MISS MANILA – Viva’s into movies, television, concert, talent management. And even food and restaurant.
And now, beauty pageants.
It started with Miss Manila when Mayor Joseph Estrada took office three years ago. Viva handles its production and television coverage, with Ms. June Torrejon-Rufino at the helm. This year’s Miss Manila is Cristelle Tolentino of Binondo, crowned last June 24, coinciding with the 445th Araw ng Maynila celebration.
Come to think of it, there’s also a Miss Gay Manila, whose candidates were said to be even prettier than real women.
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MUTYA – More pageants handled by Viva, as reported by Jay P. Delgado, beauty expert who’s second to none.
Mutya ng Pilipinas 2016 also has very promising candidates from overseas Filipino communities in Scandinavia, Japan, and Australia.
The Miss Asia Pacific Pageant, shelved for more than a decade, will finally be revived and is tentatively scheduled for October with the preliminary events in Manila and the finals in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
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MISS WORLD – Finally, sometime in August or September, Viva will co-produce the 5th Miss World Philippines Pageant after it officially announced its partnership with Cory Quirino Global Quest (CQGQ), the outfit of socialite and wellness guru Cory Quirino that selects the country’s official entry to Miss World, the longest-running world beauty competition that was begun in London in 1951.
“We at Viva are happy to partner with CQGQ to stage the world’s most coveted beauty tilt in the Philippines and to tap the potential of its beauties (in acting, singing, modeling) during and after the reigns,” Viva Communications founder and CEO Vic del Rosario said during the press event at Tektite Tower.
“I look forward to a happy and fruitful partnership with Viva and we hope to produce the next Filipina Miss World after Miss World 2013 Megan Young and hopefully, the first Beauty with a Purpose winner,” Cory Quirino said.
Aside from Megan, CQGQ is proud of its roster of Miss World alumnae: Miss World 2011 1st runner-up Gwen Ruais, Miss World 2014 Top 8 semi-finalist and Best in Talent 1st runner-up Queenie Rehman, Miss World 2014 Top 25 quarter finalist Valerie Weigmann and Miss World 2015 Top 6 finalist and Social Media winner Danielle Parungao.