Katja and her Lolo Jack
Katja was seen off at the airport by family members, boyfriend, loyal fans/supporters, BPCI’s Lilliana and my partner Joy Arguil (who took all the shots here).
From all of us here at normannorman.com, here’s wishing you the best in your mission.
Hailing from Bacolod, the beautiful Vickie Marie Rushton has led a colorful life in both pageantry and showbusiness.
She was Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 and was supposed to compete in that year’s Miss Intercontinental. Unfortunately, the continuous delay of the holding of the pageant prompted her to give way to another lady (Kathleen Po) to represent us instead.
And then in 2014, she auditioned for and got in the Pinoy Big Brother program of ABS-CBN as a housemate. From that point, she started a showbiz career that saw her last in the hit primetime teleserye “Ang Probinsyano”. She is the girlfriend of actor Jason Abalos who is now with GMA-7.
This year, Vickie is returning to the pageant scene via Bb. Pilipinas 2018. She filed her application yesterday at BPCI and is well on her way to attending the screenings soon. The video below is a clip from “Ang Probinsyano” where she played the character of Amanda.
Starting next month, the international pageant missions of our national beauty queens will begin one after another. October will have Miss Grand International and Miss Asia-Pacific International. November will follow with Reina Hispanoamericana, Miss International, Miss World, Miss Earth and – hopefully – Miss Universe.
December will jumpstart with Miss Supranational, Miss Intercontinental and Miss Tourism International.
So who among these ladies will have the highest rates of success in their respective missions?
From my vantage point, Elizabeth Clenci and Katarina Rodriguez have the good edge of winning their respective pageants abroad – the most obvious reason being that the Philippines has not won either Miss Grand International or Miss Intercontinental yet. But beyond that, both ladies will definitely stay within the immediate radar of their respective organizers, not to mention the fact that they can be excellent spokespersons for the group. And I’m not even factoring in the National Peace Ambassador status of Liz and the close social media interest of the MIC people in Katja.
Next in line, I am giving Laura Lehmann, Chanel Olive Thomas and Rachel Peters with the next highest probability of winning or making it in the topmost tier of finishers. The chances are still vacillating at the moment. But given what the Philippines has already shown in terms of brand sustainability and social media popularity, it would be unimaginable to see them not getting the placement/s that would prompt the Filipinos to continuously herald their domination – or growing intensity – in global pageantry.
News-worthy finishes should also be in store for Mariel de Leon, Karen Ibasco, Nelda Ibe and Jannie Alipo-on. No back-to-back has ever happened in Miss International ever so the possibility of Kylie Verzosa crowning her compatriot is dangling at 50/50. Karen Ibasco, on the other hand, is still coming off the two year-old 3rd win of the country in Miss Earth. And being host delegate is always a tricky situation to be in.
Nelda Ibe will do well in Albania, simply because she is a glowing physical presence. But to clinch a 2nd Miss Globe crown might not yet be in the offing so soon after Ann Colis (this inspite of the goodwill she has gave back to the organization since relinquishing her crown). But I trust a very good placement after last year’s belated 3rd Runner-Up announcement of Nichole Manalo.
As far as Miss Tourism International is concerned, the Malaysian officials have always been appreciative of our bets. In fact, I was told that Jannie Alipo-on was the personal choice of Tan Sri Datu Danny Ooi during the Mutya ng Pilipinas finals earlier last month. So a Top 5 finish is always very likely.
As for Ilene de Vera in Miss Asia-Pacific International, being host delegate is another potential hurdle on top of the brand still trying to gain more solid ground after its resurrection last year. But just like Ganiel Krishnan who finished 2nd Runner-Up, this beautiful Cebuana will also be up there.
So how will Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2017 Wyn Marquez establish herself in the country’s inaugural participation in the Latina-laden beauty competition? Truth be told, I still remain relatively clueless. I know that she will stand out in Bolivia regardless of the middling height. And knowing how she has been preparing hard for this, there will be a spot for Miss Filipinas alongside the other top performers. Who knows, she might even clinch a surprise victory that will give the 26 year-old competition a much needed shot-in-the-arm to keep up with the increasing popularity of its other counterparts in the pageant world.
P.S. I included only the titleholders who will compete for the Philippines between October to December, 2017
Jennifer, Nicole and Kylie compete this October
Jennifer wages battle in Colombo, Sri Lanka first for Miss Intercontinental 2016 on October 16. More than a week after, Nicole will blaze through Sin City strip when she competes in the finals of Miss Grand International 2016 happening in Las Vegas, Nevada. And two days after, Kylie will do her absolute best to nail our 6th Miss International crown in Tokyo, Japan.
This will definitely be an October to remember! 🙂
Miss Intercontinental 2016 on October 16
Miss Grand International 2016 on October 25
Miss International 2016 on October 27
Miss Earth 2016 on October 29
October 16 will see Valentina Rasulova of Russia handing over the Miss Intercontinental crown to her successor at the Stein Studios in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jennifer Hammond will be our bet.
And then on October 25, Claire Parker of Australia will be next in line to relinquish hers at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino during the lavish climax of Miss Grand International 2016. Nicole Cordoves will seal our fate in this one.
Two days later, or on October 27, all roads will lead to Tokyo Dome City Hall in the Japanese capital for the elegant affair that is Miss International 2016 where Edymar Martinez will find out who’s next. This is Kylie Verzosa’s date with destiny.
And finally on October 29, Angelia Ong will see if a back-to-back-to-back is even possible with Imelda Schweighart representing the Philippines in Miss Earth 2016 which will culminate in the Coronation Night at the SM MOA Arena.
