Binibining Pilipinas 2010

All posts tagged Binibining Pilipinas 2010

Chloe and Nicolette take their chances in Miss World-Philippines 2011

Posted by Norman on June 2, 2011
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Martha Chloe McCully

Helen Nicolette Henson

There’s nothing new about ladies joining and re-joining beauty contests. In fact, such attempts display their fierce determination to win and represent the country in international competitions. What makes joining Miss World-Philippines 2011 (MWP2011) a bit unique is the fact that the pageant’s franchise was just recently-booted from the roster of Binibining Pilipinas titles and previous joiners of the latter had to give up something (loyalty, for one) in the process.

Such is the case of two lovelies who have decided to jump ship and screen for MWP2011 last weekend.

Martha Chloe McCully was a favorite to figure out well in Binibining Pilipinas 2011. But such was not the case after the dust settled and the actual winners crowned. The former ABS-CBN talent (she was a member of Pilipinas Deal or No Deal’s 26K) thought better than to get stuck with the network and wait for next year or 2013 to try her luck in the same beauty contest.

And then there’s Helen Nicolette Henson who placed 2nd Runner-Up to Venus Raj in Binibining Pilipinas 2010. Having made it to the Top 5, she was asked to sign an 18-month contract with BPCI. And since there is an overlapping of dates between the expiration of the same and the scheduled screenings for Miss World Philippines 2011, she had no choice but to resign her post. Besides, she is more identified with GMA-7 (having co-hosted Party Pilipinas in the past) which has exclusivity to the new contest.

I don’t blame the two. They are both gorgeous and competitive. And since beauty queen wannabes have shorter expiration dates, they have to take advantage of the opportunity. Chloe just turned 24 (ceiling age for Miss World) and Nicolette will turn 23 later this year.

All I can say is….”Go, Girls!” 😉

Czarina Catherine Gatbonton’s send-off for Miss World 2010

Posted by Norman on September 29, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

An exotic Filipina for Miss World 2010, this Czarina Catherine Gatbonton. (Photo credit: Melvin Sia/OPMB)

Czarina Catherine Gatbonton is your typical teenager who goes through a house-school-house daily routine in her isolated hometown province of (Isla) Pamarawan in Malolos, Bulacan. In fact, she had to ride a motorized bangka (small boat) to and from her house just to catch a jeep to school or a bus to the city. But all that changed when the 19 year-old surprised everyone at the Binibining Pilipinas 2010 finals after clinching the Bb. Pilipinas-World crown, thereby, earning a ticket to the Miss World 2010 competition in Sanya, China later next month. Since then, she has been shoved to an exciting world of glamour, filled with endless trainings, personality and communication development and guest appearances everywhere. The provinciana – who used to speak with an unmistakable Bulakeno accent – can now glide into a room with confidence and socialize like a true lady. True, more polishing will transform her into an even more ravishing exotic beauty, but her untouched natural charm might just do the trick in China given the fact that Miss World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino was initially unnoticed in a bevy of more than 100 delegates up until the organizers and judges took a shine on her.

Wishing Czarina all the best for Miss World 2010 are: (L-R) Dianne Necio, Venus Raj, Krista Mae Kleiner and Nicolette Henson (Photo credit: Melvin Sia/OPMB)

Yesterday, Czarina was given a formal send-off by the Binibining Pilipinas group. She is set to leave for Sanya, China shortly and the one-month stay will see her competing with a sea of lovelies from all over. One particular highlight of her participation should be the trip to Inner Mongolia which has never been visited by a huge pageant like the Miss World.

As the organizers stated, she will be a breath of fresh air in the competition. The 2010 ladies – Venus Raj, Krista Mae Kleiner, Nicolette Hension and Dianne Necio – as well as her parents and brother – were around to give their warm wishes and to further boost her confidence.

Good luck, Czarina! (Photo credit: Melvin Sia/OPMB)

Will Czarina continue the Venus Raj streak and perform well enough to land among the top ladies in the Miss World 2010 finals? We’ll see…

Best of luck to you, Czarina! 😉

Presenting Mariella Castillo…Miss Global Teen Philippines

Posted by Norman on April 30, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

The 2010 Miss Global Teen will be held in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso du Sol, Brazil from June 28 to July 4, 2010. The coronation night will take place on Saturday, July 3, at the well-appointed Campo Grande’s Rubens Gil de Camilo Convention Center. Beautiful girls – aged 15 to 19 – will converge in this breath-taking paradise of a city to select one who best represent the age group worldwide.

The Philippines will participate in this teen beauty pageant that is being prepped as a grand event for teens around the world. And I am more than happy that our representative willl be 18 year-old Mariella Castillo.

Miss Global Teen Philippines - the beautiful and sexy Mariella Castillo

Ella stands 5’6″ and is a fashion model and Fashion Design student at the College of Saint Benilde. She joined Binibining Pilipinas last March where she reached the Top 10. She was also 1st Runner-Up in Miss Bikini Philippines 2009.


