The 2022 Miss Universe Philippines Finals promises to be one of the grandest editions. Pageant fans are waiting with bated breath to witness three former Miss Universe host the coronation night. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzabach, Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Tebow and Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere.
Just a few years ago, Iris Mittenaere was crowned Miss Universe in Manila endearing her in the hearts’ of the Filipinos. They will surely be delighted with her visit and participation in Miss Universe Philippines.
Miss Universe Philippines Director of Communications, Voltaire Tayag, briefly caught up with Iris to see how she is doing.
Q: How did you feel/react when you were invited to be a host for MUPh 2022?
Iris: I was so happy ! I wanted to go back to the Philippines since 4 years ! It’s amazing to have the opportunity to see such a beautiful show as miss Philippines and to to host it, it’s heaven.
Q: What is your fondest memory of the Philippines?
Iris: Of course my crowning moment. I had the chance to be crowned in the very same place the new miss Philippines will be crowned ! It’s was one of the best moment of my life. I remember how the Filipinos were cheering for me, sending me so much love. I can’t wait to be back and thank them again.
Q: What are you looking forward to your upcoming visit to Manila?
Iris: I look forward to be reunited with my miss universe sisters, and to meet another sister, the new miss Philippines ! Of course, I wanna meet as many people as I can, to thank them, speak with them. Being in this place is gonna be very emotional for me, this is like a pilgrimage for me !
Q: Is there a Filipino delicacy /food that you are excited to eat again or want to try?
Iris: I wanna try everything! (laughs) But I am a fan of dried mangoes !!
She is expected to arrive in Manila on April 28 just in time for the Finals. Catch the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Preliminary Competition on April 27, 6PM at The Cove, Okada Manila.Book your tickets now to rally behind your favorite finalists!
Here are three ways to get your tickets:
1. Book on Lazada: https://bit.ly/MUPH2022PrelimsTicket 2. Contact the Miss Universe Philippines ticketing Team at 09175157339
3. Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/6bMVKHoJwBi8ifXk6
The MUPh Organization brings a #UniquelyBeautiful digital viewing experience to everyone around the world. The Coronation will be live and for FREE on iWantTFC and ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel on April 30, 7PM PHT.
But there is nothing like being at the live Finals on April 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Get your tickets now at http://www.smtickets.com.
There are rumors circling around the small corners of the pageant world that the next Miss Universe might be held in La Ville–Lumière (or the City of Light).
Paris, France is one of my favorite places in the world, as do most. And if this small talk progresses into something more solid, it will be such a wonderful hosting if ever.
Back then, I thought that Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere will be able to crown her successor in France.
I hope this does not remain wishful thinking, dear readers.
As reported/confirmed by different reputable pageant/entertainment sites, the selection committee of the 70th Miss Universe will be an all-female panel made up of different personalities from seven different origins. It reads like a Top 7 where the countries of France, Israel, the Philippines, Brazil, Puerto Rico, USA and India are represented. Now will these seven ladies favor the bets of their respective countries. Maybe. But I’m not leaning on it.
There is the 65th Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere, Miss Universe 1976 Rina Mor (nee Messinger), Philippine actress Marian Rivera-Dantes, Brazilian Supermodel Adriana Lima, Puerto Rican celebrity Adamari Lopez, model/influencer Lori Harvey and former Miss India Universe Urvashi Rautela.
There are other names that floated, like Patrick Starr, Coco Rocha, Tali Eshkoli, Lyrica Okano and Daniel Rubino. But it is possible that there will be a different set of judges for Preliminaries and Finals. I would rather have the same set of panelists from start to finish, though.
The Philippines has hosted the Miss Universe Pageant three (3) times ever since the first one in 1974 – an all-out Philippine-inspired edition that was motivated by the victory of Margarita Moran in Athens, Greece the year before. The candidates were billeted at the Philippine Village Hotel near Nayong Pilipino. And they were all given the warmest hospitality that included different cities “adopting” ladies as part of the pre-pageant activities. (Miss Jamaica 1974 Lennox Anne Black was assigned to Las Piñas where a street was eventually named after her.)
Life during the mid-70s was comparatively simpler than now. But trust the Marcoses to spare no expense in making the event lavish. And that included building a new finals venue from scratch. Only for Miss Universe 1974.
Spain won its first ever Miss Universe title here. Sadly, the late Amparo Muñoz surrendered the crown midway through her reign with no replacement named. She simply had a hard time conforming to the rules and regulations of the organization.
It took two decades before the second staging in the country would take place.
While the 1994 event was doomed to lose money right from the get-go, the government – through the Department of Tourism – did not leave any stone unturned to insure that everything would go smoothly from start to finish. The tourism thrust for the Philippines was very much evident. And the official residence – Manila Hotel – gave all the candidates the royal treatment. The then-upcoming singer-comedian Ogie Alcasid was even commissioned as “Manolo” – the tour guide/mascot of sorts who accompanied all the ladies in their tours. (That was also the time when flickers of his romantic relationship with Miss Australia Michelle Van Eimeren started.)
Personally, I reckon that the efforts and expenses that went into the 1994 commitment were the least indulgent in terms of giving in to all the financial trappings of an international pageant. True, the bottom figures were all in red after everything was completed. But nothing that would scare wealthy financiers or rock an entire government for that matter.
India won its first Miss Universe crown. Thanks to Sushmita Sen who upended all the heavy favorites like Minorka Mercado of Venezuela, Carolina Gomez of Colombia and Lu Parker of the USA.
After that, the turn of the new millennium plus more than one and a half decade will pass before the Philippines would aggressively bid hosting for the third time. It took the help of Governor Chavit Singson and a string of big private-sector sponsors to push for the 65th Miss Universe to happen in Manila. It could not be popularly marketed as Miss Universe 2016 because of the skip in year. The finals was scheduled January 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Conrad Manila took over the sponsorship of housing the candidates throughout their entire stay after the rooms in the originally-planned residence – Okada Manila – could not be finished in time for the start of the pageant.
Among the three hostings, this was the glossiest of them all – from accomodations to pre-pageant venues to charity balls to out-of-town trips. The happenings in both Doral (2014) and Atlanta (2019) will be put to shame by its non-stop red carpet and sponsor engagements. Be that as it may, though, any team of auditors will have the most trying time analyzing and balancing the mountain of expenditures that went into the three-week extravaganza.
And our third Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach, crowned her successor Iris Mittenaere of France right here.
Let us watch the three finals now so you can see the evolution.
Miss Universe 1974 at the Folk Arts Theater
Miss Universe 1994 at the Philippine International Convention Center
From Empire TV on YouTube, here are videos of the three Miss Universe winners – Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Iris Mittenaere and Pia Wurtzbach – for Uniqlo Lifewear.
Photos from the Grit+Glam event at Cove Manila featuring Miss Universe titleholders Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Iris Mittenaere and Pia Wurtzbach plus Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray.
This event was made possible by Frontrow International.
Special Credit: Glenn Palacio for normannorman.com
Presscon for Grit + Glam at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila featuring the three Miss Universe titleholders Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Iris Mittenaere and Pia Wurtzbach with Paula Shugart of the MUO and the World’s Strongest Men. This event is made possible by Frontrow International.
Hi! Norman here. When I'm not working, I spend most of my free time planning on daily blogs. If you will notice, I always make sure that a fresh topic comes out everyday - not an easy thing to do but it's all good. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the visit!
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