Whew!
And if these details are not enough, a big male pageant will have its big event in Surabaya, Indonesia for Mister Universal Ambassador 2016 – not next month but on September 30 – just over 15 days from now! Gentlemen of the Philippines – Universal Ambassador 2016 Andrea Biondo will try to win our first in this Indonesia-based advocacy-oriented male contest.
Mister Universal Ambassador 2016 will have its finals on September 30
PS. I have not even included Miss Global and Miss Asia Pacific International yet! The first will be beld September 24 and MAPI next month
Having represented the Philippines in Miss Intercontinental 2010, Christi Lynn McGarry can never be Kris Tiffany Janson's successor (Photo credit: Jonas Yu)
Binibini 19 Christi Lynn McGarry
But does that affect the tall beauty who is now the bet of Nabua, Camarines Sur in the nationals? Not at all. She is setting her sights on something that is hopefully grander. Universe? International? Supranational? Why not? She is all set to do us proud if destiny so decides that she becomes a crowned Binibini.
The path remains thorny. But she’s got heavy-duty heels and all to crush the competition if the opportunity warrants that she makes it high up the ladder on March 15. 😉
The year's news-worthy winners in pageantry
While the 63rd Miss Universe Pageant left us hanging on a balance for results coming in for the year, the rest of the international beauty competitions gave us reasons to smile, laugh, sneer, frown or simply nonchalant.
Miss World 2014 gave us results that led to a mix of joy and disappointment. Joy because Rolene Strauss of South Africa is a perfect winner in the eyes of most everyone. Disappointment on our part because the back-to-back objective of Miss World Philippines Valerie Weigmann was cut short when she failed to advance to the Top 10. But most of you may want to admit it that this was already half-expected considering the signs that were thrown our way days before the finals.
Miss International 2014 was a different story. Almost all feeds from Tokyo gave thumbs up for the running performance of Bb. Pilipinas-International Bianca Guidotti. It was such an increasing high that the likelihood of a back-to-back with MI2013 Bea Rose Santiago was getting clearer by the day. Alas, the finals night underwhelmed most when our bet stepped out in a ball gown that could have pulled down her chances to even reach the Top 10. But from my vantage point, I had clarity a few hours before the coronation night started. I got word from a reliable source that, indeed, the Japanese are not and will never be open to giving the win to the same country two times in a row. It could happen light years away, but not in the short-term. And if that’s not enough, the very surprising come-from-behind victory of Puerto Rico’s Valerie Hernandez Matias got everyone raising their eyebrows. It’s not that she isn’t deserving at all. She simply did not register well during pre-pageant and most of the ladies looked at her as not the most seriously eager in getting the Mikimoto diadem.
Now going to Miss Earth 2014, the momentum of the host delegate gifting the Philippines with its 2nd crown never wavered. Jamie, despite falling sick somewhere in the middle of pre-pageant run, always propelled herself back to the top just when someone else is threatening to steal the spotlight away from her. And when finals night came, it was just a matter of ranking the three other elements in their proper places. The top spot was already in the bag even before the hosts made the announcement.
Miss Supranational 2014 in Poland, on the other hand, had a lot of intriguing back stories that went hand-in-hand with the explosive outcome of Miss Intercontinental 2014 in Germany. I prefer not to dissect these controversies anymore so as not to put down the two competitions which were somehow intertwined by a common individual. It’s unfortunate that the finals in Magdeburg took place a day ahead of the grand event in Krynica-Zdrój. I would have been consoled with Parapadsorn Disdamrong getting the Miss Supranational crown and either Kris Tiffany Janson or Jeslie Margal of Cuba ruling Miss Intercontinental instead of Patraporn Wang who did not sit well with a lot of followers. Oh well…
Relatively new or relatively small or relatively obscure, these competitions contributed to the color of 2014 in pageantry
While not as big a pageant as the others, Miss Heritage 2014 gifted the Philippines a crown via Odessa Mae Tadaya (seated on throne)
Daryanne Lees Garcia of Cuba won the 2nd edition of Miss Grand International. A heavily-favored doll beauty of a married woman named Marina Alexeychik of Belarus outlasted her fellow candidates in Mrs. World. India made a back-to-back in Miss Asia-Pacific Supertalent. Ela Mino won as Miss Global 2014 while aboard a Crown Princess Cruise from L.A. to Mexico, while Tomomi Kondo of Japan won Miss Tourism World in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
May Myat Noe, the controversial winner of Miss Asia Pacific World 2014
And in far away Johannesburg, South Africa, Odessa Mae Tadaya of the Philippines was proclaimed Miss Heritage 2014, much to the delight of her countrymen.
Male winners clockwise from top left: Nicklas Perdersen, Victor Zanetta, JM Sunglao and Stuart Hatton Jr.
How about the men? Well there were more than a few worth adding to the mix. Nicklas Pedersen of Denmark was voted Mr. World 2014 in a hotly-contested affair. Victor Zanetta representing Fernando de Noronha was given the title of Mister Model International 2014. Our very own JM Sunglao gave a sweet surprise of a win as Starz Hunk International 2014 and the UK’s Stuart Hatton Jr. won Mr. Gay World in Italy.
I’m sure I still must have missed on one or two, but you can fill in some of the other still unmentioned names. I’m currently on a brief Hong Kong vacation and my mind is.really.divided. I need this break.
Anyways, Happy New Year sa lahat! 😀
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