Mrs. Philippines-Globe 2013 sets regional screenings

CEBU, Philippines -  Who says civil status or motherhood should get in the way of a woman’s quest for a crown?

Married ladies or single moms who epitomize beauty, elegance and substance and advocate empowerment now have the chance to fulfill their dreams of becoming a beauty queen through the Mrs. Philippines-Globe search.

The pageant’s national director and franchise owner Morena Carla Cabrera-Quimpo brought along last year’s title-holders to formally launch Mrs. Philippines-Globe in Cebu, as well as announce imminent screening dates in key provinces nationwide. The winner will be the country’s official representative to Mrs. Globe, one of the biggest international pageants for married women with 40 countries usually participating.

Mrs. Globe was founded in 1996, and Filipinas have been sent as contestants since 2010. But it was only last year that a bet was chosen via a beauty pageant. For the first two years, candidates were just selected from previous beauty contest winners.

Quimpo (Ms. Teen Philippines 1991 1st runner-up, Bb. Pilipinas 1994 Miss Photogenic and Mutya ng Pilipinas 1995 4th runner-up) was in fact hand-picked to represent our flag for Mrs. Globe 2011. She must have had such a wonderful experience competing in the finals held in the USA, that the next year, she found herself acquiring the license to run the pageant here through her company EVI Marketing Communications, where she serves as managing director.

Life-changing

For its first search last July 2012, 15 finalists vied for the title. A 28-year-old hotelier and mother of one, Mary Joycelyn Pascual Agsaway was declared the fairest. A month later, she was sent to Rancho Mirage, California, USA to compete in the Mrs. Globe finals, where she won the Face of the Year Award (the reigning Mrs. Globe is from Ukraine). “My journey was definitely one-of-a-kind. It allowed me to expand my horizons by helping me meet different kinds of people, bringing me to places I’ve never been before, and creating more opportunities for personal development. All in all, the pageant helped me become a better person,” Agsaway remarked in a press statement. A special title called Woman of Substance was also awarded during the Mrs. Philippines-Globe 2012 coronation, and this was nabbed by a Cebuana who hails from Tabunok, Talisay City. She is Pinky Siva, 31, a Pharmacy graduate from Southwestern University who now runs her own recruitment agency called PRS Recruitment Services.

“The pageant was interesting to me because I’m big on charity.  It’s not just a typical beauty pageant, as it empowers women and helps the less fortunate. These became my motivation to join last year,” Siva said in an interview with The FREEMAN. She is married to a Sri-Lankan and is mom to a five-year-old boy.

An oil and sketch painter, Siva stood out more for her philanthropic work. She sponsored street kids in Manila and supported orphans in Singapore when she worked there for five years.

“I started by helping mentally disabled kids. But I had to move to Singapore, so I couldn’t manage continuing that anymore. I couldn’t say that I had a very fortunate life growing up. My dad was a seaman. We still had to help out at home. Having been blessed, I’ve come to appreciate how lucky I am compared to others, so helping out was my way of giving back,” she said.

Joining Mrs. Philippines-Globe changed her life, she shared. “Being a first-timer, I didn’t know what to expect. When I met all these ladies, it was amazing to be able to connect with them as we shared our experiences on being married and having kids. I was empowered in a way that I learned more about myself and how I can be a good example and make a difference. To all moms and wives like me, believe in yourself that you are beautiful and that you can make a difference in society.”

This thrust on women empowerment is what differentiates Mrs. Globe from other pageants of the same category, said Quimpo. More than just a celebration of beauty, Mrs. Globe in the US is a fund-raiser of The Women In Need (W.I.N.) Foundation, an outreach that specializes in self-esteem recovery for women and children faced with all kinds of abuse. Country delegates serve as spokeswomen for W.IN.

Bigger and better

On their second year, Quimpo promised a bigger and better pageant by reaching out to more Filipinas, incorporating family-oriented pre-pageant activities, and giving away more awards.

“We want to be the premier pageant for married women in the Philippines, probably the Binibining Pilipinas equivalent for married women,” said Quimpo.

Stressing that they are an organization that doesn’t discriminate, single mothers (not required to be married) and those annulled or separated are welcome to join. To further qualify, one must be a Filipino citizen, between 26-45 years old, at least 5’4”, in swimsuit shape, of good moral character, college level and willing to travel outside the Philippines to participate in the international pageant.

The winner will receive P50,000 cash and P300,000 worth of prizes. Special awards such as Mrs. Friendship, People’s Choice Award, Most Beautiful Face, Mrs. Body Beautiful, Most Elegant Woman, Woman of Substance Award, Career Woman of the Year and Charity Act of the Year will be handed out.

Regional aspirants will be screened simultaneously on April 2 in Pampanga for Central Luzon, in Cebu for the Visayas (2-6pm at the Cebu Marriott Hotel), and in Davao for Mindanao. South Luzon and Greater Manila candidates will be chosen on April 6.

Pageant officials will choose 20 finalists who will compete during the national pageant night set on May 25 at the New World Hotel. She will then have the rare opportunity to represent the country in the Mrs. Globe 2013 finals at Shenzhen, China on September 19-29 (to be aired by Lifestyle Network).

Kiddie pageant

A sidelight to Mrs. Philippines-Globe is another pageant, this time for beautiful and talented little misses and teens spearheaded by an LPG company.

Little Miss Solane is a revival of Little Miss Shellane (Solane’s former brand name) that started in 1969. It has two categories: Cuties for age eight to 12 years, and Teenies for 13-16 years old.

To be chosen are 12 finalists per category who will represent their region in the national pageant night also scheduled on May 25 at the New World Hotel.

Little Miss Solane 2013 Cuties and Teenies will each bring home P50,000 cash plus P50,000 worth of scholarships and developmental programs, while the 1st and 2nd  runner-ups will take home P30,000 and P20,000 cash, respectively.

To download the official entry forms for both Mrs. Philippines-Globe and Little Miss Solane, visit www.mrsphilippinesglobe.com. Screenings for both will be held at the same time and venue. Deadline of entries is 6 p.m. of March 20. (FREEMAN)