FEATURE: Miss Philippines' Bianca Manalo on her boyfriend: He’s a pilot trainee. He started pursuing his dream of being a pilot when he learned that I would be a flight attendant. Yes, he has all the qualities of my ideal man. He’s religious like me. We hear the early-morning Mass together every day. Before going home, we would drop by the Adoration Chapel. What I want most about him is his strong faith in God. If you have that, everything is possible. Read More..

PAGEANT BUZZ!

JULY 2009: 'Ekta has all it takes to win Miss Universe crown' Miss India-Universe Ekta Choudhary is all set for the Miss Universe pageant which will be held in Bahamas. Fashion designer Ritu Kumar , who’s designing Ekta’s outfits for the pageant, says the girl has all it takes to win the crown. The 58th Miss Universe contest will begin from the first week of August and conclude with a gala finale at the Atlantis Paradise Island, in Nassau, Bahamas on August 23, 2009. India’s contestant Ekta Choudhary has been perseveringly preparing for the pageant and is nearly ready. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISS UNIVERSE 2009!

NEWS: Claudia Jordan To Host Miss Universe. Claudia Jordan of "Celebrity Apprentice" and "Deal or No Deal" has been tapped as a co-host of the upcoming 2009 Miss Universe Pageant, which will air live on NBC on Sunday, August 23 at 9 p.m. ET from Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Paula M. Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization, announced Tuesday that Jordan and "Access Hollywood" co-anchor Billy Bush will emcee the event to choose a successor for 2008 winner Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela. Claudia Jordan was a former Miss Rhode Island USA. Read More..

U SPEAK: Miss Universe 2009 Schedules. The 2009 Miss Universe will be exciting! Here's the tentative schedule of events. Read More..

THE LIST: Pre-Arrival Favorites. Pageant Websites and experts around the globe have already put their bets. Let's see how the list will change as the competition starts to heat up. Read More..

HATAW BEAUTIES CHOICE: The Road to the Finals! In less than a month, the Miss Universe 2009 Pageant will kick off in the Islands of the Bahamas. This is my Pre-arrival assesment. Read More..

GIMME FIFTEEN: Choose your winner! We'd love to know what you think. We want you choose your Miss Universe winner. Soon..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERVIEWS!

MISS UNIVERSE 1969: Gloria Diaz: Gorgeous at 55. If a man on the moon would come down, how would you entertain him? “I guess since he has been in the moon so long he would enjoy anything that an ordinary man would.” With that witty answer to a question popped to the five finalists by host Bob Barker, Gloria Diaz, 18, bagged the country’s first Miss Universe crown, with the headlines saying America conquered the moon, because Neil Armstrong took the first ever human step on the moon at the time the 1969 Miss Universe Pageant was being held in Miami, Florida (37 years ago this month), but “the Philippines conquered the Universe!” Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bb. PILIPINAS 2009!

NEWS: Gersbach, Manalo, Umali top Bb. Pilipinas Pageant. The Binibing Pilipinas Pageant 2009 crowned its top three beauty queens early Sunday, starting with 23-year-old Melody Gersbach as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, followed by 22-year-old Pamela Bianca Manalo as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and 22-year-old Marie-Ann Umali as Bb. Pilipinas-World. Named before them were 26-year-old Regina Hahn as second runner-up and 20-year-old Richell Agalot as first runner-up. The coronation was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, with the show starting late on Saturday. Read More..

U SPEAK: Facts, Gossips & Rumors. Sandra Inez on her disqualification: "..we were doing our fittings, and then the lawyer of Binibini called me and they showed me a letter stating that they gonna have to drop me from the roll of candidates..that was last tuesday..and then i made an appeal with my lawyer asking for reconsideration, however, after much explaining and talking to them they still decided to stand firm with their March 3 decision.. I can't cry over my spilled milk, you know, so i can just learn from this.. and yeah, move on.." Read More..

TOP PICKS: Hataw Beauties bets. This year's Bb. Pilipinas is considered a highly competitive batch. There are a lot of beautiful ladies this year, but for me, only few have the 'it' fqctor for internutional competitqons. Out of theu24 candidates, I only have seven names here on my list of Top Picks. In my opinion, these are the women who should represent us internationally. Read More..

U DECIDE: Choose Her Crown. If you're going to choose our representatives to Miss Universe 2009, Miss World 2009 & Miss International 2009, how would you distribute the crowns? Who are your top choices? Who should really represent us in Miss universe, Miss World & Miss International base on the qualities and images they are looking for? Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISS USA 2009!

NEWS: Miss North Carolina USA crowned Miss USA 2009. LAS VEGAS – Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA 2009 on Sunday, beating out 50 other beauty queens in the live pageant televised from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The 22-year-old aspiring motivational speaker and entertainer from Wilmington edged out first runner-up Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, of San Diego, and second runner-up Miss Arizona USA Alicia-Monique Blanco, of Phoenix. "It feels really natural," Dalton said of her win. "I've worked so be here and this has been my lifelong dream and it's finally here. And whoever knew you could win in a turquoise gown?" Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISS PHILIPPINES-EARTH 2009!

NEWS: NegOcc beauty queen is Miss Philippines Earth 2009. A beauty queen from Negros Occidental was crowned Miss Philippines-Earth 2009 late Sunday night, May 10. Sandra Seifert, a Filipina-German model, bested more than 40 other candidates to win the pageant. She will represent the Philippines for the Miss Earth 2009 pageant this coming October. The beauty pageant was held at the Arena Entertainment and Recreational Center of the People in San Juan City and aired over ABS-CBN Channel 2. It will be recalled that Seifert was disqualified by Binibining Pilipinas when she posed sexy for a men's magazine. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAUTY QUEEN!