Ella's image in the Miss Global Teen website

Let’s wish Ella the best of luck as she competes in Miss Global Teen 2010 in Brazil! 😉

Bb. Pilipinas 2010 Winners post-victory pictorial at Gateway

Posted by Norman on March 11, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , .

Here are photos of the Binibining Pilipinas 2010 winners and runners-up days after their coronation. This pictorial was held at the Gateway Mall in Araneta Center.

(L-R) Krista Mae Kleiner, Bb. Pilipinas-International 2010; Maria Venus Raj, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 and Czarina Catherine Gatbonton, Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010. (Photo credit: OPMB Worldwide)

(L-R) Helen Nicolette Henson, 2nd RU; Krista Mae Kleiner, BP-International; Maria Venus Raj, BP-Universe; Czarina Catherine Gatbonton, BP-World; Dianne Necio, 1st RU. (Photo credit: OPMB Worldwide)

2010 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj (Photo credit: OPMB Worldwide)

2010 Bb. Pilipinas-International Krista Mae Kleiner

2010 Bb. Pilipinas-World Czarina Catherine Gatbonton

From hereon, these ladies will head straight to more intensive trainings and preparations for their respective pageants abroad. Let’s hope that at least one of them ends up winning one of the grand slam pageants before the year ends! 😉

Raymond Saldana photographs the Bb. Pilipinas 2010 Queens

Posted by Norman on March 10, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , .

Ace photographer Raymond Saldana was tasked to take the profile photos of this year’s Binibining Pilipinas candidates. Here are the shots of the three winners where you can better gauge their individual charm and beauty.

Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 Maria Venus Raj

Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010 Czarina Catherine Gatbonton

Bb. Pilipinas-International 2010 Krista Mae Kleiner

What do you think, guys? 😉

Video collage of Bb. Pilipinas 2010 winners & beauties

Posted by Norman on March 9, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , .

OPMB Worldwide has come up with a crystal-clear video collage of the Binibining Pilipinas 2010 winners and beauties as sort of a tribute to the Filipinas who will take centerstage in the global pageant arena this year. Watch the whole thing and you will also see some sidelights of the various pre-pageant activities leading to the coronation night itself. Enjoy!

Many thanks to YouTube and OPMB Worldwide for this compilation video! 😉

Bb. Pilipinas 2010: The crowning glories

Posted by Norman on March 8, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

Here are photos of the Binibining Pilipinas 2010 Coronation Night last Saturday, March 6. Of the three winners, one came out as a complete surprise (Czarina Catherine Gatbonton) while the two others (Maria Venus Raj and Krista Mae Kleiner) have been strong favorites ever since the candidates were announced early this year.

(L-R) Helen Nicolette Henson - 2nd RU, Krista Mae Kleiner - Bb. Pilipinas International 2010, Maria Venus Raj - Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010, Czarina Catherine Gatbonton - Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010 and Dianne Necio - 1st RU. (Photo credit: Melvia Sia of OPMB Worldwide)

Maria Venus Raj, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010

Czarina Catherine Gatbonton, Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010

Krista Mae Kleiner, Bb. Pilipinas-International 2010

Dianne Necio, 1st Runner-Up

Helen Nicolette Henson, 2nd Runner-Up

Let’s see what’s in store for the Top 3 ladies this year. I am most optimistic with Krista Mae Kleiner because she is the perfect fit for the Miss International competition. As for Maria Venus, I hope that she breaks the drought of a placement in the Miss Universe because it has been more than a decade since the Philippines last did. And for Czarina Catherine, I wish her lots of luck. Miss World is very unpredictable so if Julia Morley takes a shine on her, then good for us. I hate to think that it will be another forgettable Miss World turn for our bet, but who knows? She might even surprise everyone if she has all the lucky stars aligned in her favor.

Congratulations again and best of luck! 😉

Many thanks to Melvin Sia of OPMB Worldwide for the images above.

Binibining Pilipinas 2010 WINNERS!

Posted by Norman on March 7, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, Blog Bites: Miss Universe 2010. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Here they are! The winners of Binibining Pilipinas 2010 have been crowned during glittering ceremonies at the Araneta Coliseum last Saturday night. From the bevy of 24 Official Candidates, the ladies have been scored for their swimsuit and evening gown presentations, plus the all-important question-and-answer segment. The creme of the crop are as follows:


Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2010:
MARIA VENUS RAJ


Binibining Pilipinas-World 2010:
CZARINA CATHERINE GATBONTON (The biggest surprise of the night!)

11 - Krista Mae Kleiner


Binibining Pilipinas-International 2010:
KRISTA MAE ARRIETA KLEINER


1st Runner-Up:
Dianne Necio


2nd Runner-Up:
Helen Nicolette Henson

Rest of the Top 10:
Mary Ann Misa
Gwendoline Ruais
Rose Ann Aguilar
Mariella Castillo
Kate Princess Alimurong

Special Awardees:
Best In Swimsuit: Krista Mae Kleiner
Best In Long Gown: Maria Venus Raj
Miss PAL Sunniest Personality: Helen Nicolette Henson
Miss Photogenic: Helen Nicolette Henson
Araneta Shoppers’ Choice Award: Selena Antonio
Texters’ Choice Award: Laurese Ann Caparas
Manila Bulletin Readers’ Choice Award: Czarina Catherine Gatbonton

All three winners will now get ready for their respective international competitions – Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International.

