Pinoy fans in US weigh in on Miss U ‘issues’

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that’s true. But being skin deep, for beauty to be total, it should also be in the ears of the beholder. A woman to be totally beautiful must not only look good, she must also sound good. The totality is called “beauty and brains.”

This thought came to mind when I had dinner with friends in the US who have caught the Miss U fever, just like us natives who are currently overwhelmed by the presence of former title-holders and of the 86 universal beauties competing for the crown at the 65th Miss Universe pageant on Jan. 30 at the MOA Arena. Evading such life-threatening issues such as EJKs and corrupt cops, we dwelt on spirit-lifting topics like the third holding of the Miss U pageant in Manila (after 1974 and 1994) and issues like, you guessed it: Should Philippine bet Maxine Medina ask for an interpreter during crucial Q&A?

That is, of course, presuming that Maxine will make it as one of the 12 semi-finalists, winnowed down to nine then to six then to the Top 3 from which the winner and runners-up will be picked. There’s an unverified report that the traditional Q&A will be limited to the Top 3 contenders.

Poor Maxine, a beauty contest first-timer, has been relentlessly bashed for her not really bad English but for her faulty grammar. “She does have a problem with her grammar,” conceded a bona fide member of the Aces & Queens (the team that grooms/trains beauty queens, including Maxine and current Miss U Pia Wurtzbach). “Medyo mahina siya dyan.”

So should Maxine ask for an interpreter if and when?

“By all means, she should,” agreed my US-based beauty-pageant-crazy friends (identities withheld). “She must!!!” They echoed 1969 Miss U Gloria Diaz’s opinion that Maxine should speak in Tagalog if she felt that she could express herself better and clearer in our (first) language, English being our second language.

Oo nga naman! Imagine how Maxine will be greeted with a thunderous applause from the expected SRO MOA audience if she would tell the host...yes, dear old Steve Harvey!!!...”I will answer in Tagalog because I am proud of my National Language,” adding (hopefully), “Sabi nga ni Dr. Jose Rizal, ang aming Pambansang Bayani, ang hindi marunong magmahal ng sariling wika ay higit sa hayop at malansang isda.” Palakpakan!!! Come on in, Miss Interpreter, translate that in English for the benefit of Steve and the millions watching the event around the universe.

Remember how unapologetically Pia answered in Tagalog when she joined the Bb. Pilipinas pageant the second time (and finished only a semi-finalist) and judge then congressman and now Senator Sonny Angara asked her a question in Tagalog? (Trivia: Most Latin contestants unashamedly ask for an interpreter and, surprisingly, sometimes answer in English. I guess it gives a contestant a little time to think of a good answer.)

What about the possibility of a Pia-Maxine back-to-back win? Gloria said it’s impossible (one in a million chance?), saying “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a country hosting and then sila ang nanalo. It doesn’t seem very hospitable.” And wouldn’t we be accused (bashed!!!) for such a hometown decision? You know how passionate netizens can be, right?

No, Gloria, you’re wrong. It is possible and it has in fact happened: in 2009, Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza passed her crown to her kababayan Stefania Fenandez when the pageant was held in Venezuela. No “hometown decision” there since the board of judges was composed of distinguished people who were not Venezuelans just as the set of judges in Monday’s pageant doesn’t include a Filipino unlike in 1994 when publisher Emilio Yap (of Bulletin) served as one. Heard that the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has decided against inviting a judge from the host country presumably to avoid any “hometown decision” controversy. 

Speaking of Q&A, here’s how Spain’s Amparo Muñoz, 1974 Miss Universe, answered (question: If you were Miss Universe, how do you think being an international celebrity will change you?): “My sentiments will not change. I will continue to love my fellowmen. I will change in some ways but my basic sentiments will not change towards people.”

And India’s Sushmita Sen, 1994 Miss Universe (here to serve as judge, to the question: What is the essence of being a woman?): “Just being a woman is God’s gift that all of us must appreciate. The origin of a child is a mother and is a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring and loving is all about. That is the essence of being a woman.”

A sad note: Amparo died on Feb. 27, 2011 at age 56. In a STAR story, Amparo recalled, “I got sick the same day my Papa died of pulmonary infection. I was totally overwhelmed by my Papa’s death because I was not able to ask him for forgiveness for all wrongdoings that I did. I felt little symptoms at first. I would faint when tying my shoes.

“I consulted a doctor and he told me, ‘I am afraid you have brain cancer.’ Soon, I was often vomiting and feeling tremors. I came back to be checked by my doctor again who has diagnosed abnormal growth in my cerebellum and immediately I underwent chemotherapy.” (That’s to correct reports that Amparo died of AIDS.)

More trivia:

• Countries with the most number of Miss U wins: USA, eight; Venezuela, seven; Puerto Rico, five; and Philippines, three.
• Number of years countries have to wait between wins: Colombia, 58 (the late Luz Marina Zuluaga in 1958 and Paulina Vega in 2014); Japan, 48 (Akiko Kojima in 1959 and Riyo Mori in 2007); Philippines, 42 (Margie Moran in 1973 and Pia Wurtzbach in 2015); Australia, 32 (Kerry Anne Wells in 1972 and Jennifer Hawkins in 2004); Finland, 23 (Armi Kuusela in 1952 and Anne Photamo in 1974); and Canada, 23 (Karen Dianne Baldwin in 1982 and Natalie Glebova in 2005).

Tribute to Pia

The Dinner Tribute to Pia Wurtzbach held at the Harbor Tent of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza was a sold-out ticketed affair attended by all the Miss Universe candidates. Tickets were sold at P35,000 per table of 10 persons which included a sumptuous dinner buffet. Present during the tribute aside from Pia were Miss Universe officials Paula Shugart (president), Esther Swan (manager) and Shawn McClain (vice president for business development); and chief sponsor and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson. Adding excitement to the evening was the arrival of Pia’s boyfriend, Filipino-Swiss race car driver Marlon Stockinger.

