Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya Datul enters the room to a cheering crowd!
WELCOME HOME SUPRA-GIRL!
It’s hard to believe that Mutya Johanna Datul was exhausted when she arrived at her homecoming party in Gloria Maris, Gateway Mall. Look at the photo above! There is not one shadow or shred of proof that she had just spent hours in transit on her way back home to Manila from the European nation of Belarus.
When she walked in, people stood up and cheered while the photographers’ flashbulbs brightened up the place. But they were not as bright as the shining gem that we know as Mutya Datul, the first Filipina (and Asian for that matter) to win the Miss Supranational title!
In the photo above she is wearing the very same Supranational crown that was placed on her head when she knocked down 82 other contestants from all over the world to win the title. Aside from winning the crown, she was bestowed the Miss Personality special award.
Mutya Datul gets up on stage as she basked in the delight of the audience which was cheering her victory.
MUTYA REUNITES WITH PIA, CINDY, ARA AND BEA
It was pretty obvious that the 4 other queens in the Gold Batch of Bb. Pilipinas were eager to see Mutya Datul again. As she was making her way to the stage, they whispered loudly to each other saying, “Ang ganda ni Mutya!” It was the first time they saw since her send-off to Supranational a few weeks back.
When all the girls finally all got up on stage, 1st Runner-up Pia Wurtzbach was the first to speak. While addressing both Mutya and the crown she said:
“Mutya diba umpisa palang sinbai ko na mananalo ka?!! Grabe ang ganda mo! Bagay sa yo. Iba na yung dating mo!
“Palagi kaming nakaabang sa mga updates ng Miss Supranational kung alam mo lang! And Ikaw talaga yung nag-stand out doon from the beginning. Bagay na bagay kasi si Mutya doon sa supranational kasi performer siya eh. Iba yung charisma niya. Nakikita yung pagka-genuine mo on stage kaya I think that’s why she won!
I think this is a great start for our queens this year! We want to continue the momentum because we’re aiming for a grandslam!”
Pia certainly knew how to tickle the audience. As soon as she uttered the word ‘grandslam’ she had everyone cheering again. She has good reason to be excited and motivated over Mutya’s win; its an open secret that she intends to join Bb. Pilipinas again next year with the goal of winning one of the crowns, the Universe title in particular.
Ara Arida (left) our Bb. Pilipinas 2013 Universe and Cindy Miranda, Bb. Pilipinas Tourism 2013…
CINDY MIRANDA… YOU’RE NEXT!
Bb. Pilpinas Tourism 2013 Cindy Miranda, who will be the next Bb. to compete in her international pageant had this message for Mutya Datul:
“Mutya, I made you a letter before you left. I said it’s all up to you! Alam ko naman na mananalo ka! Lahat ng pains na pinagdinaanan mo… see? Sino ka na ngayon? Ikaw na si Miss Supranational!
The moment na nalaman kong nanalo ka, sobrang kinbahan ako kasi next na ako. Talagang ninikip yung dibdibko! Pero it serves as a motivation for me also. Mutya, thank you for inspiring us. Kung kaya mo, kaya din naming lahat. Congratualtions Mutya, w’ere so proud of you, we love you!”
Afterwards, I had a moment with Cindy to encourage her as she counts down the days to her send-off. She says (if I remember right) that she’ll be leaving on Sept. 20 for China to compete in the Miss Tourism Queen International 2013 beauty pageant. Finals are on October 20. She admits being worried because host China is having territorial issues with the Philippines. Politics may affect her chances of winning, she says.
While Cindy does have a point, I told her to let everyone else worry about it. Her main concern is to train hard and then go and enjoy the pageant as an ambassadress of the Philippines. IMHO, Cindy’s striking beauty is worthy of an international crown! Don’t you think?
