I am so much pleased to share with you the Season 4 Finale of Pageantry Norms with Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah. It was a very entertaining one-on-one with this lovely Queen that even extended beyond our original time allotment of 90 minutes. We also had our highest number of live views for the entire 4th Season, like saving the best for last.
Pageantry Norms Season 5 will return on May 23. But before that, we will have a one-time special for the 69th Miss Universe on the evening of May 16 where we will talk Final forecasts about the competition.
It has been more than a month since Miss Grand International 2020 1st Runner-Up Samantha Bernardo captured the hearts and minds of the whole world after her outstanding performance at the Miss Grand International pageant held in Thailand last March 27.
Samantha is still in Thailand, taking a much-deserved break after the pageant. While everyone is waiting for the homecoming of our newest Binibining Pilipinas pride, we’re here to share with you some interesting tidbits about this Pinay beauty!
Below are a few things that you may not know about Samantha Bernardo!
1. She can surely work those heels
Samantha captivated the world with her “GRANDnada” Walk! But did you know that aside from her signature strut, Samantha can do some amazing things while wearing her heels? She shares that she can do a split, cartwheel, and backbending all while wearing her signature heels! Now that’s a feat!
2. She started her career in hotels
Samantha was originally a hotelier by profession. This was something that she really wanted to pursue as a career as she graduated with a degree of BS Hospitality Management from Palawan State University. According to Samantha, she loves this job because she’s able to interact with people from all backgrounds and hear their stories.
3. She has an interest in the third kind
Space has always piqued the imagination and curiosity of mankind for centuries. And Samantha is one of those who have gained great interest in the secrets of the universe. She shares that she spends some of her downtime watching films and documentaries about aliens and distant worlds.
4. She’s a decorated athlete
We’ve already said that Samantha has a background in gymnastics, but did you know that she was so good at it that she’s won several medals? That’s right! At the early age of eight years old, she was able to take home the overall championship title for Rhythmic Gymnastics! She also won five gold medals at a regional athletic meet in Region IV-B! Who knows, if she chose a different path, she might have worn an Olympic medal instead of a crown?
5. She aspires to live with no regrets
Samantha’s favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 31:25 and it says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Aspiring to live by this verse, Samantha aims to live life to fullest so that she can inspire others to live with no regrets.
6. She’s a foodie
Samantha shares that she has a deep passion for food! According to Sam, one of her all-time favorite dishes is Bulalo. And that she has a special place in her heart for seafood. As for dessert, it’d be hard for Samantha to say no to some delectable chocolate pudding and cupcakes! Well what can we say? Same, Samantha, same.
7. She’s a folk dancer
Each and every step of Samantha on the stage is undeniably captivating. From Binibining Pilipinas to Miss Grand International, she carried a level of poise, grace, and artistry that caught everyone’s attention. According to Samantha, she got it all from her previous experience as a folk dancer. Performing some of our most important cultural dances has really given Samantha the edge on an international pageant stage.
8. She’s passionate about putting an end to malaria
Malaria is a disease which has affected many lives and caused the death of so many Filipinos. According to the Department of Health, though we have made terrific progress in controlling the spread of the disease, seven provinces still have local transmissions of this dreaded disease, and Palawan has more than 90 percent of the total cases in the country. As a Palaweña, the cause of malaria eradication is close to the heart of Samantha. That’s why she now serves as a Spokesperson for Malaria Free Philippines with the DOH and Kilusan Ligtas Malaria. For Samantha, the dream of a Malaria-Free Philippines by 2030 is an important goal, especially as it would directly impact the lives of Filipinos and improve the quality of life of so many people. With a passion to make a difference, Samantha is proving that she is the Queen for the people.
To keep updated about Samantha and her future plans you may follow her on Instagram at @samanthabernardo or subscribe to her YouTube channel. For more information about Binibining Pilipinas, visit https://www.bbpilipinas.com/. You may also like and follow them on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram pages.
The winners of Miss Grand International 2020 led by Abena Appiah have been thoroughly enjoying #AmazingThailand at a most leisurely pace. But soon, they will each move on with their lives and look back at the wonderful memories of the time spent together.
Here are photos taken at Banana Beach, Coral Island, Koh Hey, Phuket.
I never imagined I would be blogging this, but Nawatt Itsaragrisil and his pageant has now set a benchmark on how to properly host an international competition amidst the global pandemic. And to actually have all five winners touring Thailand for almost two weeks after the finals is just icing on the cake.
The 14-day quarantine upon arrival should be mandatory. But the most important detail is that the host country and its government is also effective in keeping the COVID virus from spreading.
MUO should be observing their movements more closely before the 69th Miss Universe delegates start arriving in Hollywood, Florida next month.
Two (2) very promising starts for the Philippines in international pageantry this 2021.
March
First it was Samantha Bernardo who got First Runner-Up honors last March 27 during the Finals of Miss Grand International 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.
April
And just last night in Sharm El Shiekh, Egypt, Kelley Day was so close to winning the country’s 2nd Miss Eco International title when she was named First Runner-Up to Gizzelle Mandy Uys of South Africa.
May
Next month in Hollywood, Florida, the 69th Miss Universe will have a new Queen. Will the ascent continue one notch higher to the top for Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo? Will it stay the same as the above? Or will the Philippines finally get that elusive 2nd Runner-Up placement?
The Miss Grand International 2020 winners continue their media tour at PPTV HD 36 Thailand. By now, the five ladies have already bonded with one another.
In the video below, watch Abena Appiah sing a song in Thai. This talent with language endears her to the locals even more.
Here are sisterly group photos of Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah and her court – Samantha Bernardo, Ivana Batchelor, Aurra Kharishma and Lala Guedes.
