Allow me to share some black-and-white photos which chronicled the win of Margarita Moran as Miss Universe 1973 in Athens, Greece. Thank you to Daniel Simon via Getty Images for having these wonderful memories in their archives.
Indeed, queenly bearing becomes her.
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Margarita Moran élue Miss Univers à Athènes le 21 juillet à Athènes, Grèce. (Photo by Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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
Next on my teasers for Miss Universe Philippines is a 24 year-old ballerina from Parañaque who graduated from the De La Salle University with a degree in Psychology. She has some pedigree going into her introduction. Aside from being the granddaughter of former actress Marita Zobel (I know the millennials have no idea of who she is), this beautiful soul with a Kylie Verzosa vibe is the niece of the country’s second Miss Universe winner, Margarita Moran.
Ysabella Blanche “Bella” Roxas Ysmael is also an on-and-off vlogger. Check out her one year-old uploaded feature of The Dessert Museum below. This is where you can check out her Kylie V. aura.
Bella’s closest engagement to a beauty pageant was when she joined and won Binibining Parañaque back in 2014. Other than that, she participated in Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018 where she finished 1st Runner-Up in the Female Category.
If you must know, she is being trained and polished for the national pageant by a team of US-based mentors and coaches who have pooled their expertise and formed a team (quite appropriately) called ”The Camp”. You can say she is an independent in a way, but a well-armed one at that.
You will definitely see and read more about Bella right after the Holiday Break as the MUP2020 screening fast approaches.
Miss Universe 1973 Margarita “Margie” Moran is currently the President of Ballet Philippines. And since the dance company is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and 50th Season this year, a collaboration with world-renowned Fashionable Designer Michael Cinco was set in motion.
In this blog entry are two of her photos taken inside the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) where she is so elegantly dressed in a black creation of the said designer. She still looks as gloriously beautiful as the day she won our country’s second Miss Universe crown in Athens, Greece.
Do watch the video below which promotes the 50th Season of Ballet Philippines.
Magnolia Chicken has achieved a casting coup of sorts by assembling the Philippines’ three Miss Universe titleholders – Gloria Diaz (1969), Margarita Moran (1973) and Pia Wurtzbach (2015) – in its latest TV commercial which christened their brand of fowl as “Pambansang Manok” (National Chicken) in the process. I like it that the ad agency (PublicisJimenezBasic) behind the TVC was able to bring the concept to fruition as getting all three winners in one ad campaign is an idea waiting to be picked up since Pia won. Maybe the right brand is just waiting to be tapped for all three to appear in.
Earlier at the SMX Convention Center, PLDT and Smart Communications hosted a lunch for the media and twenty of the 65th Miss Universe candidates. It was hashtagged #PLDTMissU #SmartMissU #keepthecrown and the members of the Press had a grand time talking to and having photos taken with the candidates. And they even joined us for lunch in our respective tables. We had Misses Turkey, Great Britain, Russia and Colombia with us. I really started bonding well with the uber beautiful Sila Çakir with whom I shared tips on how she should handle the Preliminary Interviews which will start soon. I also had good conversations with Jaime-lee Faulkner, Yuliana Kolorkova and Andrea Tovar (who is less of a diva and more of a warm and “gayish” persona).
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What made the event sweet was your blogger winning a Miss Universe replica crown in an Instagram-related contest where the winners will be selected based on the photo/s uploaded of the gathering on Instagram.
Your blogger winning a Miss Universe replica crown and getting crowned by Nicole Cordoves
Jonas Gaffud with Venezuela, Indonesia, Australia and Korea
And tonight at Okada Manila, a dinner reception was hosted by the casino resort for all the contestants where the highlight is the presence of the Philippines’ three Miss Universe winners – Gloria Diaz (1969), Margarita Moran (1973) and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (2015). This was such an emotional sight for everyone, especially the Filipinos in the audience who were so awestruck when the trio went up the stage for photos and all.
Gloria Diaz, Pia Wurtzbach and Margarita Moran in one frame
A groupie with some of the contestants
This is such a long and tiring day for everyone. And tomorrow’s schedule is mercifully less toxic. The Tribute to Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach will happen in the evening at the Harbor Tent of Sofitel Manila. And I can’t wait to attend that one!
