Larah Lacap with Mama Renee Salud
Day 1 of the Metro Manila screenings of Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 just concluded today at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City. Seventeen bright hopefuls came to present themselves to a panel of judges that included Mama Renee Salud, yours truly and beauty queens Kristine Caballero, Larah Lacap and THE Bong Dimayacyac!
Yes, Bong is in town with her hubby Vic on family business til the end of the month then they fly back home to Pasadena in California. Bong is of course our Miss Asia Pacific 1983, a top fashion model in her prime who pursued a successful acting career but left it all behind to focus on family when she moved to the US years ago.
ABQ Author Joyce Burton Titular with Bong Dimayacyac
Regal as ever, Bong attended the screening in a little gray and black dress showing off the same curves that stunned us in the 80s! Currently she works for a real estate company in the US.
At the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 screening, Day 1
Back to Mutya ng Pilipinas, I discovered from Mama Renee that this year, the franchise will be awarding only one title – the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014. The winner of that title will compete in the Miss Tourism International 2014 in Malaysia. Pageant fans will recall that Mutya ng Pilipinas used to hold the Miss Intercontinental Philippines franchise but it got transferred to Bb. Pilipinas earlier this year. A big disappointment for the Mutya group.
Screening applicants waiting for thier turn backstage….
But Renee Salud has moved on and is looking for ways to revive the Miss Asia Pacific beauty pageant which has been in the grave since it’s last pageant in 2007. Good news for pageant fans who remember the glory days of the Miss Asia Pacific brand!
So this year we can expect one Mutya ng Pilipinas winner, three runners-up and a special Mutya ng Oveseas Communities award. This is of course apart from the expected special awards and honors.
More Mutya ng Pilipinas hopefuls…
The ones I recognized among the contestants were:
Glennifer Perido is the girl on the far left…
Glennifer Perido (above) who has already competed in two national pageants – Bb. Pilipinas 2011 (unplaced) and Miss Philippines Earth 2012 (she won the Air elemental title)…
Beautiful, young and free Mary Eileen Gonzales
Mary Eileen Gonzales who used to be with Star Magic and has been seen in teleseryes including Be Careful With My Heart. She also competed in My Girl last year when Koreen Medina won. This is Mary Eileen’s first attempt to join a pageant.
That’s it for Day 1 at the Mutya 2014 screenings. Day 2 happens tomorrow and I’ll be there again! Please revisit my blog for a report on that….
