THE 2011 batch of Binibining Pilipinas beauties, I believe, was and remains to be the best ever. It produced Shamcey Supsup, Janine Mari Tugonon and current flag-bearer Mary Jean Lastimosa. If so, MJ’s almost-mythical journey to claim the pageant world’s top crown would turn into legend. And, at 27 years old, it would make her the oldest Miss Universe winner. (Brook Lee of the USA is the oldest when she won at 26 years, 128 days when she was crowned on May 16, 1997.)
By the time you read this, MJ may have won our elusive third crown. Or, maybe, she, at the very least, clinched a top-5 placement, tying a similar consecutive feat by Finland in the late 1960s: First Runner-Up 1965 Virpi Liisa Miettinen, First Runner-Up 1966 Satu Charlotta Östring, Third Runner-Up 1967 Ritva Helena Lehto, Second Runner-Up Leena Marketta Brusiin, and First Runner-Up 1969 Harriet Marita Eriksson. (Incidentally, the reigning Miss Finland Bea Toivonen is the daughter of Miss Finland 1985 Marja Kinnunen, who also competed in Miami against Joyce Ann Burton.)
All the hype (MJ’s superior catwalk skills, impeccable bearing) and hysteria (her bridal gown and the atrocious national costume, which has no impact on final scores) would have escalated or died down by now. But there’s no doubt that this year’s edition is the most competitive in recent memory. The traditional powerhouses (the USA, Venezuela, Australia, Colombia, Brazil, the Philippines) sent their strongest candidates. Not to be outdone are emerging countries, such as Spain, Jamaica, Argentina, the Ukraine, Serbia, Austria, Ethiopia, France, Guyana and Russia.
After she transferred from the Aces and Queens camp (which trained Venus Raj, Shamcey, Janine and Ara Arida) to Kagandahang Flores (KF), MJ finally won the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title after three attempts. Days before the finals night in Doral, Florida, I interviewed KF Director Rodgil Flores via Facebook.
What did you see in MJ that made you think she’s a winner?
Beyond her exquisite beauty, well-defined body proportions and her great personality, it was the fire in her—the burning passion to win the most coveted Miss Universe Philippines crown—that struck me during our first encounter. I knew right away that she will do everything to win the crown.
Given the wealth of beauties and strong contenders in this year’s Miss Universe batch, what is MJ’s edge and advantage?
Her advantage or edge will be her unique blend of Pinay beauty (with a mix of Spanish and Arab features), her vavavoom body and her infectious smile. Overall, she has this illuminating presence that makes her really hard to ignore.
What special and unique KF trainings did she undergo before going to Doral?
KF provided her a holistic training. She underwent extensive training with the KF mentors on all aspects of the competition—from mind-setting, such as imbibing a winning attitude; to the physical-regimen training provided by KF’s fitness sponsor Gold’s Gym, handling pageant questions and interviews, styling, including makeup and hairstyle, perfecting the pasarela walk and projection, and getting spiritual nourishment under the guidance of Redemptorist (Baclaran) Church priest Fr. Ino Cueto. KF trainings also supplemented the Binibining Pilipinas trainings that MJ underwent.
Is there a difference in the trainings of delegates for Miss Universe, Miss Earth, Supranational and Miss International in the KF camp?
Each international pageant has a specific “prototype” of a winner. After thorough research and discussions of the KF core team, we have developed a training syllabus tailor-fit for specific international pageants. I think the results have been very favorable. KF-trained queens have won five major international titles—two Misses International (Lara Quigaman and Bea Rose Santiago), two Misses Earth (Karla Henry and Jamie Herrell) and a Miss Supra (Mutya Datul). We have high hopes that MJ will be the 63rd Miss Universe.
You and KF have been producing winners for two straight years now. What accounts for this successful streak?
I believe it is the hard work thrown in by the entire KF core team. It has been a constant improvement process for all of us. We ourselves undergo the “training the trainers” program.
As the founder and head of KF, I have always been democratic. I seek suggestions and recommendations of the KF core team. We decide on training concerns as a team. The KF core team works in unison for one goal—as the KF motto goes: “For crown, for country!”
Once you get into KF, one will readily feel the KFamilia spirit of love, trust, respect and modesty. The KFamilia spirit puts the “heart and soul” to a KF-trained queen that is set to represent our country in an international pageant.
What did MJ tell you before she left for Doral, and now that she’s there? How confident is she?
Before she left for Doral, she told us that there is nothing that will stop her from doing her extreme best.
She believes that this is the least that she can do to give back the enormous support and love given to her by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) and her numerous fans.
Now that she is in the Miss Universe competition, MJ is confidently beautiful all the time because she knows that she has the entire nation rooting for her.
How true is the incredible rumor that the Miss Universe will soon be again held in the Philippines?
I’ve also heard about this rumor, and, hopefully, it is true. Let’s wait during the live airing of the 63rd Miss Universe if they will announce the next host country of the pageant.
What would it take for Madam Stella Marquez de Araneta to entrust the Philippine bet’s gowns to Filipino designers again?
That’s a question only the elusive woman can answer. It’s a frustration among Filipino fans that the BPCI head won’t heed the clamor for a local talent to create the gowns and costumes of our beauty queens.
Presidential award-winning designer Michael Cinco’s Instagram was even Photoshopped to falsely claim that he would do MJ’s gown on finals night, and this posted on pageant sites. “It’s my Instagram but [it] is a fake photo. I didn’t post this,” he said. “I wish I could make her evening gown, but no one approached me.”
I also learned from Rodolfo Milan, who works for the House of Zuhair Murad in Paris, that they did the gown for Miss Ukraine Diana Harkusha. “She bought—not borrowed—our gown from our last haute-couture collection,” Milan said. “But I could have let MJ borrow one of our gowns.”
Image credits: AP