Good night for now, dear readers! 🙂
Gloria, Pia and Margarita – Miss Universe winners all
There is no significant trivial information to support the achievement of the Philippines winning the Miss Universe crown during the years 1969, 1973 and 2015. Considering the time intervals, any pageant expert already following then would initially surmise that after clinching our first two victories in a span of just five years would mean constant wins or top placements through four different decades of participation. Not so. We also had our share of dark ages (no Top 5 at all) scattered in between, the longest stretches of drought running from 1952 to 1962 going next from 1985 to 1993, and then from 2000 to 2009. These are the time clusters when all we can do is sit and take one disappointment after the other, hoping that succeeding editions would be kinder to our delegates.
Of course, we should be happy that our record in the annual beauty competition is nothing to sneer at. If at any, consider ourselves lucky that we have really made our presence felt, unlike some nations which cannot enumerate a list of crowning glories, let alone runner-up finishes or even Top 10 inclusions. At this point, we are already considered a pageant powerhouse nation, not only in Miss Universe but other fronts as well.
And we intend to improve on the track record, extend the shining moments and become more solid in all our yearly quests from this day on. 🙂
The Philippines’ three Miss Universe winners (Gloria and Margie homecoming photos shared by Felix Manuel)
Back in 1969 and 1973 when the Philippines experienced its first two tastes of Miss Universe glory, both Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran were welcomed back to the country with such funfare that their respective parades (while seated on a top down car) around Manila were attended by so many proudly cheering Filipinos showing their joy in seeing a Filipina being crowned the most beautiful in the universe. The arrangements were not yet as complex back then – with no lockdowns from the organizers and uber restrictions on protocol and how the homecoming proceeded from Day 1. Their schedules were not clamped down in terms of how long they can stay in the country or how soon they need to go back to the home base in the US.
Nowadays, becoming Miss Universe means chasing time. The upcoming arrival of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach in the country was scheduled to jibe with a MUO-committed annual visit to Djakarta where she will crown the winner of Puteri Indonesia 2016. This is the reason why she will be flying in from the Indonesian capital on January 23, and not New York City. And it’s not like she will be given enough “me” time in Manila. With all the scheduled Press Conferences, ticker tape parade, Malacañan Palace courtesy call and countless appearances and reception, it’s good that she was able to negotiate for an extra few days so that she can settle personal items like her rented apartment, personal effects and a previously-agreed date to attend the wedding of her best friend (actress) Pauleen Luna to actor/comedian Vic Sotto.
It’s going to be a whirlwind of a homecoming such that you will certainly start missing Pia even before her scheduled stay in the country starts. But we all want this crown. And in return, we should whole-heartedly share our Queen to the Universe. Her reign has just started and the months ahead will surely be so jet-settingly busy, let alone hectic. 🙂
Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach in photos provided by Associated Press Entertainment
Pia Wurtzbach and the entire Philippines are the winners of the Miss Universe 2015 DIC crown
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach
Call it fate. Call it a most controversial turn of winning moments. Call it whatever you like. The essence of Miss Universe is who rightfully won the DIC crown.
Ariadna Gutierrez of Colombia had her brief shining moment. But it wasn’t meant to last because in less than 5 minutes, the real winner was announced and the crown transferred ownership in a flash. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines is Miss Universe 2015.
Host Steve Harvey owned up to his mistake and showed the card containing the Philippines as the true victor. I have to pinch him hard for taking away a most genuine image of our Queen getting the crown from Paulina Vega. But I can take the twists. If there is one spot I wouldn’t want to fill in now is that of real 1st Runner-Up Ariadna Gutierrez because she is the one who had to go through an embarrassing minute or two on worldwide TV as having to give up what was already planted on her head and step down accordingly.
If it’s any consolation, the Philippines was hastily announced right before the Live Telecast was cut short because of the awkward scenes happening onstage.
We now have a proud 3rd member of the sisterhood which had only Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran as members for 42 years now. They have a new recruit and she is MISS UNIVERSE 2015 PIA ALONZO WURTZBACH! 😀
Many thanks to GMA Network News for coming up with the above graphic
MJ Lastimosa during her homecoming presscon
As we close another complete chapter of international pageantry with the crowning of the 63rd Miss Universe Paulina Vega a week ago, allow me to reminisce on the Philippine participation in the same, with focus on the achievements we have made.
Yesterday, I gathered from reliable sources that Miss Universe Philippines 2014 Mary Jean ‘MJ’ Lastimosa actually finished 6th overall (how heartbreaking!) in the competition. She lost by a mere 0.625 of a point to Yasmin Verheijen of the Netherlands going into the Top 5.
Now if only she entered the magic circle and notched 2nd Runner-up at least in Miami, then the country would’ve already conquered all possible placements in our favorite beauty pageant.
Watch the video below showing our Miss Universe reps from 1952 to the 63rd edition.
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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