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Beauty pageant observers and patrons are quick to say that Catriona Gray is indeed the very first Pinay beauty queen to have been given the right to represent the country in two of the most popular and most watched international beauty pageants in the world. But some quarters claim that Carlene Aguilar has the throne over it when she won Miss Philippines Earth in 2001 and Binibining Pilipinas World in 2005, and also fared well in the international contests when she had top 10 and top 15 finishes, respectively.
“But in 2001, Miss Earth was just beginning. Back then, it was considered as a very minor and small pageant that does not even hold a stick to the likes of Miss International and Miss Asia-Pacific beauty contests. Even up to this date, it ranks poor third or fourth way beyond Miss Universe and Miss World,” stated by these contests’ enthusiasts.
Catriona’s win gives signals to our neighboring pageant crazy countries of how strong and competent our Miss Universe delegate this year.
For now, Catriona doesn’t want to feel the pressure as she exclaims, “Let me enjoy this winning.. the sash, the crown and let me thank those who believed in me and joined me in this journey. Let me think perhaps of the pressure soon or maybe not anymore.”
Well, as we all have witnessed during the Binibining Pilipinas grand coronation night, she just didn’t win almost all the minor awards including both the Best in Swimsuit and Best in Long Gown and Best in National Costume, but the hearts of every Pinoy especially the women when she nailed the Q&A segment.
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When this piece was asked by some friends who have seen both the rise and fall of Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Diamond Star Maricel Soriano, considered by many film scholars as the last legit movie queens of Philippine cinema, I said that social media has somehow managed their status.
While the megastar continues to get stellar exposure on TV and film and still has a few product endorsements, Maricel or Maria seems to depend on the old system that is to rely on referrals waiting for a production to hire her.
Sharon’s activities on socmed made her a still-byword among its users even at times she gets into counter-bashing when she put her private moments out for public consumption.
Maria doesn’t do it. Her only means of reaching out to her fans is through her occasional TV and film guestings.
In the movies, she began to accept roles that are supporting in nature unlike Shawie who can still demand for a top billing status or role.
Again, socmed plays an important role because as one newbie producer said, “It will become easy for us to cast senior stars with active social media accounts because visibility and updates are at hand. Hindi na mahirap i-introduce sa younger gteneration of film patrons.”
Thus, when Maricel was asked why she continues to accept minor and supporting roles, she was reportedly heard saying, “Ngayon pa ba ako mag-iinarte? Basta may trabaho at okey naman sa akin, no problem kung supporting man iyan. Aware naman akong hindi ko na panahon noh?”
Well…who can blame her? She was once a box-office superstar and had been having quite a great share when it comes to her genius as a TV and film actress.
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How true that Joshua Garcia went to Julia Barretto’s place in the wee hours of the morning just to explain that he was not and is not and promised not to date the rumored beauty queen he met on line?
After socmed and the netizens bashed the young actor for trying to publicly announce his “being a friend and smitten by the young lass’ beauty” to the point of allegedly asked for the girl’s number, Joshua never had the time to explain to Julia.
What’s even more interesting, they unfollowed and then followed each other again on socmed as if there really is something deeper going on between them.