Pia Wurtzbach (left) and Bb. Pilipinas International 2013 Bea Santiago flank Mutya Datul
BEA’S MESSAGE TO MUTYA DATUL
Bb. Pilipinas International 2013 Bea Santiago also had a message for Mutya Datul:
“Nung nalaman ko po, nan doon po kami sa taxi papuntang Kamuning and umiiyak po kami, sumisigaw kami sa taxi. Sabi ng driver, ‘maam baka mabangga po tayo!’ Sabi ko Kuya, ‘meron nanaman tayong nanalo for the Philippines!’
We’re so proud of Mutya! Sana hindi ka magbago, sana ganoon ka pa rin,sana more blessing sa yo, sana keep mo yung Mutyang mahal na mahal namin!”
Bea will be the final queen of Bb. Pilipinas Batch 2013 to compete internationally. The Miss International 2013 is scheduled for December 17, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.
6) Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2013 Ara Arida (right) with Mutya and Pia Wurtzbach
ARA ARIDA TO MUTYA: ‘OMG!’
The beautiful Bb. Pilipinas 2013 Ara Arida, who looked more stunning than ever, had this message for our queen:
“‘OMG!’ Yun ung expresssion ko nung nalaman ko nanalo si Mutya. Actually, sobrang lungkot ko kasi di ko mapanood yung live streaming kasi hindi siya pwede sa phone. So nagtiyaga ako sa twitter updates… lahat ng blogs. Pero alam ko from the start, nung Bb. Pilipinas pa lang, meant talaga sa ‘yo yung crown na yun!
“Hindi lang yung chrismatic smile mo ang nag-pa-stand out sa yo in the competition, it’s your humble, pure heart. Kaya ngayon naniniwala akong hindi ka magbabago. Thank you Mutya, congratulations!”
Just a side note from me: totally loved Ara’s styling at the homecoming party of Mutya. She is slowly morphing into a Miss Universe winner! I can’t wait for Novemeber 9, 2013 when she competes in Russia!!!
Mutya Datul with her family…
MUTYA: PINAGLIHI SA IBON
The most heartwarming part of the night was when Mutya’s family went up on stage. Her mother, father and three out of five siblings were there to welcome her and for a moment they hugged and cried together on stage. According to the beauty queen, her family has always been her inspiration in life and that she joined pageants so she could raise money to help support them. Her Supranational crown is dedicated to them.
As Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya wins a heavy purse – $25,000 which she says will go to her mother’s daily medication (Mom Perly Datul suffers from a blood condition called aplastic anemia), the education of her 5 siblings and a savings account for the future.
I was able to chat with Mom Perly to congratulate her and check on her health. Extremely shy, she seemed hesitant to talk at first but when I told her I was a former Bb. Pilipinas winner she warmed up to me. Mom Perly says she’s been doing fine now that they can afford her medication thanks to her daughter’s success.
Mom Perly says, “pinaglihi ko si Mutya sa ibon na iniihaw sa amin. Yung ibon na tinitirador. Nung pinanganak ko siya, ang tangos ng ilong! Ang ganda! Kaya ‘Mutya’ ang pinangalan ko sa kanya. Ang ‘Johanna’ naman ay galing sa Bible. Ipinagdasal ko noon na sana magmana siya sa height ng ama niya.” Her father Wilfredo Datul is nearly 6 feet tall and it looks like she did take after him with her 5’8″ stunning physique.
Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya Datul thanks everyone for their support!
MUTYA MISSED HER FLIGHTS TWICE!
Mutya might have found the way to the crown but she can’t find her way in an airport! The newly-crowned beauty queen opened her talk with an apology for being hours late for her homecoming party. She apparently missed her flight! Her guests were originally schedule to meet her at Gloria Maris, Gateway Mall at 4pm but that had to be delayed to 8pm. But it was already 9:20 in the evening when she finally stepped into the dining hall. For me, it was a wait WELL worth it. Just look at how beautifully expressive her face is in the photo above? And that gorgeous Supranational crown – doesn’t it look like it was created just for her?
