From Earth to Universe: Celeste Cortesi is new crossover queen

 Celeste Cortesi was crowned as new Miss Earth Philippines in 2018 (left) and as new Miss Universe Philippines 2022 (right)

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Celeste Cortesi was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 at the close of glitzy rites in the Mall of Asia Arena today.

The representative of Pasay City bested 31 other hopefuls to wear the newly crafted "La Mer en Majeste" crown. Celeste was also adjudged Miss Photogenic and Best in Swimsuit earlier in the evening.

Her court is composed of:

Michelle Marquez Dee, Miss Universe Philippines Tourism 2022 and Best in Evening Gown;

Pauline Amelinckx, Miss Universe Philippines Charity;

Annabelle MacDonnell, 1st runner-up;

and Katrina Llegado, 2nd runner-up.

Ghenesis Latugat (Baguio), Vanessa Ann Caro (Iloilo Province), Lou Dominique Piczon (Cebu Province), Julia Calleja Saubier (Albay, Best in National Costume), and Chantal Elise Legaspi Schmidt (Cebu City) completed the Top 10 finalists.

The other lucky ladies who made the first cut were Gillian Katherine De Mesa (Nueva Vizcaya, winner of the online poll), Jona Sweet (Aklan), Angelica Lopez (Palawan), Jewel Alexandra Palacat (Ilocos Sur, voted Miss Friendship), Sonja Jeyn Tanyag (Laguna), and Dorothy Gemillan (Iloilo City).

This year's selection committee included Atty. Francis Papica, Atty. Margarita Gutierrez, Arch. Richelle Louise Singson-Michael, Engr. Sam Versoza, Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2006 Lia Andrea Ramos, Dr. Jennifer Olay, Dr. Joshua Sorrentino, and reigning Miss Universe Haarnaz Sandhu.

The evening's commentators at the Kumu lounge were Bb. Pilipinas International 2014 Bianca Guidotti, Carla Lizardo, and last year's Miss Universe Philippines semifinalist Roussane Marie Bernie.

Cortesi is not the first crossover queen to win another national title. Carlene Aguilar, the first Miss Earth Philippines national winner in 2001 joined the Binibining Pilipinas in 2005, aiming to win the national Universe title but ended up with the national World crown instead. Cortesi, therefore, holds the distinction of being the first national Earth warrior to win the national Universe title.

Hosted by Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere,vand Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh nel-Peters Tebow, the three-hour long extravaganza was beamed to a global audience through the iWantTFC, ABS-CBN Entertainment, and TFC channels on YouTube. Those who missed the final show may catch the television broadcast on May 1, 9 am, on the GMA network.

Why do you think so many Miss Universe winners come from the Philippines?

 

By: Bjorn Von Possel

As other answers have already noted, the Philippines is currently fourth in the number of Ms. Universe winners produced with the addition of Catriona Gray.

So just taking that contest alone, the country is in a pretty good position. But in the interest of expanding the discussion, we can consider all of the Big Four pageants and see the Philippines is in a very exclusive club.

After Megan Young won the Miss World title in 2013, the Philippines is only the third country to gain at least one crown in all four major competitions.

We also hold the longest streak of winning at least one title in the world. The Philippines had at least one crowned beauty queen in the Big Four from 2013 up to the present. (2013: 2, 2014: 1, 2015: 2, 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 1)

Finally, (my math could be wrong) the Philippines has the second most number of wins across all four competitions with 15. The US, even with the most Ms. Universe titles, just has 14 across the board, so thanks again Catriona :)

It’s an undeniable fact that the Philippines is a powerhouse in the world of pageants and the reason for that is training.

I elaborate a bit more in another answer

Bjorn Von Possel's answer to Why do Filipinos always win in beauty pageants, more than other Asian counterparts?

Prep is everything when it comes to pageants, and the longer our girls keep practicing their answers, their walks, their smiles, their bearing etc., expect them to keep winning for years to come.

EDIT:

Okay, so the comments insist that Filipinos win because their of mixed race of we have bias towards western standards of beauty aka white.

