BEAUTY AND GRACE – Jay P. Delgado, pageant authority (second to none), reports on two recent beauty events.
Two Mutya ng Pilipinas titleholders upheld the beauty and grace of the Filipina once more when they finished strongly in two international beauty pageants in Cambodia and Palawan.
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MODEL – Janela Joy Pigon Cuaton, last year’s Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International, placed first runner-up at the Miss Tourism Metropolitan International Beauty Pageant held at Nagaworld Entertainment Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last Nov. 18.
Janela, a 19-year-old model based in Doha, Qatar where her mother works as a nurse, was among 41 delegates who vied for the title that was eventually won by Chalisa Amanda Obdam of Thailand. The other runners-up were Hang Manita of Cambodia, 2nd; Raquel Maria Guevara of Costa Rica, 3rd; and Jia Zijun of China, 4th.
Janela arrived from Cambodia last Nov. 22 and was warmly welcomed bv her dad Joy Cuaton, sister Joanna May, and grandmother Teresita Arevalo (who flew in all the way from Daly City, California to watch Janela in Cambodia), as well as members of media.
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REPORTER – Last Nov. 23, reigning Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific International Ganiel Akrisha Atun Krishnan emerged second runner-up at the Miss Asia Pacific International Pageant that was held at Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Ganiel, who is from San Andres, Manila, is a Mass Communication student of FEU and a UAAP courtside reporter for FEU’s varsity teams. She is also the current Miss Manila 2nd runner-up.
Participated in by 40 delegates worldwide, the revived international tilt that was initiated in 1968 as the Miss Asia Quest and last held in China in 2005, was won by Miss Netherlands Tessa Helena Le Conge, a 22-year-old half-Indonesian communications consultant from Zetten, Gelderland who was also voted as Miss Friendship by her fellow contestants.
Also in Le Conge’s court of honor: Chawanya Thanomwong of Thailand, 1st; Felicia George of Cook Islands, 3rd; and Kim Soyeon of Korea, 4th.
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HOSTS – The Pageant was hosted by Marc Nelson, former Mutya ng Pilipnas Kristine Caballero-Aplal, and Miss Asia Pacific 1993 Michelle Aldana who is raring to make a showbiz comeback. Miss Asia Quest original founder Leandro “Biboy” Enriquez was among the judges.
The Mutya ng Pilipinas and Miss Asia Pacific International organizations are both headed by Joseph Tan and daughter Jacqueline Tan-Sainz.