‘COUNTRY OF THE YEAR’ – Beauty expert Jay P. Delgado is back in Highspeed with this piece.
The Philippines, acknowledged worldwide as having the greatest, even craziest, pageant fans, was chosen anew as “Country of the Year” by popular pageant website globalbeauties.com for the second consecutive year.
This was after Kylie Versoza won the country’s 6th Miss International title, Nicole Cordoves placed 1st runner-up in Miss Grand International, Catriona Gray was 3rd runner-up in Miss World, Maxine Medina was top 6 finalist in the recent Miss Universe tilt at MOA Arena, and Joanna Eden was a top 20 semi-finalist in Miss Supranational.
Although the website does not include other pageants that are popular in the Philippines, it is only fitting to include a host of other winners in 2016 including Miss Globe 3rd runner-up Nichole Manalo, Miss Intercontinental semi-finalist Jennifer Hammond, Miss Global 1st runner-up CJ Hiro, Miss Metropolitan Tourism International 1st runner-up Janela Joy Cuaton, Miss Asia Pacific International 2nd runner-up Ganiel Krishnan, Miss Diamond of the World Christine Joy Picardal, Miss Asia Trixia Maria Marana and Grandma Universe Agnes Padao Jakosalem.
And there are also our male winners Karan Singdole who won as Man of the Year and Andrea Biondo who was 2nd Runner-up in Mister Universal Ambassador.
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ENDLESS – There is actually a seemingly endless list of achievers for the year as in previous years, the Philippines being truly in its second “golden age” in international beauty pageants. The first “golden age” was in the late 60s and early 70s when Misses Universe Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran, Miss International Aurora Pijuan and Miss World runners-up Cecilia Amabuyok and Evangeline Pascual blazed the trail and put the Philippines in the world map of beauty pageants.
In 2015, the Philippines was also named “Country of the Year,” thanks to Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Earth Angelia Ong leading a host of runners-up and finalists in other pageants.
In 2013, our country was the undisputed champion, thanks to Miss World Megan Young, Mis International Bea Santiago, Miss Supranational Mutya Datul and Miss Universe 3rd runner-up Ariella Arida.
The first time the Philippines was named “Country of the Year” was in 1973 when Margie Moran won as Miss Universe in Greece, Evangeline Pascual was 1st runner-up in Miss World, Nanette Prodigalidad was 1st runner-up in the now-defunct Maja International and Marilen Ojeda was 4th runner-up in Miss International.