Let’s set the record straight. Of all the 15 winners the Philippines has had over the four Big Pageants only 5 have a foreigner parent.

Karla Henry (Miss Earth 2008)

Megan Young (Miss World 2013)

Jamie Herrell (Miss Earth 2014)

Pia Wurtzbach (Miss Universe 2015) and

Catriona Gray (Miss Universe 2018)

The rest of our beauty queens were born and raised here (with the exception of Bea Santiago and Precious Lara-Quigaman who both moved to other countries for studies) and Filipino parents.

Seriously, the “there aren’t any pure Pinays” in beauty pageants myth should die.

Miss Universe out, Miss Intercontinental in

Manila to host pageant in 2019

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By: Jan Milo Severo (philstar.com) 

MANILA, Philippines — Since many Filipinos love beauty pageants, many were dismayed after Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced that Miss Universe 2018 will not be held at the Philippines.

But a report from Missosology will surely brighten pageant-loving people in the country as the website recently announce that the 47th Miss Intercontinental will be held in the country on January 2019.

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“IT'S OFFICIAL! The 47th Miss Intercontinental beauty pageant will be held in the beautiful Philippines on January 2019. The competition is sponsored by a team from Japan,” the website wrote.

“Veronica Salas Vallejo of Mexico will be crowning her succesor in Manila. More details to be revealed soon only here on Missosology,” it added.

The Philippines came so close to winning the said pageant twice, first, when Christi McGarry won as first runner-up in 2015, and when Katarina Rodriguez won as 1st runner-up last year in Egypt.

Filipino-Australian and education advocate Karen Gallman will try to win the country’s first Miss Intercontinental title on the 47th edition of the pageant, in front of her countrymen.

Established in Aruba in 1973, Miss Intercontinental is considered as among the world’s major beauty contests in which one representative from each continent is chosen to be on the top five, which will later on compete for the grand title.

Thrilled watching Lea on Broadway

Thrilled watching Lea on Broadway

FUNFARE - Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star) - June 23, 2018 - 12:00am

Curtain-raiser:

• Reigning Miss Universe-Philippines Catriona Gray (photo)…

• On the Philippines not hosting the 2018 Miss Universe pageant: I’m not really particular about where the pageant will be held. I know that wherever in the world it will be, I will feel the presence of the Filipino supporters and they will make it a celebration nonetheless.

• On former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach’s comment (in yesterday’s STAR story) that it’s a nice experience to compete abroad: Pia would know, having competed abroad and having passed on her crown here in the Philippines, so she has first-hand experienced both. Again, wherever it will be, will be. I’m just excited to represent the Philippines on the international stage.

*  *  *

STAR columnist Anthony Suntay (center) with business partner Ernest Estrella and friend Anilyn Pitao before the show…

“Oh my!!! Thanks to our fans for all the island love!!!”

With that, Lea Salonga received the Best Featured Actress in a Musical honors from the 16th Theater Fans’ Choice Awards for her performance as Erzulie in the Broadway musical Once On This Island. Her co-star, Alex Newell, won Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

The musical bagged more awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design, Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Musical Ensemble.

“I want to congratulate Lea for adding another feather to her already well-decorated cap,” said STAR columnist Anthony Suntay. “My friends and I were lucky to have caught the musical at the Circle in the Square Theater in New York three weeks before the Fans’ Choice Awards.”

Barely two weeks ago, Once On This Island won Best Revival of a Musical at the 72nd Tony Awards.

The trip was actually unplanned, according to Anthony who was in Toronto for a worldwide conference for his work with UMAC Forwarders Express with his business partner Ernest Estrella.

“Ernest suggested we make a quick trip to New York,” Anthony related in his letter to Funfare, “and it gave me an opportunity to see some friends and to visit the office of Major League Soccer. I also watched a game between the New York City FC and Colorado Rapids at the historic Yankee Stadium at the Bronx.”

But the highlight of their New York side trip was, yes, watching Lea on Broadway.

