I had the good chance of spending quality time with Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Loren Mar Artajos during our judging of the Ginoo at Binibining Laguna 2017 finals more than a week ago today. And I simply could not let the opportunity pass without asking her a question that has been nagging my mind ever since she took over the reign from Imelda Schweighart who resigned after a string of controversies during Miss Earth 2016. How is she taking it all in?
Loren is very quick to admit that things could have been sweeter had she won the title right from the start. That would have allowed her to represent the Philippines in the international competition. And she would have been a mighty proud wearer of the country’s sash.
“But don’t get me wrong, Tito Norman. I am still thrilled that the national title is now mine. Just imagine, how often can you see a third placer getting the crown? It’s usually the 1st Runner-Up, or Miss Air in our case. It must be really fate that led me to this. And I am committed to hold on to my responsibility to the organizers till my successor is crowned in June. I am taking in all the blessings that are coming my way. It has allowed me to still use my voice and the platform to spread environmental awareness throughout the country.
I am a happy Miss Philippines Earth, Tito Norman!”
So there. Loren Mar may have only a few months left till she passes on the crown to a new winner. But she is making the most out of everything. After all, the Miss Philippines Earth 2016 is hers. And it will stay attached to her name forever. 🙂
Loren Mar Artajos (rightmost) and I during the Ginoo at Binibining Laguna 2017 judging together with Spanish model Alejandro Coloma
Your blogger and his partner Joy Arguil (rightmost) with Malaya Columnist Jay Patao and a few of the ladies who screened
Yesterday afternoon, the final screening of Miss Philippines Earth 2017 went without a hitch at the Carousel Mansion in Mandaluyong City. The ladies who came have already been pre-selected before attending the all-important interview with the judging panel which included Lorraine Schuck, Peachy Veneracion and (newly-placed) Miss Philippines Air 2016 Shannon Bridgman.
There were a few familiar faces who showed up, like Jessica McEwen from Mutya ng Pilipinas, Karen Ibasco from Bb. Pilipinas and Iya Antonio from Miss Global Philippines, just as there are notably promising ladies in contention like Samantha Acosta, Odeza Duqueza (Bb. Aurora 2017) and Heike Marlis.
The selected applicants from this group will join the official entries from the different key cities and provinces in the Philippines plus the Filipino Commumities abroad to form the 2017 batch of Earth Warriors who will vie for the crown of reigning titleholder Loren Mar Artajos come June.
Good luck to everyone! 🙂
P.S. The new Elemental Court of Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Loren Mar Artajos is composed of:
Air: Shannon Bridgman
Water: Melanie Mader
Fire: Tim Alsowyed
Eco-Tourism: Charinna Barro
——
Kiara Giel Gregorio had to give up on her Miss Air duties in favor of her demanding university schedule in London.
The search for Miss Philippines Earth 2017 has also started
We’re not even into the start of screenings for Bb. Pilipinas 2017, and another national beauty pageant has already began its annual search. Miss Philippines Earth 2017 is now open for interested participants in this year’s edition which promises to be more exciting with the presence of Miss Earth 2016 Katherine Espin in most of the events leading to the finals (tentatively set around late May).
And with the resignation of Imelda Schweighart, the winners and elemental court are now complete, led by new Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Loren Mar Artajos. Miss Philippines Air is still Kiara Giel Gregorio, while promoted to new ranks are Shannon Bridgman as Miss Philippines Water, Melanie Mader as Miss Philippines Fire and previous semifinalist Tim Alsowyed as the new Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism.
For those interested to sign up for Miss Philippines Earth 2017, you know the drill. Check out the qualifications in the image below and visit Carousel Productions at Carousel Mansion in Mandaluyong for screening, together with good photos to attach to your application form and birth certificate.
Qualifications for Miss Philippines Earth 2017 are detailed above
More on Miss Philippines Earth 2017 soon! 🙂
Along with Miss Earth 2016 Katherine Espin, Miss Philippines Earth 2016 and her court are now complete
She’s the new Miss Philippines Earth 2016 – Loren Mar Artajos
She’s water-based and not air-tight. Just kidding, dear readers.
This just in: Loren Mar Artajos, Miss Philippines Water 2016, has been selected as the new Miss Philippines Earth 2016 as she replaces the resigned Imelda Bautista Schweighart.
