The sad story of 2 Misses Universe

It’s a sad day for beauty-watchers.

I just got a flash report from Felix Manuel, one of Funfare’s “beauty experts” now working in New York, that 1974 Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz (of Spain) has died at her home in Malaga last Sunday, Feb. 27.

“She was 56,” reported Felix. “The sad news was reported by Amparo’s brother Pedro Muñoz to Agencia EFE.”

Amparo has a soft spot in the hearts of Filipinos because she won her title in the Philippines when the pageant was held here for the first time in 1974. The second time, in 1994, it was Sushmita Sen of India who bagged the Miss U crown. Amparo’s first runner-up was Wales’ Helen Morgan who went on to win the Miss World title but was shortly dethroned when she was discovered to be an unwed mother.

The stunning Spanish beauty came back to do a movie with another Miss Universe, Gloria Diaz (1969), titled Hayop sa Ganda, and went home in a huff after she clashed with a producer/talent-scout with whom she swapped court charges. Back in Spain, she became an instant celebrity because of her beauty title.

“She ventured into the movies and starred with some of Spain’s popular actors including Nino Bravo, Pedro Carrasco, Rocio Durcal and Camelo Sesto,” added Felix. “In 1979, she acted in the comedy Mama Turns 100, followed by Todo un Hombre (He’s All A Man) in 1982, Familia with Fernando Leon de Aranoa, A Paradise Under the Stars in 1999 and El Tahur in 2003.”

Her Filipino fans haven’t heard anything about Amparo, until several years later when she was wrongly reported to have died of a sex-related ailment.

“The truth,” according to Felix, “is that she suffered from another illness and she avoided the public for years.”

1974 Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz (of Spain): A recluse during the last few years of her unrevelead illness.

Felix said that Amparo’s three marriages all ended in divorce.

So private has Amparo become that her funeral was limited to members of the family, reported her brother Pedro.                                                                       

* * *

Here’s the other sad news about another Miss Universe, also from a report by Felix Manuel, this time about Russian-Canadian Natalie Glebova who was named Miss Universe in 2005 in Thailand. She and husband Paradorn Srichaphan, a retired Thai tennis star, have separated after three years of marriage.

The couple revealed that they decided to split in July last year because work commitments have been keeping them apart.

The couple’s publicist issued a statement from Natalie and Paradorn: “Over the past few years, responsibilities and work turned our married life in a different directions. However, we still care for each other and we are still good friends.”

Natalie has visited Cebu as a judge in the Miss Cebu contest. Not long after that, in Sept. 2007 she and Paradorn got married. They met and matched after they met at the Thailand Open in 2006, a year after Natalie won the Miss U crown. As Amparo felt toward the Philippines, Natalie considered Thailand her second home.

During their short marriage, the couple launched beauty products and diet supplements, and put up a restaurant in Bangkok. They said that they would continue as business partners even now that their marriage is over.

The Philippines has two Misses Universe (the other is Margie Moran, 1973, who crowned Amparo Muñoz) and so does Thailand, Apasra Hongsakula (1965) and Porntip Nakhirunkanok (1988).

Briefly noted:

•  Madison Elliot (photo) will represent the Philippines in the 2011 Top Model of the World search scheduled for March 16 in Usedom, Germany, Felix Manuel said in his other report. The 5’8” tall, 26-year-old beauty will compete with 50 candidates from the same number of countries. The contest was organized in 1993 by the Globana Group. In 2006, the Philippines’ Michelle de Leon finished first runner-up and later assumed the title when the winner resigned. Madison was crowned Mutya ng Amerika 2010 in August last year in Baltimore, Maryland. She’s a Psychology senior. Another US-bred beauty, Christi Lynn Landrito McGarry of New York, placed sixth in the Top Model contest as Philippine representative. She was later crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific in 2010 and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Miss Intercontinental pageant in the Dominican Republic.

•  From reader Nita M. de Guzman (no address given):

Dear Mr. Lo:

I knew you would be writing about Don McLean before his scheduled concert, and I’m happy to read your interview.

His first concert here was on Nov. 6, 1982 at the Folk Arts Theater (not 1984 as he recalled). I still have my ticket stubs. Middle seats, P80 per. Janet Basco was his front act. I watched that concert with my 11-year-old daughter in tow. Now guess what, that same daughter who is now 40 years old (I am now 67) is bringing me to watch Don McLean’s second coming. I thank God I am still around to watch him again. I am a breast cancer survivor and God is good to me. (I regularly go also to Fr. Joey Faller’s first-Friday healing Mass at SM Megamall.)

In the last part of your interview, Don asked “Do you think Filipinos will like me?” May I answer, too? Don McLean, I still do, we do, we do, and they will!!!!

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