Miss Universe 2012 felt like a big Christmas present back then. Well, almost. It was Olivia Culpo, the host delegate, who won. But Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon claimed our second of only two First Runner-Up finishes ever in the pageant’s history. The entire edition was also special in the sense that it was held exactly a week before Christmas, so the Yuletide spirit pervaded all throughout the finals proceedings. And just as the US celebrated its victory since 1997, the Filipinos watched in awe as our representative successfully added to the consecutive Top 5 rankings. Many of us said that Janine was robbed of the title, and she could have been our third Miss Universe. But patience has its rewards as we would finally get ours just a few years later.

Let’s now re-watch highlights of the Christmas (Holiday) edition of the pageant once more:

Olivia is the type of Miss Universe winner Donald Trump must have really enjoyed having as a brand endorser. She embraced the limelight and the attention as if she just became a breakout showbiz discovery. She was also one of the most photographed titleholders. And she used the platform well beyond the HIV/AIDS Awareness and Best Buddies causes that the MUO supported. She became a social media personality, a fashion influencer, a reality TV attraction and even a film actress. She also appeared twice on the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

In terms of love life, Olivia wasn’t lacking. After a highly-publicized and gossiped-about relationship with singer/actor Nick Jonas, she also had dalliances with at least a few sportsmen like Tim Tebow, Danny Amendola and Christian McCaffrey (left photo).

Olivia will soon resurface on the small screen in the program “Paradise City” which is a TV spinoff of “American Satan”, as well as continue with all her public appearances.