Showbiz recruits from the Miss RP roll of honor

As an estimated 115 contestants start to arrive in China for the 2005 (55th) Miss World contest, with grand finals slated for Dec. 10 in Sanya, Hainan, Funfare’s "other beauty expert" Celso de Guzman Caparas digs up interesting tidbits about past Misses Republic of the Philippines who have represented the country in the only international beauty competition not won yet by a Filipina. (We have so far four Misses International and two Misses Universe.)

As you read on, note that the line-up of Miss RP (the pageant was organized by now San Francisco-based Ferdie Villar of Spotlight Promotions, with the Miss World franchise now held by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., headed by Madame Stella Marquez Araneta) is as much as a rich source of showbiz stars as the other beauty searches (Mutya ng Pilipinas, etc.).

This year’s Miss World bet is 2005 Bb. Pilipinas-World Carlene Ang Aguilar.

Here are Celso’s "juicy items":

• Vivien Lee Austria (a.k.a. Emraida Kiram), a Muslim princess, was the first Filipina to compete, at the l966 Miss World contest. A l965 College Editors Guild’s Miss Intercollegiate Girl of the Philippines, Vivien lost to Clarinda Soriano the 1966 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe crown before she joined the Miss RP contest.

• Maita Gomez, one of the Bachelors’ Club’s Manila’s Five Prettiest (l966), competed in l967. She’s the mother of model-actress Melissa Perez Rubio.

• In 1968, Pinky Amabuyok made headlines in London during the Miss World contest when she claimed (she later said she was misquoted) that she’s a nun (a novice at the Dominican Sta. Rosa Convent in Makati). She finished fourth runner-up (to Australia’s Penelope Plummer), the first Filipina to score that high.

• In 1969, Lisa Miro’s Miss RP victory was marred by protest from contestants who accused the contest of having been "rigged." Among the 47 beauties Lisa had beaten were Vida Doria (who became 1971 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and Miss Photogenic in that year’s Miss U pageant), Pacita Guevarra (1970 Bb. Pilipinas semi-finalist, and Bb. Pilipinas-Maja in 1974 and third runner-up in that year’s Miss Maja International contest) and Marilou Destreza (1969 Mutya ng Pilipinas third runner-up). Lisa starred with Ramon Revilla in Kill...RP Nine-0 (1974). Marilou nixed the lead role in LEA Productions’ Haydee (which went to Hilda Koronel) but later starred with FPJ in Santuario (l974).

• In l970, Minnie Cagatao (a semi-finalist) lost to Grenada’s Jennifer Josephine Hosten (the first black to win the Miss World title). Minnie co-starred with Eddie Gutierrez, Amalia Fuentes and her daughter Liezl in Europe, Here We Come. (Minnie’s Miss RP co-contestant Edna Diaz, now happily married and settled in New Jersey, became a movie star.)

• Elizabeth Oropesa, Miss Luzon in the 1972 Miss RP contest won by Onelia Jose (who also represented the country in the l971 Queen of the Pacific Quest in Melbourne, ending up as Miss Crowning Glory), became a big star and multi-awarded actress after she was introduced in Daredevil Rider (1973).

• In l972, Eva Reyes, a Karilagan model, was semi-finalist but lost the Miss World crown to Australia’s Belinda Roma Green. She was introduced as the late Zaldy Zshornack’s leading lady in Nueva Vizcaya (1972) and played her first title role in Target...Eva Jones (l974).

• In 1973, Evangeline Pascual finished first runner-up (the highest honors won by a Filipina so far) and would have the first Filipina Miss World hadn’t she refused to take over when USA’s Marjorie Wallace was dethroned. Evangeline was introduced in Game of Death (1974), with Ramon Zamora as leading man and had her first title role in Gemma, Ang Babaing Kidlat (same year).

• Suzanne Gonzalez, who took the Miss RP crown in l975, also landed in the movies. Her younger sister, Alou Gonzalez, won as l991 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and represented the country in that year’s Miss U pageant where Kuh Ledesma served as one of the judges. Suzanne’s first runner-up (Miss Luzon), Anna Bayle, became a renowned international model (now retired, separated from her New Zealander husband, and living in New York with her only son). That year’s Miss Visayas, Beth Bautista, became an actress, and so did one of the contestants, Carmen Ronda.

• In l976, Miss RP Joy Conde was crowned by 1975 Miss World Wilnelia Merced Cruz (of Puerto Rico), Joy’s runner-up, Bessie Badilla (Miss Visayas), became a popular model (now based in Connecticut, USA, with her husband and children). Miss Mindanao, Jennifer Mendoza, was the tallest girl in any beauty contest here and abroad. She was 6’5" tall.

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