For those asking why Miss Philippines Air 2016 Kiara Giel Gregorio was skipped, it’s all good. The London-based beauty could not automatically assume the title because of conflict in studies that will put her Law Scholarship in jeopardy if she returns and stays in the Philippines for the remaining months of the reign.
In times like this, the 1st Runner-Up is always a significant presence. After Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Imelda Bautista Schweighart resigned from her title last night, the succession is perceived as automatic. Her Miss Philippines Air 2016 – Kiara Giel Gregorio – should be returning from her home in London, UK anytime soon to assume the responsibilities left vacant. And the whirlwhind ascent to the crown should not be a problem, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Kiara in swimsuit
It will be remembered back in May that Kiara was my predicted #1 bet to win Miss Philippines Earth 2016 (with Imelda as #2). I was so certain that time that this sweet young lass had all the makings of a perfect Miss Earth representative. Unfortunately, she fell just one placement short of that.
Miss Earth 2016 may now be over. But the duties inherent in the remaining seven (7) months of the Miss Philippines Earth 2016 titleholder still continue. And I believe that it is fate saying that Kiara should have been and will soon be the wearer of the crown.
Kiara (2nd from right) as Miss Philippines Air 2016
So pack your bags, Kiara! Ready or not, you will be offered the title as fast as a London Eye moment. 😉
Imelda Bautista Schweighart will go down memory lane as the most controversial national beauty queen in modern Philippine Pageant history. After all the wild social media frenzy that has happened the past number of days, the only way out of the mess is – quite clearly – to resign as Miss Philippines Earth 2016. And this she did after a closed door meeting with the executives of Carousel Productions together with Imelda’s mother.
Let me fill you in first on something that has nagged me after I posted the blog article yesterday on my personal assessment of our subject. Contrary to what others would say that her beauty camp – Kagandahang Flores – was amiss in instilling discipline amd giving reprimands on Imelda’s behavior, the group actually took care of her like a real daughter as far back as early 2013 when she was fielded for Bb. Pilipinas 2013. At times, she was spoiled but not to the point of letting her get away with a good number of mistakes and shortcomings. Corrective measures were always thrown her way, what with the eagle-eyed guidance of the likes of Rodgil Flores, Gio Flores and Georgette Garrido constantly watching over her decisions and actuations. But then again, there’s only so much three or more concerned people can do to straighten out the wrinkles and prevent the behavioral lapses in between. There is no such thing as 24/7 guarding in this case because it just doesn’t make sense to an independent-minded person like her.
Imelda still has a life of her own. And this she took seriously regardless of the big and small missteps in the process of coming out of her shell. And when she finally took the spotlight this year, she still could not hide her true colors. From the infamous Facebook Live video to the rambutan seed in Palawan to the equally infamous recording of her comments against Miss Earth 2016 Katherine Espin to the TV interview about the controversial Leo Almodal gown she was supposed to wear during Saturday night’s finals that landed on Miss Ecuador’s back – she did not hide her real sentiments or opinions. And that is why she got her comeuppance from virtually everyone. The girl is left to apologize for everything, pick up the pieces of a shattered image and try to make sense of how she can move on from all of these.
Soon, Imelda will be flying to New Zealand with her mother to make a fresh start. That is the ideal plan for now. I know that it will do her good, without a doubt. But between November 1 and that fateful day of departure, she will need the deepest and sincerest support system that only her beauty camp can provide. The pillars of KF have long served the role of surrogate parents in addition to the only big sister she has looked up to all these years – Parul Shah. She will need positive reinforcements that will firm up her self-esteem and weed out the undesirable feelings of neglect and alienation. To say that she is emotionally weak at this point would not be completely applicable. She is more like the picture of a beautiful white swan who gradually turned black in the eyes of many. She needs to propel herself back. If she has to do a million pirouettes to regain the respect of most, the girl still has the might to do it.
Imelda Schweighart by Jerkerly So Tang
Goodbye for now to the former Miss Philippines Earth 2016
Imelda Bautista Schweighart. You either question or hate her flawed guts. In my case, I never use the word hate for an individual whose only biggest mistake is to speak her mind void of any self-moderation. The lack of tact and diplomacy will never be enough reason to throw her under the bus and left to be trampled upon. But curiously, she will not be the Darling that a Gold medal during the Miss Earth 2016 Press Presentation symbolized. Call her the worst candid person. It’s just unfortunate that she had to wear the Philippine sash throughout the most controversy-laden period of her young life ever.
