Miss International update, anecdotes

Curtain-raisers:

• The stars of ABS-CBN’s My Juan and Only (Ai Ai delas Alas, Toni Gonzaga and Vhong Navarro, among them) may not know it yet but the sitcom will soon be axed, to be replaced by a new one topbilled by Ai Ai.

• After breaking up with Danilo Barrios (now the boyfriend of Hot Babe Jaycee Parker) more than a year ago, Aiza Marquez has found a new love in the person of theater actor Gian Magdangal (no relation to Jolina) who’s in the cast of the musical Footloose which is now on its last weekend run at the Meralco Theater.

• Giselle Tongi gave birth to her and husband Tim Walters’ first child, a girl named Sakura Anne Marie (7.1 lbs. and 19 inches), at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24, at a hospital in Los Angeles. Wrote Giselle to Funfare: "She is the most adorable baby I have ever seen (of course, I’m her momma) and I can’t stop looking at her. Tim has been wonderful in taking care of her and has been assigned the burping and diaper-changing duties. Tim is a great dad. Watching him looking at Sakura really melts my heart. Now I know what unconditional love really is. I intend to stay at home the first three months to devote to my new career as a mommy and a housewife. Kids grow so fast and I want to cherish every single moment with Sakura. I can’t also wait for my friends back in the Philippines to see my baby."

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As usual, with the grand finals of the 2005 Miss International slated on Monday, Sept. 26, in Japan, we keep our fingers crossed and, again, hope against hope that our bet, 2005 Bb. Pilipinas-International Precious Lara San Agustin Quigaman will bring home the country’s third Miss International crown (after Gemma Cruz in 1964, Aurora Pijuan in 1970 and Melanie Marquez in 1979). Lara is competing with around 60 other beauties.

According to Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Gery Yumping, Joey Cezeare and Francis Calubaquib, Lara is one of the favorites to win the crown.

"During the costume presentation," said the "beauty experts," "Lara stood out in her stylized terno which was one of the most colorful and most attractive. During the swimsuit competition, Lara was applauded for her perfect figure. Another favorite, Miss China, was named Miss Photogenic. Lara’s only ‘minus factor,’ if it can be considered such, is her height. No contestant below 5’7" has ever won the crown. But then, Lara might pull a surprise. Incidentally, did you know that during the first Miss International Pageant in 1960, India’s Iona Pinto was the top favorite but she hardly smiled so she lost the crown to Colombia’s Stella Marquez (now Mrs. Jorge Araneta)?"

Here’s how Asian countries have fared so far in the Miss International Pageant:

• Philippines – three winners, three runners-up and 14 semi-finalists;

• Lebanon – one winner;

• India – no winner, six runners-up and 10 semi-finalists;

• Japan – no winner, four runners-up and 32 semi-finalists;

• Korea – no winner, three runners-up and 18 semi-finalists;

• Thailand – no winner, three runners-up and six semi-finalists;

• Israel – no winner, one runner-up and 16 semi-finalists;

• Hong Kong and Indonesia – no winner, one runner-up and no semi-finalist;

• Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka – two semi-finalists each; and

• Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Mongolia – one semi-finalist each.

Meanwhile, here are interesting anecdotes and facts about our country’s Miss International (and Miss Universe) candidates, compiled by "the other beauty expert" Celso de Guzman Caparas:

• Edita Vital (International) was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Maria Clara in Gerry de Leon’s Noli Me Tangere (1961), her first movie. Edita’s father offered her a trip around the world to stop her from making movies – in vain. Edita starred in two more movies, Mga Tigreng Taga-Bukid (with FPJ, Zaldy Zshornack, Joseph Estrada and Tony Ferrer) and El Filibusterismo where she reprised her role as Maria Clara, opposite Eddie del Mar as Crisostomo Ibarra.

• Josephine Brown (a.k.a. Josephine Estrada, Universe also 1961 Miss Aviation) had her screen test in Lawiswis Kawayan (1960), starring Gloria Romero and Nestor de Villa, and was introduced in Ginang Hukom (1960) to which the coverage of the 1960 Miss Philippines contest was an added attraction. Josephine’s other movies (before she competed at the 1962 Miss U contest): Serenata, Mother Dearest (The Sinner episode), Limos na Dalangin, Kapitan Lolita Limbas, Makasalanang Daigdig, Tatlong Panata and Sa Linggo ang Bola (all in 1961); The Big Broadcast, Hiram na Kamay and June Bride (her launching movie), all in 1962.

• Cynthia Ugalde (Universe) was Eva Macapagal’s personal choice to portray (as then First Lady) in Tagumpay ng Mahirap (1965, original title was Hirap at Tagumpay), based on the book Macapagal, The Incorruptible by Quentin Reynolds and Geoffrey Bocca. The movie was divided into three episodes: The Boy, directed by Lamberto Avellana; The Man, by Eddie Romero; and The President, by Gerry de Leon. Cynthia’s launching movie was Reynang Nakabakya (1962, with Nestor de Villa). She also starred in Mga Kanyon ng Corregidor (with, among others, Leopoldo Salcedo), Callejon Delinquente (with Romeo Vasquez) and DJ Dance Time (with Helen Gamboa, Daisy Romualdez and Alona Alegre), all in 1964.

• Lalaine Bennett (Universe, 1963, fourth runner-up), the Philippines’ Paula Prentiss, was nominated as FAMAS Best Actress for Ligaw na Daigdig (1962, with Ronald Remy), her first movie. Before she was crowned Miss Philippines-Universe in 1963 (the year before she was Miss Luzon), Lalaine starred in Dear Eddie (with Charito Solis and Eddie Ilarde), Death was a Stranger (with Ronald Remy) and No Way Out (with Leopoldo Salcedo and Lou Salvador Jr.).

• Monina Yllana (Universe, 1964, aunt of Anjo and Jomari Yllana; also one of the Pink Camay Girls of 1961) was introduced as Monina Moran in Umasa Ka Mahal Ko, sa Bilisan (1961 with Leroy Salvador), Arriba Films’ entry to the ninth Asian Film Festival in South Korea in 1962.

• Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz (1964 Miss International) quit the 1963 Miss Philippines search due to false accusation that she was being favored to win the crown, only to return triumphant the following year by winning not only the local contest but the international one. Gemma donated her $10,000 prize money to Boys Town, her sponsor for the contest. As a tribute to Gemma, Alice Doria-Gamilla (a public school teacher and composer of A Million Thanks To You, popularized by Pilita Corrales) composed two pieces, Gemma and My Wonderful World Is You. Gemma was part of Sunduan, a special coverage of Romansa sa World’s Fair (starring Susan Roces and Romeo Vasquez). Gemma starred in Joey Gosiengfiao’s Ate, Ate, Tara Na sa Pampang, a Tagalog teleplay for Balintataw (a PETA TV production for Channel 5), with Rosa Rosal, Rita Gomez, Tita Muñoz and Robert Arevalo, directed by Lupita (then Concio) Kashiwahara.

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