Good luck Karla!

Tonight will be the night beauty pageant fanatics have all been waiting for as the country’s most beautiful women would be crowned to represent the Philippines in international derbies. Yes, I’m speaking of Bb. Pilipinas ’08 coronation night at the Araneta Coliseum. I’m praying judges would do their best to choose the fairest of all the 24 girls vying for the three major titles, sans favoritism and would junked chances of manipulation or to be exact, dropped that abused “ lutong makaw” system.

After, eight failures in clinching a spot in the semi-final round in the Miss Universe pageant, it is about time that organizers of this most prestigious pageant in the coutnry should bring this contest to higher ground. For a start, there should be no more makeover for our representatives in Columbia, no gowns created by foreign designers, and please, please, please no recycling of gowns, por pabor. Second, please no typical choices of morena just to dramatize our being oriental and exotic. Change is the only constant thing in this world right?

Naturally the international standard, specially in MU has changed trillion times, its more than a decade ago since Donald Trump started looking for that girl who is not only intelligent, confident, beautiful and has a body to die for but  one who can  also flirt with the cameras, one who is very fierce on the ramp, chic and classy.  So please realize that eight morenas (natural and forced to look morenas) have been sent to MU but to know avail. That fact should send a strong message if not slap them with the untainted truth that oriental looking girls from the Philippines is already a thing of the past, that it has ended already at the shining moment of Mirriam Quiambao.

You see, we’ve sent the likes of Theresa Licaros, Nina Ricci Alagao, Lian Ramos and Zorayda Ruth Andam, all excellent students form the University of the Philippines, and yes they were beautiful and surely intelligent but did they fair? You know the answer. You had Gionna Cabrera, an Integrated Marketing and Communications graduate from the University of Asia & Pacific, she was surely witty, after all she was brainy. But her catwalk skill sucked. There was Maricar Balagtas, pageant veteran, very confident and could sway her body to the maximum. She never won because she failed to walk the talk.

I don’t have to recall all those beauties who tried their best and failed abroad. After all they were victims of people who believe they know it all.  I just want to say that  BPCI should experiment, to do what has never been done before. I don’t care if you likened me to a broken record, but I know I can never be wrong if I’l say that sending our candidates in Columbia for makeover and for an Alfredo Barazza to design the gowns no longer do wonders. I’m not underestimating the guy’s creativity huh, but then only a filipino designer could truly appreciate the beauty of a filipina for him to come up with a masterpiece. Well if BPCI insists on tapping international designers to put on a world class touch, what does the like of our very own Monique Lhuillier say? If not, in Cebu alone there are a lot of creative minds who have won accolades abroad due to their fabulous creations. In short, let’s help one another and utilize our very own Filipino resources.

Therefore, I say good luck judges! The burden of getting to the first ladder of success lies in you tonight.

Anyway, I really wanted to present to you a one on one feature about our bet Karla Paula Gentiroy Henry today, but things did not go according to plan. When I message Karla supposedly for the text interview just like what I did to Bb. Pilipinas-World ’06 and now GMA-7 Cebu’s Istayl Nato host Anna Maris Igpit and Nicole Schmitz before, she was already very busy last Tuesday which happened to be the pre-judging activity. She replied the next day saying she was sorry for the late response, at the same time asking me if I still wanted her to answer my questions because that time they were only having  rehearsals, but when I replied in the affirmative she failed to text back already so I assumed her schedule was very hectic again.

Well, let me confess that at first I was hesitant about Karla’s chances because I find her to be just another plain mestiza during the presentation of official candidates. But now I have high hopes that she will bag any of the three crowns. My, our Karla, who belongs to the A.D Models Philippines stable of my designer friend Dexter Alazas, has emerged to become a very strong contender. She nailed their fashion show last week, her catwalk skill was outstanding. Oh well, she is not an FTV Philippines model search first-runner up for nothing if she don’t float on the ramp. And she is becoming beautiful and beautiful each day, confident and witty Karla will hopefully be victorious tonight (please pray for her success guys). Although a lot are saying she is suited for Miss International because of her mestiza features, being Fil-Canadian, but you never know, she might be destined to be the first Cebuana Miss Universe. Yes, Karla is included in fearless forecast so you really never know.

Let me share this to you courtesy of my very good friend Igpit. She believes No. 9, Kathleen Phyllis Pagayanan Guerrero will be for MU; No. 8, Danielle Kirsten Muriel Castano, for MW, and Karla for  MI. Bb. Pilipinas ’07 2nd runner-up picks Guerrero for MU, Karla for MW  and Castano for MI.  Bb. Pilipinas- World ’07 Maggie Wilson and Bb. Pilipinas ’07 -International Nadia Cien Shami have the same bets;  No 5. Ma. Kristelle Micaller Lazaro for MU, Guerrero for MW and Karla, who is candidate No 4, for MI.

But really my prayer is that Karla will do well tonight. I don’t want to expect too much because I believe in destiny and in the will of God. Besides, beauty pageants such as Bb. Pilipinas is full of surprises, just like a box of chocolates you never know what you’ll gonna get.

So, I say you go girl! Just do your best and trust in the Lord, because with that you will never go wrong. Good luck Miss Freeman Newspaper ‘05  Karla Henry!