Photo credit: PentyDynamics
MGI2020 is now over. Let us all move on and start guessing as to when the re-scheduled finals of Bb. Pilipinas 2021 will be. Rumors are saying it will now be June 6. But it could really be any date for now – except April 17.
It was such a close fight for the crown that a sudden death was declared when only three remaining ladies in the Top 5 were left unannounced in terms of placement. An extra round of Q&A took place and this yielded the following results:
Miss Grand International 2020
Abena Appiah of the United States of America
1st Runner Up:
Samantha Bernardo of the Philippines
2nd Runner-Up:
Ivana Batchelor of Guatemala
3rd Runner-Up:
Aurra Kharishma of Indonesia
4th Runner-Up:
Lala Guedes of Brazil
Nawatt really knows how to make newsworthy moves in his pageant. Add to that the spotlight moments of Misses Kenya and Nigeria who tested positive for COVID upon arrival in Thailand and Miss Myanmar Hann Lay who did a long speech about the coup troubles and fighting in her country.
I was really rooting for Samantha to take the crown after the second round of final questioning but the judges might not have been convinced when she chose to give the last vaccine available to a senior citizen (this is like a deja vu of what happened to Nicole Cordoves last 2016 when she chose to give the less popular answer and ended up getting 1st Runner-Up to Ariska Pertiwi).
Miss Grand International 2020 has shaped up as the Battle between the Asians and the Latinas with delegates from both sides dominating the forecasts of practically every pageant site going into the finals scheduled for tomorrow evening in Bangkok. With only a pair of one European and one African/American being given the possible window of breaking the onslaught, the likelihood of victory rests on either Asia or the Americas succeeding Valentina Figuera of Venezuela.
Assembling a predicted cast of Top 20 for the first cut is never easy with a strong lineup of candidates. Pleasant surprises will take spots among the frontrunners. Be that as it may, below is my take on the matter.
Philippines – Samantha Bernardo
Indonesia – Aurra Kharishma
Czech Republic – Denisa Spergerova
Argentina – Mariana Varela
Guatemala – Ivana Batchelor
Mexico – Angela Yuriar
Puerto Rico – Fabiola Valentin
United States of America – Abena Appiah
Thailand – Chantaradapit Namfon
Kenya – Irene Ng’endo Mukii
Brazil – Lala Guedes
Vietnam – Nguyen Lê Ngoc Thào
Ecuador – Sonia Luna
Myanmar – Han Lay
Colombia – Natalia Manrique
Venezuela – Eliana Roa
Peru – Maricielo Gamara
Paraguay – Daisy Lezcano
Canada – Sara Winter
Cambodia – Chily Tevy (fast track)
There are six (6) Asians and ten (10) Latinas above. This shows you how strong both contingents are in the competition. At least from where I blog.
Going into the Top 10, one spot is already reserved for the winner of the Popular Vote who will come from this group of 5 – Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Guatemala. If the voting brigades of Samantha, Aurra and Ivana will go full force for their respective bets, then the following cast is safe:
Philippines – Samantha Bernardo
Indonesia – Aurra Kharishma
Czech Republic – Denisa Spergerova
Argentina – Mariana Varela
Guatemala – Ivana Batchelor
Mexico – Angela Yuriar
Puerto Rico – Fabiola Valentin
United States of America – Abena Appiah
Thailand – Chantaradapit Namfon
Kenya – Irene Ng’endo Mukii
Now is where I stuck to my personal picks from the Preliminary Competition. I want to see these five ladies making it to the most nerve-wracking part of the finals.
Philippines – Samantha Bernardo
Indonesia – Aurra Kharishma
Czech Republic – Denisa Spergerova
Argentina – Mariana Varela
Guatemala – Ivana Batchelor
It doesn’t happen very often that a candidate from Guatemala gets to be a strong contender regardless of the international pageant. Ivana became an instant darling after the National Costume Competition and followed it up with strong performances during the Preliminaries. I would be pleased seeing her get this far.
My first four has never changed. And if they deliver the goods when it matters most, then the top winner should come from them. The Final Q&A can be tricky when it comes to making predictions. I know that my sentimental vote will go to Samantha given her consistency in each aspect of the game. But so are the three others. At any rate, I want her to get the golden crown. If destiny decides in her favor, then my rankings should look like the photo grid below.
PS My fervent hope is that Nawatt Itsaragrisil likes our Samantha well enough to be his newest titleholder.
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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I am so much pleased to share with you the Season 4 Finale of Pageantry Norms with Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah. It was a very entertaining one-on-one with this lovely Queen that even extended beyond our original time allotment of 90 minutes. We also had our highest number of live views for the entire 4th Season, like saving the best for last.
It has been more than a month since Miss Grand International 2020 1st Runner-Up Samantha Bernardo captured the hearts and minds of the whole world after her outstanding performance at the Miss Grand International pageant held in Thailand last March 27.
3. She has an interest in the third kind
8. She’s passionate about putting an end to malaria
The winners of Miss Grand International 2020 led by Abena Appiah have been thoroughly enjoying #AmazingThailand at a most leisurely pace. But soon, they will each move on with their lives and look back at the wonderful memories of the time spent together.
May
Here are sisterly group photos of Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah and her court – Samantha Bernardo, Ivana Batchelor, Aurra Kharishma and Lala Guedes.
It was such a close fight for the crown that a sudden death was declared when only three remaining ladies in the Top 5 were left unannounced in terms of placement. An extra round of Q&A took place and this yielded the following results:
Miss Grand International 2020 has shaped up as the Battle between the Asians and the Latinas with delegates from both sides dominating the forecasts of practically every pageant site going into the finals scheduled for tomorrow evening in Bangkok. With only a pair of one European and one African/American being given the possible window of breaking the onslaught, the likelihood of victory rests on either Asia or the Americas succeeding Valentina Figuera of Venezuela.