The affair started shortly after 6 p.m. All the 86 candidates arrived for the tribute with some of them forming teams and participated in a short videoke contest. Seeing how the candidates were enjoying, Pia couldn’t resist joining the girls and chose her own song. After singing the few lines solo, she invited all the other girls to join her.

After dinner, the guests were treated to a surprise entertainment called Queen of the Universe. The one-hour musicale tribute traced Pia’s journey to the Miss Universe crown, from her childhood to the three times she joined Bb. Pilipinas and eventual Miss Universe victory. As backdrop to the actors on the stage, there was a huge video wall that showed photos and videos of the actual events in the life of Pia. The actors also played the roles of Pia’s mentors from Aces & Queens — Jonas Gaffud, lawyer Nad Bronce, Arnold “Mama Ruffa” Mercado, Mark “Bessie” Besana and John Cuay. The actress who played Pia did a good job aside from her beautiful voice, good acting and some similarity to Pia. One segment showed Pia with her co-delegates in Miss Universe 2015 who were played by Pia’s Aces & Queens sisters: Arienne Calingo (Thailand), Yvethe Santiago (Indonesia), Hannay Caayon (Myanmar), Riana Pangindian (India), Leren Bautista (Peru), Pat Babista (Paraguay), Carla Malapaya (Costa Rica), Sheena Dalo (Japan), Anna Conanan (China) and Kim Suiza (Bahamas).  — Reported by Gerry Diaz

More about Armi Kuusela, the first Miss U (1952)

Here’s more about Finland’s Armi Kuusela, the first Miss Universe (1952), featured on The STAR’s front page the other day (excerpts from a past Funfare story):

On June 28, 1952, a beautiful 17-year-old girl from Finland was crowned (by Hollywood actress Piper Laurie) the first Miss Universe at a glittering ceremony at The Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, with a court of honor composed of Hawaii’s Elza Kananionapua Edsman (first runner-up), Greece’s Daisy Mavraki (second runner-up), Hong Kong’s Judy Dan (third runner-up) and Germany’s Renate Hoy (fourth runner-up).

Her name: Armi Helena Kuusela.

Nobody could have imagined that Armi would become an adopted daughter of the Philippines when she married Virgilio Hilario. Their love story was immortalized in a movie entitled Now and Forever.

On March 9, 1953, nine months after she won the Miss U title, Armi was invited by the Philippine International Fair Committee to crown that year’s Miss Philippines. During her stay (until April 11, same year), Armi paid a courtesy call on then Pres. Elpidio Quirino, Supreme Court justices, senators and congressmen; laid a wreath at the Bonifacio Monument; visited Maryknoll College (now Miriam College), UP, Ateneo de Manila, the Balara Filtration Plant and Baguio City where she met Virgilio through a blind date.

Prior to the Miss Philippines coronation night, Armi had a personal appearance in the Show of Shows topbilled by Dolphy, Katy dela Cruz, Bayani Casimiro, Chichay and Tolindoy at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. 

On March 20, Armi crowned Cristina de Leon Galang (1953 Miss Philippines), with Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. as her escort. Cristina’s court of honor included Violeta Villamor (1953 Miss Visayas and Pearl of the Orient), Gilda Gruet Walstrom (Miss Mindanao), Norma Jimenez (Miss Manila) and Imelda Trinidad Romualdez (Muse of Manila)…

…Indeed, she won the hearts of the Filipinos particularly then 25-year-old Virgilio “Gil” Hilario who studied banking, marketing and foreign trade in Columbia University and at the same time worked with the Philippine National Bank in New York. Friends in the know believe that one of the reasons why Armi was swept off her feet by Gil was because of his dancing skills. Gil was an expert in mambo, samba, rumba and other ballroom steps.

Gil followed Armi on her trip to Tokyo where they arrived on April 26 on separate planes. Their romance blossomed in Tokyo until they mutually agreed to get married on her 19th birthday on Aug. 20. He gave her a three-carat diamond engagement ring. But love couldn’t wait. On the wee hours of May 3, Gil was involved in a scuffle when he defended Armi from a drunken American newspaperman who tried to harass Armi inside the Cosmopolitan Nightclub.

Before the incident, Armi chose to give up her Miss Universe crown and title, her plans to take up physical education and language and make more movies but decided to marry that day instead. 

Gil was sporting a black right eye when he exchanged marriage vows with Armi (who wore a blue nylon lace gown and carried a small bouquet of roses), officiated by Rev. Fr. Bruno Blitter, at the St. Ignatius Church in Yatsuya, Tokyo, with her sister Irma Kyromies as matron of honor and Roberto Villanueva (then VP of Chronicle Publications) as best man, Gil’s close friend. Armi received a brand-new 1952 Cadillac as a wedding gift. After their two-month honeymoon in the US and Europe, the couple settled in the Philippines. 

Their love story was immortalized into a movie, Now and Forever, which was shown on Dec. 29, 1953 at Center and Palace theaters…

…They had five children who now live in different parts of the globe, namely: Arne, Anna-Lisa, Jose/Jussi, Eva-Maria and Miguel/Mikko (the only one based in Manila).

…Gil died in 1975. After three years, Armi remarried, to Albert Williams, a US diplomat. They are now living in La Jolla, California, where she is active in various community undertakings and deeply involved in cancer research and supported various cultural and arts groups including the San Diego Youth Symphony’s program for the disadvantaged youth which she co-chaired.

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