Miss Bikini Phl bet competes in China

After Shamcey Supsup, there is another Filipina beauty who is making waves in the international pageant scene: 23-year-old Claudett delos Reyes, 2011 Miss Bikini Philippines, who is currently competing in the ongoing Miss Bikini International in Sanya, China.

Miss Bikini International may not be as big as Miss Universe, but it is popular among pageant-watchers on the lookout for shapely, sexy and healthy female bodies.

Founded by a Singapore-based company, this competition had been around since 1972, but the Philippines began sending contestants to the international search only in 2008, upon the initiatives of Slimmers World International vice president Helen Camacho.

Miss Bikini International obviously is fast getting to be a popular search for women with perfect figures in the past couple of years. Phl bet Claudett is up against 70 other contestants from different countries.

The pageant site in Sanya was the same place where the Miss World contest was held last year. Previously, the Miss International contest was also staged in this famous resorts place.

The coronation night is on Sept. 28 and so far, like Shamcey in the Miss Universe contest, Claudett is topping (as in she is in the No. 1 spot) in the Internet voting page. Similar to this year’s Miss Universe contest rules, the top placer in the Internet voting automatically gets a slot in the semi-finals.

In a pre-pageant presentation, Claudett placed second in both the Best in Evening Gown and National Costume competitions.

This writer was part of the panel of judges that chose Claudett as the 2011 Miss Bikini Philippines during the finals held at the Resorts World last April 12. She was candidate No. 1 and when she glided on stage, I already saw her as the winner.

Physically, if you take her apart piece by piece, I can’t say that her features are perfect. But put together, she transforms into a beautiful package given her 5’7” height and her 32-24-36 vital statistics. She has what we call X factor — plus an amazing stage presence.

Claudett also fits into the current mold of today’s international beauty queens, who have impressive academic backgrounds. She is a registered nurse, who teaches nursing subjects in a medical school in the city of Olongapo. (Her family hails from Bicol, but later migrated to Olongapo where she finished her studies.)

During the Miss Bikini Philippines finals, I remember getting impressed with her during the question and answer segment. If I recall correctly, hers was one of the most mature and sensible responses to questions thrown by the judges. (The recent local competition was actually one of the toughest — what with so many impressive candidates.)

Before she left for China, she went on leave from her job and trained intensively at the Slimmers World center in Pasig, which is close to her aunt’s place where she stays when she is in Manila.

According to Camacho, Claudett is a very positive person with a sweet disposition. While in China, Claudett e-mails, texts or calls the Slimmers World lady boss almost every day to give updates.

Before she left for China last Sept. 12, Camacho told her: “This is an opportunity we are giving you — grab it. But don’t allow yourself to be pressured.”

Slimmers World International is giving Claudett its full support, but the public can still help the Phl bet get into the semi-finals (and hopefully clinch the title) by voting for her on the Internet. To vote, go to www.missbikini-erm.com and click the voting page.

This may just be another beauty contest, but if the Philippine entry shines, that will be good for our country. We need every bit of help to clean the blackened image of the Philippines — to negate the impression that we are all tourist bus hostage takers and a nation populated by bandits who operate kidnap for ransom businesses.