Ready for the big night

MANILA, Philippines - Come Oct. 12, expect all the 26 candidates vying for the title 2014 Miss World Philippines to be ready for the final round of the pageant’s series of challenges that includes sashaying on stage in their evening gowns, displaying their talents and proving their ability to speak their minds in the question and answer portion.

According to Miss World Philippines national director Cory Quirino, the candidates recently flew to Caramoan Island in Camarines Sur with director Louie Ignacio for the swim wear shoot with the island as the perfect backdrop. The candidates also paid a visit to the charity ward of the Philippine General Hospital last Wednesday and the Tuloy Streetchildren Village Thursday.

“With the activities the past weeks, the candidates have become closer to one another and even from the start, I always tell them to treat one another as sisters,” said Cory about the girls’ camaraderie. Cory and the candidates were recently treated to a tummy-filling lunch courtesy of Toki which offers authentic Japanese cuisine.

This year’s Miss World Philippines grand coronation night is highly anticipated after Megan Young won the blue crown for the Philippines last year.

Contestants Eliza Johanna Cruz and Jahziel Pernia expressed excitement and anxiety as the finals night draws near but at the same time both said they enjoy every activity that they do. Cory, for her part, said each candidate is prepping up for the finals night. Do they also prepare for the question and answer portion? Cory believes that the simplest questions are the toughest ones to answer. But no one needs to memorize anything.

“That’s why I ask them to be spontaneous, no script,” shared Cory and went on to enumerate some pointers she has shared with the candidates like the basic background of Miss World; what really is the essence of the pageant and what “beauty with a purpose” means; and why beauty pageants remain relevant in this day and age when most people say they’re not.

“Like for example, when Megan answered about the core value of humanity, I said I didn’t teach her that… so after I asked Megan why did you answer in that way, she said, ‘I listened very intently to the talks Mrs. (Julia) Morley (chairman and chief executive of Miss World) would give us almost every day about the core value of Miss World.’”

Asked if she’s aware of the running joke about the “keywords” in every pageant’s question and answer portion like world peace, Cory said, “Oh no, you will definitely lose when you say that because Mrs. Morley really wants very sharp candidates and she can really see through if you have a memorized answer and definetely those canned answers are a no-no.”

Cory also discourages the candidates to say, “Thank you for that question” and “That’s all, thank you.”

What does she think are the qualities that judges look for in a candidate who will best represent the country in Miss World?

“We have a new set of judges this year and I always tell them to not think in terms of what is beautiful or in terms of a definition of a beautiful candidate for the Philippine stage. Imagine the one you are choosing will compete with 126 other candidates from all over the world so she has to stand out. She has to walk tall even if she’s not that tall. Megan is only 5’7” and she was completely dwarfed by the other candidates but she walked tall.”

And while she is familiar with the signature walk of other beauty queens, Cory maintained that “Miss World walk is very simple, very royal, very dignified. If you watched how Megan walked during (last year’s) Miss World, she had the simplest walk. She did not sway; she was just very regal, very graceful.”

Cory revealed that wonderful things are happening to the actress-beauty queen. “(They’re) extremely beyond our expectations because we didn’t expect that Megan would address the youth of Harvard University three months ago and I know that she has a standing offer with Bollywood. The people from India approached me and I said she’s under contract with Miss World. I don’t think she would be allowed to do any movies now during her reign but maybe after. Expect bigger things to happen for Megan when she has the freedom to accept offers.”

(The grand coronation night of Miss World Philippines will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and will air exclusively on GMA 7.)