Will Queeneerich live up to her 'regal' name?

Curtain-Raisers:

• So Charice has dropped her long-time Filipina manager in favor of the Canadian lady she’s always seen with. Last year, Charice also dropped from her company STAR columnist and immigration lawyer Michael Gurfinkel and his wife Millie, the couple who helped pave the road for her to the US entertainment scene. What’s happening to this girl whose 180-degree turn-around, complete with an irritating American twang, has been turning off people, most of whom find her “unfit” to sit as judge in the ABS-CBN show The X Factor Philippines? Now, could it be true that the great songwriter David Foster has already “dropped” Charice?

• Showbiz-watchers are predicting that it’s only a matter of time when a popular singer asserts her independence from her over-protective parents and, even belatedly, enjoys life the way normal girls do. After all, she’s already way beyond the legal age. “The moment she gets a taste of the ‘forbidden fruit,’” quipped somebody close to the family, “she will be like Eve and take a hasty French leave from her family-created ‘garden of Eden.’ Just wait and see.”

• It’s to ABS-CBN’s credit that it didn’t delete the portion where P-Noy took Noli “Kabayan” de Castro to task during the recent 25th-anniversary celebration of TV Patrol, when it was shown as a TV special. That’s democracy and freedom of speech in action. Could it be true that some (if not many) ABS-CBN guys very secretly applauded P-Noy in silent approval for that “wake-up call” to Kabayan? It seems that P-Noy did to Kabayan what management should have done in the first place.

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The feedback from Inner Mongolia, China, where the 2012 (62nd) Miss World is being held (finals set for Saturday, Aug. 18, aired on TV5 starting at 5:30 p.m.) is quite heartening for our bet, Queeneerich Rehman, who’s competing with 115 other candidates.

Queenee is getting the thumbs-up, especially when she wore a stunning Michael Cinco creation during the Top Model Competition. She continues to rake in online votes via her official Facebook page.

According to a TV5 report, her extraordinary beat-boxing skills wowed the audience, earning her a standing ovation, during the Talent Competition. She made it to the Top Five along with delegates from Norway, Jamaica, Panama and China PR (winner will be known on finals night). She was also included in the Top 40 semi-finalists in the Beach Beauty competition. 

Queenee is set to compete in two more pageant competitions:  Sports and Fitness and Beauty with a Purpose. Pinoys can help boost Queenee’s chances by liking her official Facebook account. At stake is the Multimedia Award, which will earn her points that contribute to her overall score.

The big question is: Will, or can, Queenee equal or hopefully surpass the record of Gwendoline Ruais who finished First Princess in last year’s Miss World contest?

Stay tuned.

The 12 ‘most likely’ Mutya bets

Meanwhile, on the local front, beauty-watchers are keeping an eye on who will bring home the 2012 (44th) Mutya ng Pilipinas crown at the grand finals set for Sunday, Aug. 12, at the UP Theater, Diliman, Quezon City (aired live on GMA 7).

According to Funfare’s “beauty experts” Francis Calubaquib, Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare and Gery Yumping, winners will be chosen to represent the country in international contests: Miss Asia Pacific International, Miss Tourism International, Miss Tourism Queen of the Year and Miss Intercontinental. A special Mutya ng Pilipinas Overseas Community title will be given to one of the overseas bets.

Here are the “beauty experts’” traditional annual Top 12 “most likely” to win. (Note: The list is not meant to influence the judges.)

• Candidate No. 1 Dale Ivory Lee — 19, from Valenzuela, Bulacan; 5’5”, 33-24-36; B.S. Tourism student of The Lyceum of the Philippines University.

• Candidate No. 4 Clarisse Angelika Barrameda — 20, from Caloocan City; 5’5”, 32-24-37; Masscom senior at New Era University.

• Candidate No. 8 Reynalyn Flores Yamanouchi — 20, from the Filipino Community of Japan; 5’5.5”, 34-25-36; a classical ballet instructor, ramp and commercial model and winner of 2011 Miss Philippines-Japan.

• Candidate No. 9 Jillian Kristin Deveza — 22, from Batangas; 5’5.5”, 34.5-24-37; a CPA.

• Candidate No. 13 Jessica Barbour — 19, from East Coast, Canada; 5’6”, 35-25-37; a Design Arts student of Humber College in Canada.

• Candidate No. 16 Kaylee Calaguas — 19, from West Coast, USA; 5’7”, 34-26-36; into various sports such as basketball, skateboarding and track and field.

• Candidate No. 17 Mutya Johanna Datul — 20, from Isabela Province; 5’6”, 32-23-34; an Information Technology student of Isabela State University, 2011 Miss Isabela Tourism and winner of Mutya Press Favorite Special Award.

• Candidate No. 19 Kariza de Guzman — 18, from Pulilan, Bulacan; 5’6”, 34-24-35; a UE Tourism sophomore.

• Candidate No. 20 Diane Joyce Ramirez — 21, from San Pablo City, Laguna; 5’6”, 32-24-35.5; B.S. Tourism graduate of Laguna State Polytechnic University and 2012 Mutya ng San Pablo 2012.

• Candidate No. 21 Carin Adrianne Ramos — 24, from San Pedro, Laguna; 5’6”, 34-26-38; works as an emergency room nurse.

• Candidate No. 25 Rizzini Alexis Gomez — 21, from Cebu City; 5’8”, 34-25.5-37.5; a registered nurse, daughter of former PBA player Ruel Gomez.

• Candidate No. 28 Larah Grace Lacap — 18, from Quezon City; 5’7”, 35-26-38; Tourism student of San Sebastian College Manila and 2012 Miss Lions Club International.

Reigning Mutya Queens Vickie Marie Rushton, Felicia Baron and Bea Santiago will crown their successors. The coronation night will be hosted by former Bb. Pilipinas-World Maggie Wilson-Consunji and Pilipinas Got Talent finalist Markki Stroem.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected].)