Today, I am giving everyone double the teaser treats in one. Two ladies from different parts of the Philippines. And they are entirely unique to each other if compared side by side. Call them night and day or dusk till dawn. The sure thing is that both of them are looking at becoming Binibinis for 2020. Separately, they have done national competitions with marked achievements, albeit unfamiliar to some.

Kheshapornam Ramachandran is the half Filipina-half Malaysian/Indian Ilongga whose claim to national pageantry was winning one of the crowns during Mutya ng Pilipinas Gold. She won the right to represent the country in Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International. It was supposed to happen during the last quarter of 2018 or early 2019. Sadly, the organizers scrapped the staging of the international contest. Just like Pauline Amelinckx, she was left with no choice but to accept the fate of having an aborted pageant mission.

5’9” tall Khesha is now competing for Miss Iloilo 2020. Regardless if she wins this annual provincial event or not, I was told that she will still pursue the plan of signing up for Bb. Pilipinas 2020. And why not, if she was able to win a crown during the strongest batch of Mutya ng Pilipinas, then she can now take on the more pressure-laden journey of a Binibini.

Next, let’s head down to Koronadal in South Cotabato for our next potential aspirant. Alayzza Izzabelle Tolimao is the Queen of the Agten Tufi Festival that allowed her to go to Manila and take part in Reyna ng Aliwan 2019 – a national gathering of ladies representing different festivals around the country. While not initially picked as an early contender, she proved her charm and grace in front of the judges (your blogger was part of the panel) all the way to the top where she was named one of three 2nd Runners-Up that effectively included her in the Top 5.

It was a good testing ground for 19 year-old Alayyza – enough to gain the confidence in reaching out for bigger dreams in the national level. If she pursues the Bb. Pilipinas 2020 application, then it would be a giant leap, helped by the fact that – during Bb. Zamboanga Sibugay 2019 where she was named 4th Runner-Up – she was already able to hold her own against strong candidates like Malka Shaver, Kylah Sanchez and Apriel Smith.

Let us give them the chance to shine further in the national stage. Khesha and Alayyza might even surprise us when it matters most.