TODAY, the world—or universe, rather—will have a new queen.
Eighty-six of the world’s most beautiful women are vying for the prestigious title of Miss Universe, and only one will get to wear the crown.
The all-important, three-phase preliminary competition of the pageant has already determined the 12 ladies who will advance to the final rounds of competition today. Last week the ladies competed in the swimsuit and evening gown segments, and had their one-on-one interviews with the judges.
Four former Miss Universe titleholders will sit as judges: Puerto Rico’s Dayanara Torres, India’s Sushmita Sen, Japan’s Riyo Mori and Angola’s Leila Lopes. They will be joined by magazine editor Mickey Boardman, multiawarded producer Francine LeFrak and TV personality Cynthia Bailey.
Torres first came to the Philippines in 1994, when she crowned India’s Sen. She stayed on for the next five years and became a popular entertainment personality in Manila. Upon her arrival last week, Torres told reporters she is very happy to be back and misses the Philippines very much.
There are talks that Torres, who is based in the US and a mother of two boys, is exploring possibilities of facing the cameras again in Manila if there are good projects.
MISS U.S.A. TIMES TWO
WE had the chance to meet two former Miss USA titleholders recently who are both in town to participate in various Miss Universe activities.
Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma was the 2015 Miss USA and emerged second runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant, where Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines won. Nia Sanchez of Nevada was Miss USA 2014 and finished first runner-up to Paulina Vega of Colombia.
Both ladies will be serving as pageant insiders, and they will report the latest happenings for PLDT’s social-media pages. PLDT Home Fibr is the official pageant Internet provider, and the two beauty queens are set to share the Miss Universe experience to its many subscribers.
Jordan’s first trip was in 2016, when she was invited to be a judge for the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, when the Philippines’s Maxine Medina was crowned. “I love the Philippines. Yours is one amazing country, and I’m always excited to discover more about the beautiful places and the lovely people.”
For her part, Sanchez told us she will make sure she’ll be back soon. “I fly out the day after the pageant but I’ll make sure to come back soon. I’ve heard so much about your beautiful destinations, like Boracay and Palawan, and I’ll make sure to visit these places soon.”
Both ladies have their own personal favorites and, they are very positive that the crown will go to the most deserving candidate. “It’s a very good batch, there are more than a dozen ladies who can easily be Miss Universe. The girls this year are so beautiful, so smart and so prepared,” Sanchez affirmed.
DESTINY WILL DECIDE
Marina Benipayo won Miss Maja Philippines in 1992 but represented the country in the 1992 Miss World as a replacement to another beauty queen who had chicken pox a day before her scheduled flight to South Africa, host country of the 1992 Miss World pageant.
“No one has power over destiny. What’s meant to be, will be,” she told us during a recent chat, when the topic shifted to beauty pageants and beauty queens, especially during this Miss Universe season.
Benipayo added, “I know that the girls are all prepared and are very competitive. There are the favorites, and there are the underdogs. And then there are those who will just shine during the finals and impress everyone. But in the end, only that girl who is destined to win the title will be crowned.”
Her training and experience in modeling helped her become a beauty queen, and up to now, despite the many new faces and discoveries, she is still very much in demand as a fashion model, usually invited to strut for the finale of a high-profile fashion show.
These days, Benipayo has discovered a new passion. “I admit I’m an accidental actor but I have fallen in love with it. I find it very interesting to take on different characters and be transformed into the roles I’m playing.”
She’s in the cast of GMA’s afternoon weekday drama Hahamakin ang Lahat, where she plays a mean-spirited character. “I guess playing the villain or the shady characters are more interesting, since their personalities have different layers. And they say contravidas last longer in this business.”
Benipayo will watch the Miss Universe pageant on TV and she hopes that the most deserving will win. “It’s the most beautiful day in the universe, and I want to be part of anything that is beautiful!”