Imelda Schweighart during Miss Earth 2016 National Costume Competition (Photo by Joy Arguil)
During the ME Press Presentation when both Imelda and Katherine were named Gold medalists as Darlings of the Press
During the meet-and-greet when Imelda (photo with your blogger) was recorded uttering that “Hitler” question with Miss Austria beside her
If were a spin doctor, Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Imelda Bautista Schweighart would be a very challenging client to defend and do damage control for in the eyes of the online social media and even colleagues who covered the events of Miss Earth 2016. She can be the sweetest lady one minute who can turn into a loose cannonball the next. And she does not offer excuses for her actions, at least not to those who are mere acquaintances or randomly-encountered supporters.
I am not in the habit of writing a lot of negative thoughts about pageant personalities. And you, dear readers, should know that by now. In the case of Imelda, let me just point out that she immersed herself into Miss Philippines Earth and got a lot more than what she bargained for. And the “excesses” in her opinion are the demands, instructions and expectations that she must have really under-estimated right from the start. She loves her privacy more than anything else. So when she won the right to represent the country in Miss Earth 2016, it was a responsibility that she somehow jumped into half-blindly. After all, she really wanted to become a national beauty queen and wear the Philippine sash in an international beauty competition.
This I reckon – the thing that did not work out well for Imelda primarily is the added pressure of being the host delegate. That must have weighed her down even more, along with the near-impossible mission of going for a back-to-back-to-back victory. Her personality is not entirely anti-social (as some would put it) but simply the type who would build a small circle of close friends and stick to them like glue to a cardboard box. I remember asking who among the foreign candidates she is particularly attached to. She mentioned only Miss Haiti Valierie Alcide. And it was then that I got a clearer view of her character. The latter did not have a profile that matches hers, but possesses an eclectic streak that can blend smoothly with any profile. And then I asked her who should win Miss Earth 2016. She could only think of Tamara Jebuovic (who defended her in the video below), seeing that the Canadian lass is so good at explaining things and reasoning out on matters that could not be easily fathomed by most, aside from being environment-savvy.
Imelda will always root for the most underrated or stay in the company of only one or two who can understand her peculiarities without throwing a judgmental eye right away.
Below is the latest video of MPE2016 Imelda Bautista Schweighart telling people of the Miss Earth 2016 winner having a lot of “fake” transformations done on her face.
courtesy of ChikAmazingOfficial
Below is a video of Miss Earth Canada Tamara Jemuovic coming to the defense of Imelda Schweighart
courtesy of Pageanthology 101
I do not want to be tagged as the defender of Imelda Schweighart because I never condone public behavior that leaves much to be desired. I only happen to be a (Clinically- and Industrially-trained) Psychologist by original profession so the range of understanding I give to unique personalities is relatively wider than most. I do not claim to be interpersonally close to her either. It’s just that beauty queens find it a breeze to feel at ease in my presence, regardless of individuality.
I must have been perceived by Imelda as an emotional ally of sorts. And I am glad because she needs to find whatever dashes of comfort can be provided by people who can offer more than just small talk/superficial pleasantries.
Here is where it gets tricky. If asked, will I approve of her continued reign as Miss Philippines Earth 2016? For the sake of Carousel Productions and the MPE/Miss Earth brands, no. I can feel deep in my heart that Imelda is feeling like an exotic forest-raised bird who will find it difficult to survive in a cage, or a man-made zoo-like wilderness with opening hours and feeding schedules to strictly follow. She is not comfortable having strange spectators feast on her beauty like the main attraction in a touring carnival group. And most definitely, she is not in her best elements when asked to smile when she feels down, sing when she is not in the mood to perform, act on cue when the director shouts “action!” or do a regal pose when all she wants is to run barefoot on the sands of a sanctuary beach in Palawan.
One more look at Imelda Schweighart (Photo credit: Joy Arguil)
That is Imelda Bautista Schweighart for you. Lock, stock and barrel.
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 had the good chance of spending quality time with Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Loren Mar Artajos during our judging of the Ginoo at Binibining Laguna 2017 finals more than a week ago today. And I simply could not let the opportunity pass without asking her a question that has been nagging my mind ever since she took over the reign from Imelda Schweighart who resigned after a string of controversies during Miss Earth 2016. How is she taking it all in?
