Time was when the runners-up of Bb. Pilipinas had to console themselves with the sash and a bouquet of flowers during Coronation Night. This year, things favored the ladies who occupied the spots. 1st Runner-Up Vickie Marie Rushton and 2nd Runner-Up Samantha Bernardo have crowns of their own now. And that should motivate them to be continuously present and active throughout their year of service. It really matters – at least to me – that all eight (8) of them are complete in all important public appearances. They are part of the winners’ circle in the first place. So it would also be Ideal if they could pass on their respective crowns come 2019.
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The first cut is the deepest, or so the title of the song written by Cat Stevens goes. And in a national beauty pageant like Bb. Pilipinas where the level of contention among the candidates is as sharp as the cutting edge of a high-carbon steel Japanese-style chef’s knife, there is a big difference between being summoned to centerstage for the first elimination during the Grand Coronation Night. It is at this point where the ladies with official placements are separated from those relegated to just stay in the background for the remaining hours of the competition. 
Predicting the winners of Bb. Pilipinas is a tricky proposition, unless I have the power to read into the future. Final deliberations can be ultimately trickier, though. But I sincerely hope that the rightful winners be assigned to the crowns where they can be maximized to the fullest, en route to a glorious collective participation in their respective missions abroad.
Talisay City is pinning its hopes on your #Binibini1 Vickie Marie Milagrosa Rushton to deliver a Bb. Pilipinas 2018 crown to her beloved province by Sunday night. And at this point, the homestretch of the nationals, it is not an impossible thought to actually expect something great from the beautiful 25 year-old. She has the face and the profile to actually end up on top. Some say that the charisma tends to be middling. But at the end of the day, her cumulative efforts to become one of the Queens are on the relative upswing. Can she take it all the way?
There is just as much growing excitement for the second-highest title at stake in Bb. Pilipinas 2018. And knowing the basic requirements of Miss International in the prospective selection of representatives they expect from our country, I have initially set aside three (3) contenders who are looking more and more as the best bets for the title – #Binibini1 Vickie Marie Rushton, #Binibini17 Ma. Ahtisa Manalo and #Binibini32 Eva Patalinjug.
You can never miss out on the gorgeous face of Vickie. She is as doll-like as you would want a Bb. Pilipinas International to be. And it helps that her showbiz background is in the mix. She loves being in the public eye and can make heads Turn with the least of effort. She is also a good communicator.
20 year-old Ahtisa has youth on her side. And you can take it either as a compliment or a disadvantage. But in this case, I am leaning more on the former. She also has the looks that can drive the Miss International organizers crazy in love with her. She may need further polishing here and there, but all the right ingredients are in place. 
And then there is Eva – the Mutya turned Binibini who has always been praised for her relaxed spontaneity in public that makes pageant fans love her even more. Her beauty is also undeniable. And at 23-going-24, she is right smack in the best age for the crown currently being held by Mariel de Leon.
Let’s compare swimsuit notes now. While the assorted tile background can get quite distracting (aside from the sense of bathroom corner I am getting), I simply focused on the Binibinis in gold-colored DR Swim variations. I chose a dozen beauties who are giving me that sense of flirtatious vibe that doesn’t get overboard. There is a thin line between class and otherwise, just as there is a marked difference between being sweet and exuding an aura of sexiness befitting a Binibini. Our opinions may differ on a few of them, but these are the ones floating my boat, so to speak.
