Why it's more fun to watch a beauty contest 'live!' in Phl

In last Sunday’s grand finals of the 2012 Bb. Pilipinas pageant, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr., one of the judges, asked contestant No. 13 Katrina Dimaranan, how she would convince people in other countries why it’s more fun in the Philippines.

Without missing a beat, Katrina said that there are more beautiful places to see in the Philippines, the people are beautiful and proof of that, she added gesturing towards the other title-seekers behind her, was the array of beauties onstage. Katrina’s fun answer was met with a more fun applause from the highly-partisan audience composed of different groups rooting for different contestants.

Katrina, 18, ended up bagging one of the titles at stake, 2012 Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism (plus the Miss Talent special award), together with Janine Mari Tugonon, 22, as Miss Universe-Philippines and Nicole Schmitz, 23, as Bb. Pilipinas-International.

Janine, who’s from Bataan, is a Pharmacy cum laude graduate from UST. Nicole, who’s from Cebu, lived in Australia. She also won two special awards: Nestlé Fitness Best in Swimsuit and Best in National Costume. Katrina is a recent high school graduate, forced by “domestic circumstances” to attend 13 schools.

My seatmate, Mr. J., said as a rejoinder to Katrina’s answer that it’s also more fun in the Philippines if you watch a beauty contest…like the Bb. Pilipinas Pageant of any season…live.

“Para tayong nanonood ng ASAP Live!,” commented Mr. J. as the show progressed, edited for the delayed TV coverage of ABS-CBN.

No wonder, it was the same ASAP Rocks guys who were running the show, hosted by Iza Calzado (a Perfect 10), Venus Raj (Excellent) and Xian Lim (“Hmmmmm,” Mr. J. shook his head, “no comment.”) Co-host was Georgina Wilson whose imitation of Angelina Jolie’s “left leg show” at the recent Oscars turned out to be a dud, prompting Mr. J to call Georgina “a second-rate, trying hard copycat.” I agreed. Good thing Georgina wore another gown later and has the good sense of (oh no!!!) not (again!!!) showing her leg.

Aside from Ambassador Thomas, the other judges were Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Rizal Gov. Junjun Ynares (who thankfully brought along his pregnant wife Andeng Bautista-Ynares, definitely prettier than many of the contestants), Ex-Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros-Baraquiel (another looker in shocking-yellow gown), STAR columnist Babe Romualdez, Richard Gomez, Nestlé Philippines CEO John Miller, banker Olivier Gougeon, Avon Philippines’ Ashley Ferguson, 2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman and Phil Younghusband (chairman of the board).

While the judges were cracking their heads on who should win, Mr. J. continued his running commentary, his fingers busy on the keys of his BlackBerry tweeting here and there.

In fact, he was giving his own “special awards,” to wit:

• Xian Lim (again!) — “Wet My Lips Award” because, very obviously, he was always wetting his lips during commercial breaks and making very strange gestures.

Outgoing 2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Shamcey Supsup gingerly places the crown on the head of her successor, 2012 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Janine Tugonon, as other contestants cheer her right on. Below: Janine with (from left) second runner-up Annalie Forbes, 2012 Bb. Pilipinas-International Nicole Schmitz, 2012 Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism Katrina Dimaranan and first runner-up Elaine Kay Moll. – Photos courtesy of Funfare’s ‘other beauty expert’ CELSO DE GUZMAN CAPARAS

• A Binibini contestant — “I’m a Changed Woman Now Award” because she reportedly spent a cool million for some enhancements on her cheeks, her lips, her boobs and her butt. “The one million isn’t apparent,” said Mr. J. The poor girl failed to bag a title and only two special awards.

• Georgina Wilson — “The Angelina Jolie Award” for…hmmmm, didn’t I just mention earlier that she failed miserably in imitating Brad Pitt’s soon-to-be legal wife? At one point, she even mispronounced teleserye and said teleserya.

• An ex-Binibini — “Just Up From Bed Award” because she seemed not to have bothered fixing her hair, as if she rushed to the Big Dome as soon as she woke up from a power nap.

• Another ex-Binibini — “The Salamat Po Doctor Award” because, noted Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas, “Sayang ang kanyang face and lips, hindi na tulad ng dati.”

But all in all, the three-hour show was indeed “more fun” than the previous ones, even if one contestant was stunned and unable to answer a question about “social networking” during the 30 seconds allotted for every semi-finalist and another contestant answered wrongly because she misheard the judge as saying Philippines when actually he was asking “How do you define happiness?” Those boo-boos were edited in the telecast. That’s the purpose of a delayed telecast, see!

Besides the three beauties, Madame Stella Marquez de Araneta, head of the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., should also take a big bow for a job well done. As usual.

Mercator Talent Agency Jonas Gaffud is also a winner because three of the dozen girls she entered won — Janine (Universe), Katrina (Tourism) and Elaine Kay Moll (20, a Waray, first runner-up).

Second runner-up was No. 29 Annalie Forbes.

Other special awardees: Chloe Zanardi (Bb. Friendship),

A tip for runners-up and semi-finalists (who should follow Sweepstakes icon Manuel Uy): A quitter never wins, a winner never quits.

Outgoing 2011 Bb. Pilipinas-International Dianne Necio was a repeater. The previous year, she finished first runner-up to fellow Bicolana Venus Raj. Janine Tugonon herself is a repeater. Last year, she was first runner-up to Shamcey Supsup who, after placing third runner-up (fourth) in last year’s Miss Universe showed symptoms of swell-headedness and began to behave only after people concerned called her attention.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)