaunlakan niyo kami ng pahapyaw sa MPE 2022. How’s it coming along? Is Dra. Adee?

   (Also, I hope Carina Carino will ‘La Union’ once more!)

   Ang kritikal na lang sa MWP leading up to 5 June is Top Model. Du’n kukunin malamang ang at least 2 out of the 4 crowns at stake. Of course, dapat payag maging Channel 7 contract stars are mga mananalo, like all the queens who have come before. ‘Yun’g ayaw mag-artista, sorry na lang.

2. Cebu daming pala Bok yung Salina . Yung tipomg mga pinagkabit kabit lang. EWAN Bakit napasama sa top 2.

3. Taray ni Mary Giant!

   After breaking quarantine protocols during the pandemic with her White Papa, she came stronger!

   Charot!

4. In the end, kahit pa gaano kaganda at kagaljng ang rep natin sa MW, si Madam Julia pa din ang magdedecide…realtalk yan.

5. Gigante’s performance in the final head to head made her a crown contender. For now, I see her with either the Eco or Supra crowns. What she lacks is that undeniable quality of MW winners. In my observation, MW winners have this inexplicable and magical coronation night “glow” ( the French refer to this as “je ne sais quoi”). This je ne sais quoi was strong during Tracy Perez’s head to head in Puerto Rico but was noticeably absent during her Top 13 QnA.

   Based on the final five head to head, the top crown seems to belong, for now, to Subijano. She came across as someone with a nuanced understanding of issues esp when she articulated her beauty with a purpose project whereby she created a harmonious and mutually healing relationship between vetted animals and rescued girls who were once victims of sexual exploitation. Her beauty with a purpose presentation is incredibly heartfelt with a powerful universal theme. Subijano is her own woman. She can and will do well in the MW2022 pageant.

   The MWP organization has made it absolutely clear that this year, substance takes precedence over form. I personally think this is a stroke of genius because a Filipina who has substance, heart, and mental fortitude is someone who can win any international pageant. Styling, overall polishing, pasarela, stage presence can all follow. What truly matters this time around is substance, sincerity, and inner strength. Remember that even Supra has begun rebranding itself as a pageant with purpose as opposed to being merely a quasi modeling competition.

   Quite frankly, the head to head segment made me appreciate the MWP girls in a much deeper degree. With this group of ladies, the Philippines will be able to catch up with South Africa in the areas of philosophical depth, conceptual complexity and intellectual fortitude. Also, I am pleased to see a selection of girls who physically represent a more oriental version of what we call “Filipina beauty”. The MWP girls this year are exceptional. Those who want to win a crown will have to slug it out til the finish line as there are no absolutely clear winners yet.

   Congratulations to the MWP org. What a terrific batch of ladies your assembled this year!

   • @Golden Mean, insightful thoughts! Your comments are a whiff of fresh air in an atmosphere that is sometimes toxic, sometimes irreverent, sometimes inane, sometimes decadent. Obviously, your concept of beauty is holistic– very contemporary!

     • Agreed.

       I think it is an act of intellectual laziness to simply dismiss or cancel the MWO as an organization that always fixes the results during finals. To simply dismiss an organization without objective analysis of the merits of the organization’s decision to crown a certain girl from a certain country ultimately does a grave disservice to the Philippine pageant community at large. Rather than canceling an organization outright, I suggest that we reevaluate the common qualities that all previous winners possessed during their respective coronation nights. When I looked back to analyze, I figured that there is in fact a rhyme and reason to the selection process of the MWO. They crown girls who are effervescent during coronation night. In simpler terms, they tend to crown girls who do not come across as the type who try too hard to win over the judges. Again, it’s about having that je ne sais quoi at the right time and place. Whenever watching MW, my suggestion is to keep an open mind while trying to identify the girl who effortlessly shines the most, the girl who may not be the best public speaker but the one who exudes the right balance of composure, effervescence, grace and intelligence.

       Megan had it in 2013. All the winners of the past 10 years had it too.

       Based on the top 5 head to head, Subijano appears to have it too. Whether or not she can sustain her momentum until finals night still remains to be seen though. If the MWP org chooses to crown Subijano (or any worthy girl for that matter), I truly hope that they won’t transform her to become another Megan Young. I hope that they can transform the winning girl to be the absolute best version of herself. The Philippines does it right every time the country sends a candidate who is absolutely sure of herself. However, the Philippines always does it wrong whenever the country sends a girl who is made in the image and likeness of a previous title holder.

       Bottomline, authenticity is something visceral. It is felt in the heart.

       May the most authentic girls be crowned on finals night!

     • @Golden Mean, intelligent and dispassionate analyses like yours are important rfor the development of this budding industry. I hope you don’t tire out feeling like a solitary voice in that wilderness that is littered with hecklers, trolls, smart-alecks, and all shapes and colors of negatrons. Some fine intellectual commentaries sporadically get into this blog but they never persist. I guess one has got to have a mission orientation for pageantry’s development for one to endure the indignities that he/she sometimes is pelted with. One has just to accept that they go with the territory. I can see that your perspectives come from a different professional plane. That’s good. This blog needs that.

6. Bata at maganda ang bet ni Julia. Kunwari lang ang mga fast track paandar!

7. For me it will be Maria Gigante.

8. CONGRATULATIONS:

   GIGANTE IS A FRONTRUNNER.
   ESPARRAGO IS CATCHING UP. WINNING A TITLE IS A POSSIBILITY

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