Good luck to our queens of 2010! 😉

Tonight is the night of Bb. Pilipinas 2010!

Posted by Norman on March 6, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

All roads will lead to the historic Araneta Coliseum for the Binibining Pilipinas 2010 Grand Coronation Night. The culmination of the most exciting beauty competition in the Philippines – themed as “Shades of Glam” this year – will be made more engaging with a fabulous production number with the reigning queens and a serenade of the candidates to be rendered by no less than Mr. Arnel Pineda, lead singer of the popular American rock group “Journey.” Meanwhile, GMA-7 heartthrobs Akihiro Sato, Victor Aliwalas and Daniel Matsunaga will serve as escorts to the candidates during the long gown competition.

2009's Creme of the Crop: (L-R) 2nd Runner-Up Regina Hahn, BPI Melody Gersbach, BPU Bianca Manalo, BPW Marie-Ann Umali and 1st Runner-Up Richell Angalot

Who will replace last year's winners? (L-R) Bb. Pilipinas International 2009 Melody Gersbach, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2009 Bianca Manalo and Bb. Pilipinas-World 2009 Marie-Ann Umali

Binibining Pilipinas 2010 will be hosted by the dashing Mr. Dingdong Dantes, E! Online’s World’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2008 and host of the top-rating game show “Family Feud.” Fast-rising primetime leading lady Ms. Carla Abellana also joins Mr. Dantes as segment host. For pageant fans, I was told that Miss Japan 2006 and Miss Universe 2006 First Runner-Up Kurara Chibana will serve as one of the judges.

The Grand Coronation Night will be telecast later at 10:00 pm only on the Kapuso Network, GMA-7.

My Fearless Bb. Pilipinas 2010 Prediction: The Half-Breeds will likely win!

Posted by Norman on March 5, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

It’s all about the best fit for each of the international beauty competitions that the three winners will be sent to. This is the basis for my fearless picks for Binibining Pilipinas 2010. Representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International should have the specific mold and variety that each pageant is likely to favor. For example, I have learned time and again that a Bb. Pilipinas-International should have a pretty face first that should be truly attractive to a regional public (the contest will be held in China, but with still heavy Japanese influences). For Miss World, the national titleholder will benefit best if she is a bit on the dusky side with a generous hint of exotic features. Some people might quip…”but Julia Morley’s group prefers caucasians or blondes!” Yes, that is true, but since the Philippines can never produce someone in that category, better source a bet who is identifiably Filipina with global potentials. As for Miss Universe, this is the more difficult to size up as of late. We know for a fact that Donald Trump strongly favors Eastern Europeans, but can be easily weighed down by the judges if the latter sees a Latina or Asian being more qualified to win. Fashion Model-types have also been given extra premium in recent years. Henceforth, it would be wise to field in a statuesque Filipina with excellent runway skills, distinct facial features that do not easily give away her nationality and an all-together vibrant personality that craves for attention without begging for it.

With this in mind, here are my predictions for Binibining Pilipinas 2010 which will culminate in a lavish pageant tomorrow night at the Araneta Coliseum with a slightly delayed telecast over GMA-7:

My Top 5

Gwendoline Ruais for Bb. Pilipinas-Universe!

Maria Venus Raj for Bb. Pilipinas-World!

Krista Mae Kleiner for Bb. Pilipinas-International!

Mary Ann Misa for 1st Runner-Up!

Dianne Necio for 2nd Runner-Up!

Here are the remaining five ladies in my Top 10:

Mariella Castillo - Top 10!

Ana Marie Morelos - Top 10!

Nicole Kaufmann - Top 10!

Helen Nicolette Henson - Top 10!

Jam Charisa Libatog - Top 10!

As the title of this blog suggests, I predict that the half-breeds will win – Gwendoline (6’1″) is half-French, Maria Venus (5’10”) is half-Indian, and Krista Mae (5’8″) is half-American. Of course, my dear readers, you can take my selections with a grain of salt or otherwise. I have followed the Binibining Pilipinas for the longest time, and I am fairly confident with my choices for the Top 3, even if the runner-up positions are always open to switches depending on which girls will turn on the additional heat during crunch time, i.e., the question-and-answer portion.

Let’s see how this will compare with the actual results tomorrow night.

P.S. I am in the US right now until March 14 so I may not be able to watch the pageant on TV. My family will be on a road trip to Grand Canyon and Lake Havasu, Arizona tomorrow and I’m not happy that there might not be a strong internet connection where I can possibly get a live streaming of the same. At any rate, I wish all the 24 candidates the best of luck!!!