…and after the show with Hailey Kilgore (who plays Ti Moune in Once On This Island).

“We were very lucky that Ernest’s good friend Anilyn Pitao was able to secure tickets because the matinee show was sold out,” continued Anthony. “So together with my son, Kael, we all trooped to the quaint theater where notable celebrities like Mathew Broderick and Al Pacino had previously performed.”

Once On This Island is a story of a peasant girl, Ti Moune, who uses love to bring together people of different social classes, intertwined with her love affair with Daniel, from the upper class of society. Lea plays Erzulie, the goddess of love, who guides and supports Ti Moune in her quest.

“I was amazed at how Lea mesmerized the crowd with her presence, and captivated all of us with her singing,” gasped Anthony. “I have watched Lea since she was a young performer in locally-produced musicals and so it’s no surprise that she was brilliant. I was actually starting to think that I was just being biased since I have been a fan of Lea since forever, but listening to all the other members of the audience discuss her performance after the show really made me beam with pride.

“They were mentioning that despite the many talented actors and actresses in the show, Lea was the one who truly stood out. That wasn’t necessarily disrespectful to the other members of the cast; it’s just that Lea was truly in a class of her own.”

After the show, dozens of theater-goers eagerly waited to meet the cast, and they were looking forward to meeting Lea, but they were disappointed that she didn’t come out because she apparently rushed home to be with her daughter Nicole.

“Well,” added Anthony, “all I can say is that if you happen to be in New York, rush to the Circle on the Square and watch Lea in Once On This Island before the musical closes maybe end of this month. And, yes, I’m biased but I don’t think anyone can enthrall the Broadway fans as well as Lea does!”

(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)

Ex-Miss Universe Urges HIV testing in Philippines

Pia Wurtzbach, the Philippines' former Miss Universe and UNAIDS goodwill ambassador for Asia, takes an HIV test in Manila to raise awareness of the issue. - AFP

 

Manila (AFP) - The Philippines' former Miss Universe conducted a public HIV test in Manila on Wednesday a week after the United Nations said her country had the fastest-growing number of infections in Asia.

Pia Wurtzbach, UNAIDS goodwill ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, took the test in front of reporters as part of her efforts to raise awareness of HIV and remove the stigma surrounding the virus in the conservative nation.

The United Nations and the government said last week the Philippines saw a 140 percent increase in new cases from 2010 to 2016, bucking a regional trend that saw infections decline by 13 percent over the same period.

"It is very tricky in the Philippines because we're a predominantly Catholic country and we are conservative. That's why it can be quite a challenge to spread awareness on this issue," Wurtzbach said.

"This is a problem that's really happening right now and if we don't do anything about it, we're gonna be number one in the world."

The nation of 100 million people, of whom 80 percent are Catholic, is heavily influenced by the church which frowns on contraceptive use. Testing for HIV is also considered taboo.

Wurtzbach has been campaigning for HIV awareness since winning the 2015 beauty pageant. She secured the crown following a major blunder in which host Steve Harvey initially gave it to Miss Colombia in error.

On Wednesday Wurtzbach launched an HIV information campaign for young people as she expressed support for proposed laws which would allow 15-year-olds to get an HIV test without parental consent. The minimum age is now 18.

The health department had said most reported HIV cases were among men having sex with men. This group on average started having sex at 16 before they had begun using condoms or taken tests, increasing the risk of infection.

"We hope to see an increase in the rates of regular HIV testing among Filipinos to normalise the procedure as a regular medical exam," Wurtzbach said. 

Maxine on back-to-back win: We can do this!

By Nathalie Tomada (The Philippine Star)

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Photo by CELSO CAPARAS

MANILA, Philippines - Maxine Medina, the Philippine bet to Miss Universe, clearly has her eyes on the prize.

The 26-year-old model and interior designer appeared confident of a back-to-back win for the country come Jan. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena when reigning Miss U Pia Wurtzbach passes on the crown to her successor.

