One of the fun things about beauty pageants are the cocktail parties!!! Miss Philippines Earth 2013 just had a “Fun Moments with the Earth” cocktail party at the poolside of the F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. To the lovely Lorraine Schuck, thanks for inviting me! Here are photos taken with my fantastic HTC 8x Windows 8 phone which features a great 8 megapixel camera with an ultra wide-angle lens….
Miss Philippines Earth 2013 contestants – L-R: Fil-Canada (Marie Antoinette Carbon), Bogo City (Mira Mae Dimmerling), Olongapo City (Angelee Claudett delos Reyes), Iriga City (Katherine Dominique Lagrimas) and Nagcarlan (Kimverlyn Suiza)
Beautiful contestants in white, gold and silver filled the poolside with their gorgeous figures and welcoming smiles. Here are some of my favorite girls; aren’t they just gorgeous?
When I walked in the first people I saw were Miss Earth founder Lorraine Schuck and Michelle Bautista (Miss Photogenic Mutya ng Pilipinas 1986). They were with the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Josef Rychtar. I quickly congratulated him because the reigning Miss Earth 2012, Tereza Fajksova is from the Czech Republic.
Ambassador Rychtar was wonderful company! He shared a funny story: Some 4 years ago his embassy received a call from the Miss Earth organizers. They needed a translator for the Czech Republic’s contestant that year. The Ambassador offered his services since he spoke Czech as well as Russian. He ended up serving as translator for 14 contestants from his region. The Miss Earth group ended up inviting him to be a judge that year and they have maintained a close relationship ever since!
Miss Earth founder Lorraine Schuck with Czech Republic Ambassador Josef Rychtar
Blog Author Joyce Ann Burton (left) with Michelle Bautista, Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Photogenic 1986… she is now married to businessman Noel Tanada…
I was deLIGHTed to find out that the husband of my dear friend Michelle Bautista was the supplier of the gorgeous solar lamps (brand name “TANGLAW”) that were being brandished by all the contestants of Miss Philippines Earth 2013 during the cocktail presentation! Michelle’s hubby, businessman Noel Tanada was busy taking footage of the event. The whole solar lamp thing goes hand in hand with the environmental focus of Miss Philippines’ Earth.
Here are some shots of the Miss Philippines Earth 2013 contestants modeling Tanglaw solar lamps and torches:
I love these solar-powered lights!
Ipil (Athina Karla Chia) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
Zamboanga (Nancy Leonard) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
Legazpi (Casey Ann Austria) and Iriga (Katherine Dominique Lagrimas) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
City of Manila (Alyanna Andrea Amistad) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
Marikina (Maretony Baldoza), Marilao (Caneille Faith Santos) and Misamis Occidental (Krystel Suizo) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
Cebu (Teffanie Lene Llamada) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
Lipa City (Jillian Kristin Deveza) – Miss Philippines Earth 2013
More Miss Philippines Earth 2013 beauties! Surigao City (Joanna Jane Janson), Taguig City (Charmaine Hernandez) and Talisay I think (Maria Eliza Zosa). Behind her is Tanza (Marie Bernadette Meneses)
Cabugao, Ilocos Sur (Jannie Alipo-on) – Miss Philipines Earth 2013
Another fantastic surprise was bumping into Mike and Seline Magpayo, the organizers of my pageant – Miss Young Philippines 1981!!! They are like my second mom and dad. Seline looked ravishing while Mike was his old debonair self. The last time I saw them was maybe some 20 years ago so it was a fantastic reunion…
OMG! Seline and Mike Magpayo – they were the organizers of my Miss Young Philippines beauty pageant in 1981… haven’t seen them in ages! They look AWESOME!
I also had the opportunity to chat with one of the judges during the Bb. Pilipinas 2013 beauty pageant – Italy’s Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Massimo Roscigno. It turns out that his sexy and gorgeous wife Agnes was my schoolmate at Benedictine Abbey School in Muntinglupa!
Anywhoo… Ambassador Roscigno was the judge who asked Bb. Pilipinas 2013 contestant #34 Grace Apuad what her greatest contribution to her community would be. IMHO, Grace had one of the better answers among the semi-finalists; she said her greatest contribution would be inspiring the youth by modeling her life as an independent woman who finished school even without the help of her parents. The good Ambassador agreed with me that Grace Apuad gave a good answer.
Ambassador Roscigno also shared all these delicious tidbits about what went on during the judging process, however, I am bound by secrecy so I can’t tell you what he said, argh! But the one thing I can tell you is that 3 of the Top 5 in Bb. Pilipinas 2013 were his personal choices. The Ambassador indeed has a keen eye for beauty – he knows how to pick them well, just look at his fabulous wife Agnes!
L-R – Agnes Ventura Roscigno (the ambassador’s wife and my batchmate at Bene), me in the middle and Ambassador Massimo Roscigno of the Italian Embassy in the Philippines
Another good friend I bumped into was Amelia Joy dela Cruz who is Miss Southeast Asia 1993 (she was also winner of Mutya ng Pilipinas Charm in 1990 and a Bb. Pilipinas 1st Runner-up in the late 80s). Amelia is now a bag designer!
It was a lovely evening indeed with the Miss Philippines Earth 2013 contestant. I also had a blast sharing stories with old and new friends. Hoping you enjoyed some of the things I shared here! Don’t forget, Miss Philippines Earth 2013 coronation night is happening on Sunday, May 19, 2013, 7pm at the SM MOA Arena… see you there!
L-R – Nagcarlan (Kimverlyn Suiza), Amelia Joy dela Cruz (Miss Southeast Asia 1993), Olongapo (Angelee delos Reyes) and the blogging beauty queen!