MISS UNIVERSE 1952: Message from Armi Williams (former Hilario, former Kuusela). I arrived in the Philippines in February 1953 as a young and impressionable Miss Universe to attend the official opening ceremonies of the first international fair in Manila. I was completely overwhelmed by the outpouring enthusiasm, warmth and adoration of the crowds of people wherever I went. I had never expected anything quite so magnificent – nor the extraordinary and special arrangements that were made to make me feel welcome and comfortable. I remember shedding copious tears as I waved my final goodbyes to the many who came to see me off. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIEWS!

OPINION: Miss Earth: The Pros & Cons (Part 1 of 3). The article "Miss Earth: The Pros & Cons" was with me for a long a time. I wrote it sometime back in September 2005, before the actual Miss Earth 2005 in Manila. It took me a long time to finish it because I had to collect thoughts (from articles, messageboards and forums) from the people who also follow and observe this pageant. The article was created from the many voices of critics, pageant followers and fans to show the prons and cons of Miss Earth. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAUTY READ!

BOOKS: Universal Beauty. Beauty writer Cara Birnbaum and former Miss Universe winners bring together the diverse tips, insights, and secrets that have set these women apart and brought them to the pinnacle of beauty. Former title holders will share their beauty regimens as will the professionals who work with contestants to achieve the Miss Universe look. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ISSUES!

CONTROVERSIES: Oxana Fedorova's Dethronement. Fedorova denied the pregnancy rumors and stated that she voluntarily gave up her crown for personal reasons, mainly because she wanted to finish her law degree. Officially, she was dethroned for failing to perform the numerous duties expected of a Miss Universe titleholder. At the time she stated in an interview that she had declined to perform her duties because she was so insulted by her treatment on The Howard Stern Show. She blamed the pageant organizers for not warning her.. Read More..

FLASHBACK: When English Proficiency Becomes a Blunder. The real entertainment will for sure come from the contestants. Each year new delegates give similar impressions upon the viewers: pretty faces talked as if they could save the world, gauche smiles, and for some…bad English. For all those reasons, they have made the Miss Universe pageant a good amusement. But do not dare to look down upon these young ladies. They have passed a tough beauty contest in their own country to prove that they are worthy enough to join this one. Read More..

TRIVIA: The Filipino Men in these Beauty Queen's Lives. Okay, this is a given: These Filipino men have fallen in love with these beautiful beauty queens. Read More..

TRIBUTE: A Tribute to Miss Earth Pageant! Among the myriad of beauty pageants currently in existence around the world sits one that aims at preserving life. It is called the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant. Initiated in 2001 it is one that strikes a pleasant chord of longevity since its objective is to incorporate awareness of a worthy cause, with the concept of pageantry and beauty queens. Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAUTY QUOTES!

CONFESSIONS! Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002: "Something happened... when we were down to the five semi-finalists of the Miss Universe pageant, we were standing together on stage and right before they started calling out the positions, one of the girls said, “Best of luck to all of you.” But it’s not about luck, it’s about one girl’s destiny... this time, it ended up being about two girls’ destinies. I was really happy with the whole experience. It was fulfilling in many ways and I enjoyed it—to my own surprise" Read More..

SPEAK OUT! Answer This: "If a Miss Universe winner were found out having an affair with another woman, should she be allowed to continue as Miss Universe?" Read More..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2008: THE YEAR THAT WAS!

Hataw Beauties Medal Awards 08: Dayana Mendoza wins Best Grandslam winner! Hataw Beauties Medal Awards 2008 is my personal tribute to the people and beauties who shaped the Pageant world of 2008 and made it an exciting ride at every twist and turn. Nominees and Winners from different categories - from gowns to costumes, and from faces to dresses - are my own personal choices. These, in my opinion, are the people and events that have defined beauty pageants of 2008 at its best. Read More..

Bond Girl 08: Vera Krasova of Russia wins! If the next 007 Bond Girl will be chosen from more than a hundred beauties who participated in the Big4 Pageants of 2008, who is the most qualified? The Big4 beauties of 2008 are definitely beautiful, sexy and intelligent. But only a few have what it takes to become the next (possible) Bond Girl in the big screen. Read More..

Hataw Filipina 08: Karla Paula Henry wins! Hataw Filipina 2008 is a title given by Hataw Beauties to the best filipina representative to the global beauty pageants of 2008. Karla Paula Henry, winner of the 2008 Miss Earth in Pampanga, Philippines, is the first recepient of this award. Read More..

The Year In Review: Spain is the Best Country of the Year! The year 2008 seems to be a picture of the old days: Venezuela wins Miss Universe and Miss World returns in South Africa. Let's see which countries also made their winnings and returns in 2008. Read More..

Beauty Standings 08: Russia, Spain, Venezuela & the Philippines won top positions! Check out this year’s achievements and performances of the countries who participated and made it big during the final competitions of the 4 Grandslam Pageants (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth & Miss International). Read More..

Reviews: A Coronation Ball for a Pageant Finale? The Miss Universe finals is far different from Miss World. I prefer the former over the latter. Miss Universe has competitions. Winners do work hard to be able to win. Judges need to see them perform. Viewers must understand how the candidates win or lost. Miss World's finals was just like a grand coronation ball for me. It seems like the winners were chosen even before the finals night. Read More..

Grandslam Pageants 08: Its Venezuela, Spain, Philippines & Russia! Dayana, Alejandra, Karla & Kseniya were named the most powerful women in the pageant world of 2008 Read More..