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is reportedly attending the pageant finals.

“I’m very honored that our President will be there because he will be witnessing a back-to-back (victory),” Maxine said at a presscon hosted by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) last Tuesday.

“Since our president will be there, the whole government will be supporting me and the Miss Universe,” she added in reaction to a question about Duterte’s strict directive that the government will not be spending for the private sector-driven third staging of Miss U in the country.

From the time she won in Bb. Pilipinas up to the present, which is less than three weeks away from the Big Day, Maxine said there has been no let-up in her training. “After I won (in Bb. Pilipinas), I’ve been texting everyone for help ‘coz this is something new for me. The world of pageants is a big thing not just for myself but also for the whole country. I really need to work hard at it,” she shared.

Women's Group Buck Philippine Hosting of Miss Universe

By Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star)

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Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach waves Philippine flag during her homecoming parade in January.Philstar.com / Efigenio Toledo IV, file

MANILA, Philippines – Former women government officials and leaders of women’s advocacy groups and civil society have signed a petition addressed to the Miss Universe Organization to reconsider its decision to hold the pageant in the Philippines next year, in light of what they consider as President Duterte and his allies’ chauvinist demeanor.

Among the prominent names in the petition that has so far gathered 58 signatories, based on a Facebook post by a certain Annie Serrano, were human rights activist Etta Rosales, former chairman of the Commission on Human Rights; Corazon Soliman, former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; former beauty queen Aurora Pijuan, convenor of the national barangay assembly in 2010; Karina Constantino-David, former chairman of the Civil Service Commission under the Arroyo administration; singer Leah Navarro, co-convener of the Black and White Movement that opposed former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; Imelda Nicolas, former chairman of the Commission of Filipinos Overseas; and Vicky Garchitorena, former president of Ayala Foundation.

The letter, addressed to Miss Universe Organization president Paula Shugart, cited recent actions and comments of the President and other government officials toward women as a “fundamental” reason not to hold the pageant in the country.

“This reason is the objectionable, scandalous and demeaning sexist attitude demonstrated by the newly elected leaders of our country, by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts towards womankind,” the letter read.

“In recent months, chauvinism, brutal shaming, rape jokes and a sweeping disregard for women as persons deserving not merely of a token but true respect has been exhibited by the President of the Philippines with his salacious and sexist comments and treatment of female reporters and opposition figures, which has carried over to his allies in the Philippine Congress,” it added.

The petitioners claimed that hosting the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines would only reinforce such attitude toward women.

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“To hold the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines at this time would serve as a reward of this intolerable behavior and excuse such behavior,” the letter went on. “It would reinforce a troubling trend in our society. It would make your organization a partner to these backward and dangerous steps, which are serious violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).”

Among the 58 individuals who have signed the petition are former government officials, businesswomen, human rights advocates, members of non-government organizations, professors and concerned citizens.

The petition, which was also posted on Facebook, gained both support and criticism from netizens.

In a statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) asserted that hosting the Miss Universe pageant would be a “great honor” for the Philippines.

The agency also maintained that the international exposure that the Philippines would get from hosting the pageant would benefit the local tourism sector.

“While the DOT gives due respect to such opinion as signified by a group of women leaders and concerned citizens, we assure everyone that we deem it a great honor to host the distinguished event that portrays the most beautiful and talented women with highest regard,” the DOT said.

“In this light, the DOT expresses its utmost gratitude to the Miss Universe Organization for giving us the great opportunity to treat the world to genuine Filipino hospitality,” it added.

Miss Philippines 2012 Janine Tugonon

Miss Philippines 2012 Janine Tugonon did the whole country proud with her first runner-up finish during the Coronation Night of the recently concluded 61st Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada last December 2012. Her performances throughout the competition garnered admires from all over the globe; the interview portion, for one, where she was asked whether English should be prerequisite for Miss Universe 2012 and her top-notch answer being "For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It's all about being able t influence and inspire other people. If you have the heart to serve and a strong mind to show people then you can be Miss Universe!"