Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism Parul Shah, Miss Intercontinental 2nd runner-up Kris Tiffany Janson, Bb Pilipinas-International Bianca Guidotti, Bb Pilipinas 1st runner-up Laura Lehmann and Bb Pilipinas-Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago at the Miss Universe viewing party on Monday.
“Maybe the timing was just off for us this year.”
That’s how Binibining Pilipinas-International 2014 Mary Ann Bianca Guidotti summed up how she and other Bb. Pilipinas winners fared in international pageants following the disappointing loss of Mary Jean Lastimosa in the Miss Universe 2014 pageant held Sunday in Doral, Florida.
“I guess given the track record (of our predecessors) in 2013, it really was hard for us to do as well this year. Pana-panahon nga lang siguro. Maybe it was just the time for other countries to experience the pride and the joy that we experienced the year before,” Bianca told InterAksyon and other media during the Miss Universe viewing party for select guests and members of the press at the VIP Room of the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Bianca was obviously referring to the year when Ariella Arida won third-runner up, Bea Rose Santiago won Miss International and Mutya Johanna Datul clinched Miss Supranational. Outside of Binibining Pilipinas, Megan Young also became the first Filipina to be crowned Miss World.
For this batch, none of the Binibining Pilipinas winners won any international title with only Binibining Pilipinas-Intercontinenal Kris Tiffany Janson managing a 2nd runner-up finish in last year’s Miss Intercontinental pageant.
For a while, it looked like Mary Jean Lastimosa was on her way to claim the country’s third Miss Universe crown after she emerged as a frontrunner in pre-pageant predictions.
“God has better plans for her,” was how Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago explained the pageant’s unfavorable outcome for MJ.
“She worked hard for this not just for months but for years. During Binibining Pililpinas, we saw MJ wake up early, go to the gym, do what she needs to do. If there’s anyone who deserves to win, it’s her,” she added.
The ladies saw nothing wrong with MJ’s performance in the pageant and pointed out that it was simply a judgment call on the part of the pageant’s panel of judges that included Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
“She was very blooming when she competed. During the swimsuit portion, she was a standout. Ang ganda niya,” Kris enthused. “If it was up to me, she’s my Miss Universe. But the judges may be looking for something else. I really don’t know how they judged, how they based their Top 5 but it was all in their hands.”
Binibining Pilipinas-Tourism Parul Shah, who did not get a chance to compete in the international arena as Miss Tourism Queen International did not hold a pageant last year, held a similar view.
“Maybe it was just not meant for her. She deserved to be in the Top 5 but what can we do? I know MJ did her best, she more than gave it her all. But if she could not please the judges the way they wanted to be pleased, there’s nothing we could do,” she lamented.
Parul added, “There were 88 beautiful women who competed there. I think everyone gave it their all, everyone put their best foot forward.”
Despite the setback, the ladies were all one in saying that they remain proud of MJ as the rest of the country should be.
“Just for the record, MJ was the only contestant trending on Twitter while the pageant is ongoing and for that we are very proud of her and we loved her performance and we know she deserves more. For us, she is our winner. The whole Philippines will welcome her back with open arms,” said Binibining Pilipinas 1st runner-up Laura Lehmann.
“The first thing I’m going to do when I see her is just run across the room and hug her and tell her that she’s amazing. There is nothing she should have changed and we couldn’t have been any prouder,” Bianca declared.
“The whole Philippines stopped for MJ. As we all know, we only stop for two things in this country and that’s for a Manny Pacquiao fight and Miss Universe. Right now, people were put on hold but the time they spent Miss Universe was not put to waste. Our representative was so awesome, so good,” Kris concluded.
None of them addressed the contentious issue of the gowns MJ wore during the pageant, which had elicited charges of sabotage against Binibining Pilipinas madam Stella Marquez Araneta and the gowns’ designer, her fellow Colombian Alfredo Barraza.
Bb. Pilipinas beauties applaud MJ Lastimosa’s Miss Universe stint
Source: InterAksyon.com (January 27, 2015 at 06:00PM)
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