Going back to our queen with a malfunctioning GPS (joke lang Mutya, haha!) – The self-confessed ‘probinsyana’ says she’s not used to airports since this was her first time to travel abroad and alone at that! She added that she ALSO got lost on her way to compete at Minsk, Belarus!
Mutya Datul is crowned Miss Supranational 2013!!!
PROPHETIC VISIONS OF THE CROWN!
Although Mutya Datul did not expect to win, she says she had a strong premonition she would. In Pilipino she said, “right before I set foot on Belarus, I suddenly saw myself returning with a crown on my head. I don’t know why I saw that! And then when the two hosts (on coronation night) said that the winner comes from ‘far, far, far away,’ I suddenly felt something heavy on my head.”
Before she knew it, the Philippines was announced and she was being crowned the winner while all of us Pinoy pageant fans watching online were shouting, crying and freaking out in various ways!
Eyes as big as Salagubangs…
HER COMPETITORS WERE AS BORING AS NEWSCASTERS?
The funniest moment at Mutya Datul’s homecoming party was when she recounted the details of her closed-door interview with the judges at Miss Supranational. She explained that the contestants entered the room in groups of five and they all had to answer the same question: Tell us about yourself and why you want to be Miss Supranational.
Her story, told jokingly, made everyone in the hall laugh out loud. Here’s what she said
“The other 4 girls (in my group) were like newscasters. They spoke too much. I was just listening and falling asleep. Honestly! I knew the judges felt the same way. So when it was my turn, I woke them up by saying ‘Mabuhay!’ Then I introduced myself in their language. After that I went straight to the point saying, ‘ I want to become Miss Supranational because this is my ultimate dream and I want it more! I want to be an ambassadress, a good example and give inspiration to many different people.’ I think the judges loved me because I kept it short and to the point!”
The loudest to laugh in the audience of press folk belonged to news reporter Patricia Fernandez, a former Bb. Pilipinas titleholder herself who is now working for a cable news station. Even TV presenters from the different networks laughed at the candor of the newly-crowned beauty queen. I too spent many years working as a newscaster but I hope to God that I’m not THAT boring, aahaha!
Mutya Datul is looking forward to experiencing Winter!
NEXT ASSIGNMENT: SHOP FOR WINTER CLOTHES!
Normally, winners of big pageants like Miss Supranational stay at the host nation for at least a week before going home. But Mutya Datul left Minsk, Belarus 2 days after winning. She explains, “Sabi po sa akin ng president ng Miss Supranational, next month, October, babalik po ako doon para makasama ko yung mga past winners ng Supranational and we will go to different countries like Panama etc. Then sinabi niya sa akin, ‘have you experienced winter?’ Sabi ko, ‘no, never!’ Sabi niya – ‘Be ready for that!’
But I think it should be the other way around. THEY should get ready for the thermodynamic Mutya Datul who is going to rock the nations with her beauty, her personality and her Filipino-style hospitality.
Love her smile!
BEAUTY QUEENS DON’T STEAL PORK… THEY JUST BRING HOME THE BACON!
I remember Venus Raj’s 4th Runner-up victory at Miss Universe which coincided with that tragic hostage-taking incident involving Hong Kong nationals at the Quirino Grandstand. Mutya Datul’s victory also comes in the middle of bad news – the pork barrel issue continues to escalate while America pushes for an attack on Syria. But just like our champion boxers, our beauty queens give us a bright ray of hope that not all is lost in this dark world. There are still people out there who win their battles without bullets and who are beautiful inside and out. They are the ones we should hope to emulate.
Thank you Mutya Johanna Datul for being a shining gem in the midst of all this darkness. May you carry the flag of the Philippines proudly and show the world that a we are a peace-loving culture, a great nation, and a loving people.
Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya Johanna Datul (middle) with her Bb. Pilipinas Gold batch co-winners – L-R Pia Wurtzbach (1st RU), Cindy Mirana (Tourism), Mutya, Ara Arida (Universe) and Bea Santiago (International)
