Bb. Pilipinas finally presented to the press it’s 40 Official contestants in this year’s beauty tilt. The event was held on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, at the grand ballroom in Sofitel Hotel, formerly the Philippine Plaza. And from what this blogger witnessed, we’ve got another strong batch of contestants and more worthy beauties than crowns to give away.
Here are my thoughts on contestants 21 to 25. The names highlighted in RED are my top favorites. Those in GREEN I find intriguing.
Bb. Pilipinas 2014 contestants 21 to 25
Bb. #21 Racquel D. Kabigting – 22 yo – Mariveles, Bataan
Contestant #21 Racquel D. Kabigting is the Amazonian in this year’s Bb. Pilipinas batch of beauties. The civil engineering student is head and eyes above the other 39 girls with her 6-foot frame and I’m expecting her to get extra points for it too! Her height is not just useful for pageant competition but also for search and rescue work. Racquel is a member of the Bataan Rescue Unit and can give you CPR in a heartbeat.
*****
Bb. #22 Mary Ann Bianca G. Guidotti – 24 yo – Taguig
Supporters and fans of contestant #22 say that Mary Ann Bianca G. Guidotti is perfect for the Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2014 crown because apart from her fair beauty and 5’10″ whip-like body, Marianne speaks Portuguese. That’s the language of Brazil where the Miss Universe 2014 will be held. I can already imagine this degree holder in European studies wowing local Brazilians with her fluent Portuguese if she indeed goes to Miss U. But is the ability to speak Portuguese going to give her the edge above the other beauties in Binibini Batch 2014? We’ll have to wait and see on coronation night, March 30, 2014!
*****
Bb. #23 Nichole Marie R. Manalo - 24 yo – Paranaque
For Pinoy pageant fanatics, #23 Nichole Marie R. Manalo is royalty! She is directly related to 3 national beauty queens: Miss International Philippines 1968 Nini Ramos, Bb. Pilipinas World 2002 Katherine Ann Manalo and Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2009, Pamela Bianca Manalo. Even her mother, the former Norma Ramos was the first to win the Miss Caloocan crown in 1970. Whoa! What a pedigree. The envy of all beauty queen dreamers!
But will her pedigree have a bearing on what the judges think? I’d really hate to see her walk off stage without a crown come March 30. But the competition is stiff, pedigree or not, so Nichole can’t rest on her laurels; she’s got to outshine them all or… well… I don’t even want to go there!
As for me, I find Nichole Manalo to be a riveting beauty with her harp-like curves, flawless skin and feminine appeal!
*****
Bb. #24 Ednornance Agustin – 23 yo – Davao
What an odd name. Ednornance. Sounds like a noun or a state of being. Well, more like a state of angelic being if you ask me! This dark angel is truly intriguing, appealing and mesmerizing. I love her long-ness, her wonderfully tanned skin, the tilt in her almond eyes… I could go on and on!
But let me tell you about the first time I saw Ednornance Agustin. It was at the screening of Mutya ng Pilipinas 2013 where the freelance model made the cut as candidate #23. I loved her head shot in that pageant! Although she was unplaced, she performed well and I’m glad to see her back on the pageant stage!
*****
Bb. 25 Mary Jean Lastimosa – 26 yo – North Cotabato/Davao
In this particular competition, contestant #25 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa doesn’t smile just for the sake of smiling; she smiles with the freedom of someone who has come to terms with painful loss. In the year 2011 MJ was 2nd Runner up in Bb. Pilipinas. When she joined again in 2012 many expected her to win but alas, she never went beyond Top 12. I was saddened by her loss so much that I wrote a lament for her.
But lets leave all that and focus on the positive – MJ Lastimosa is back for one more shot at Bb. Pilipinas Universe crown but she also qualifies for the Tourism International and the Supranational as well. At 26 she has aged out for International. I can see her winning Universe with her bombshell body and brilliantly white smile but she’s got an uphill battle with rivals like Pia Wurtzbach, Parul Shah, Joy Gangan, to name a few.
As for Tourism International, if she wins that, I know that she’ll knock out the judges in China with her law-breaking waistline and hopefully, they’ll be wanting to claim her instead of our islands, LOL! Even for Supranational, MJ could be a worthy rep and successor to Mutya Datul and even give us a back to back win. I really do hope to see this girl crying for joy on coronation night…
*****
