Unlike last year when the highest crown was a lock for Catriona Gray since Day 1, the competition for this year’s Miss Universe Philippines alone is like a tight basketball playoff among eight (8) teams wanting to win the championship trophy. I say eight (8) because it symbolizes infinity where the movement is unending. Nobody has an idea where it will stop until the buzzer (or announcement of winners for that matter) finally sounds off on the night of June 9.

Of course, the organizers of Miss Universe Philippines and Binibining Pilipinas may already have clearer choices on who they would be happy to see winning among the forty (40) Official Candidates. But those preferences remain as such. They can still be upended by the Board of Judges during deliberation. The important thing is to make it to the eight-highest spots to be part of the winning circle from where the six (6) titleholders and two (2) runners-up will emerge.

This time around, I am taking a different approach in handing out my predictions for Miss Universe Philippines | Bb. Pilipinas 2019. Instead of just one collective blog entry two days before the Coronation Night, I will share with you my individual shortlists for the six (6) crowns at stake (read: six separate blogs) before zeroing in on who should win and who could win in my humble opinion.

But before starting off with my dedicated posts on who Miss Universe Philippines, Bb. Pilipinas International, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International and Bb. Pilipinas Globe could be, allow me to list down the names of the Binibinis who made it to the upper half of my choices – the Top 20, that is.

These twenty (20) ladies will – in one way or another – be part of the #Infinity8 for each of the titles. In the order of their assigned numbers now:

1. Jessica Marasigan of Malabon
2. Martina Turner Diaz of Muntinlupa
3. Sigrid Grace Flores of Iloilo
4. Marianne Marquez of Marikina
5. Gazini Ganados of Talisay, Cebu
6. Maria Andrea Abesamis of Pasig
7. Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna
8. Maria Isabela Galeria of Sorsogon
9. Denise Omorog of Baras, Catanduanes
10. Bea Patricia Magtanong of Bataan
11. Hannah Arnold of Masbate
12. Ilene de Vera of Mandaue City, Cebu
13. Julia Saubier of Daraga, Albay
14. Nicole Guerrero of Ilocos Sur
15. Samantha Lo of Cebu City
16. Emma Tiglao of Pampanga
17. Samantha Bernardo of Palawan
18. Resham Ramirez Saeed of Maguindanao
19. Vickie Marie Rushton of Negros Occidental
20. Joanna Tolledo of Caloocan

Gut-feel is telling me that all the winners will come from the above group.

Next stop: Who could be the next Bb. Pilipinas Globe?