Viva Ariella Arida!
CHIANGRAI, THAILAND – In a breath-taking two hour pageant, Ariella Arida of the Philippines conquered yet another beauty title for the nation by placing 3rd Runner-up in the 2013 Miss Universe which just concluded in Moscow, Russia! This placement matches that of Shamcey Supsup in 2011 and gives the Philippines what I believe it’s fifth 3rd Runner-up placement.
For a moment, it seemed like Ariella Arida would win. She was the only Asian in the Top 5; the one girl with straight hair and the lone candidate who did not need a translator during the Q&A segment. But the Latina contingent was too strong and Venezuela reaped the crown with Spain coming in 2nd, Ecuador 3rd, and Brazil 5th.
Now, the pro-translator folks will have some ammo to claim that if Ariella had used a translator, then maybe she would have won. They could be right, they could be wrong; but it is a moot argument because the choice to go without a translator will remain a Philippine pride. We may not have won the crown but we proved that we are brave even when outside of our comfort zone.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to watch a clear video streaming since I am currently in Chiangrai, so I have no idea of what the Q&A was all about but I did see that Ariella answered with confidence and made the audience cheer without restraint.
Congratulations to our girl from Laguna! With your victory, Ariella Arida, the Philippines maintains it’s powerhouse status in the world of pageants!
