In my previous column, I revealed how mounting beauty pageants on a small scale can be quite profitable for the truly enterprising.
So where did former Binibining Pilipinas title-holders Precious Lara Quigaman, Karen Loren Agustin and Denille Lou Valmonte go wrong when they put up in 2008 the beauty contest Turismo Filipina that was never repeated?
Obviously, they went through financial woes with that one because the winner, Sherylee Sustiguer, had sued them after she did not get the major prizes (in cash and I think a house and lot).
Did the organizers pocket the money? I don’t think so. This is just a speculation: Perhaps the sponsors that promised those prizes backed out at the last minute or reneged on their word.
So why did Turismo Filipina fail?
• Bad karma. Precious and the other Binibini alumnae must have denuded themselves into believing that they could be the next Madam Stella Marquez Araneta.
I have no idea how the Binibining Pilipinas Charities treated them during their respective reigns, but it is always expected of Filipinos to have a sense of gratitude or utang na loob.
To put up a contest that is similar to Binibini is a no-no, especially if you are a product of this almost half-a-century organization. Karen, in particular, should have realized that Mrs. Araneta chose her to train succeeding winners after her time even if she herself didn’t do well in her Miss Universe competition.
Some of the winners of Binibini may resent all the rules imposed on them during their reign, but they should have foreseen that when they signed up for the contest. Winning a Binibini title is akin to a yearlong prison term. You lose your freedom while you are under contract with the organization. If you are unable to take it relinquish the throne.
Or be as gutsy as Maria Isabel Lopez and rebel.
• They did not do their homework. They should have done a lot of pencil pushing first before they launched Turismo Filipina. They should have realized that in terms of funding, Mrs. Araneta has a network of resources. And having married Jorge Araneta, Madam Stella always had the Big Dome as her playground. Rental alone of that venue must now be within the neighborhood of half a million.
Did they know how much it takes to put up a special event of that scale? It was meant to be big given the prizes they put up at stake. But until the disgruntled winner sought media attention last month, nobody remembers what Turismo Filipina was about.
Clearly, they lacked promotion that time. Precious was able to summon the press because she is an actress. It was also to their favor that Mrs. Araneta reacted negatively to their putting up their own pageant. That piece of news (Binibini is an institution, after all) was reported by media. I read that in Ricky Lo’s Funfare I recall now.
• They were not thorough as organizers. If you want to play boss, you have to know the responsibilities of each one in the organization from your post way down.
Who was in-charge of soliciting funds from the sponsors? What kind of agreement did they have with them? Why didn’t they put down the sponsors’ pledge in black and white? If they did good for them. They still have somebody to run after.
They should also have realized that contestants who join the Miss Philippines or any competition on that level (where they put their reputation at stake because everybody will know if they win or, ugh, lose shame, shame, shame) do not take part in such activity for the prizes. They only want the title.
Whatever material benefits they will gain after winning the title are just bonuses. However, if they are promised this and that, they expect to get those.
If they don’t that will also be embarrassing for them. Relatives and friends will say they had been duped.
Precious and company should attend to this matter if they don’t want this ugly ghost haunting their reputations for the rest of their lives.
Are they are bad people? Are they swindlers? The answer to both is NO. They are not wicked beings. They are not conmen (women?).
They are only amateurs.