Pia starts official Miss U duties

Effective yesterday (Jan. 4, US Time), Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach began her official media activities as Miss Universe in New York City.

“Pia has already done her official photo shoot with ace photographer Fadil Berisha,” reported Funfare’s NYC-based “beauty expert” Felix Manuel. “She is ready to face the media. Pia will be guesting in TV shows and having photo sessions with the media in NYC landmarks. Several Philippine-based TV show hosts are already here waiting for their chance to interview her.”

Felix was among the pageant aficionados invited to spend Christmas with Pia by her mentor Jonas Gaffud who extended his stay in the Big Apple.

“Pia was all alone at the luxury apartment she’s sharing with Miss USA and Miss Teen USA who were away for the holidays,” said Felix. “Luckily, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) was kind enough to let Pia have a night-out. After our meeting, she proceeded to Times Square. People recognized her and lined up to have their pictures taken with her.”

According to Felix, while Pia was at the apartment lobby waiting for her ride, a Latin-American family approached her and said, “You are the real winner for us.”

Latest report showed Pia’s effigy being burned in Colombia, a beauty-pageant-crazy country like the Philippines, obviously in support for their kababayan Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez who was wrongly announced as the winner when she actually finished first runner-up.

“It took time before nag-sink in ang kanyang panalo,” added Felix. “Pia confirmed to us that when she was standing beside Miss USA after the coronation, she noticed that a camera was right in front of her with the red light on. It was a bit noisy, so she said that she did not know what was happening at first. She heard loud cheering from the audience at the Axis Theater, then Miss USA whispered to her.

“She said that she was stunned and confused. She heard her fellow candidates saying ‘Go!’ while motioning to her to proceed to the front of the stage. After the crown was transferred to her, she still could not believe it. ‘I became emotional backstage,’ recalled Pia. ‘I was really in shock. I asked the staff if they might still take the crown from me. I cried when everyone kept saying, ‘It’s yours! You are Miss Universe 2015!’ Pia has remained humble.”

A nice message to start the New Year with

I found the following piece titled A Blessing For You in my old file while I was cleaning up for the New Year. Would you believe, it came out in Funfare in January 2004, passed to me by lawyer Katrina Legarda who said she got it from somebody and requested me to publish it so many people could read it and re-share it with people they know.

The note from Katrina read: “If you are blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and so others may benefit from them. A blessing cannot be kept. If it stops with you, then the blessing will disappear.”

The message is timeless and a fitting food for thought for the New Year. Here it is:

A Blessing For You

If you woke up this morning

with more health than illness,

you are more blessed than the

million who won’t survive the week.

If you have never experienced

the danger of battle,

the loneliness of imprisonment,

the agony of torture or

the pangs of starvation,

you are ahead of 20 million people

around the world.

If you attend a church meeting

without fear of harassment,

arrest, torture or death

you are more blessed than almost

three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,

clothes on your back, a roof over

your head and a place to sleep,

you are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank,

In your wallet, and spare change

in a dish some place, you are among

the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive,

you are very rare,

especially in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile

on your face and are truly thankful,

you are blessed because the majority can

but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug him

or even touch him on the shoulder,

you are blessed because you can

offer God’s healing touch.

If you can read this message,

you are more blessed than over

two billion people in the world

that cannot read anything at all.

If you are so blessed in ways

you may never even know.

If you are feeling blessed, repay

the blessings bestowed unto you

and do something for others.

Katrina’s reminder then (still relevant today): “The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around. If you are a recipient of a blessing, keep the blessing working by being the source of blessing to other people.”

(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.)