Miss Earth: The Pros & Cons (3)

7. Awarding

Ganito ang way ng pag-presenta ng award sa Miss Universe: Ia-announce ang winner. Pupunta centerstage ang nanalo at aabutan ng crystal trophy. Fast-pacing. No sash. No envelope. Walang maraming presentors.

Sa Miss Earth naman ay ganito: Ia-announce ang winner. Pupunta centerstage ang nanalo. Palilibutan siya ng dalawa hanggang tatlong presentors (o higit pa). May magsasabit ng sash (na kung minsan ay baligtad), Ida-dagdag ang bulaklak, ang plaque, ang envelope, etc. hanggang sa tuluyang matabunan ng mga bagay na ito ang mismong awardee (na very 80's ang dating). And worst, nagagamit ang mahabang minuto sa ganitong klaseng pag-present ng award.

"... during awarding ceremonies it takes long time giving an specific award because even the presentors are given long time/camera exposure¡Kbefore the announcement of winner presentors should be ready already (off cam - should not be shown on tv the host asking the presentors to come up the stage for it will EAT a lot of time)... No more judges pinning the awards and the winners aside from eating the air-time most of them were ignorant in awarding."
Eervzz (Fan)
Mabuhay Beauties Forum
MabuhayBeauties.com

8. Beauty for a Cause

Noong 2003, nang tanggapin ng kontobersiyal beauty na si Vida Samadzai (ng Afghanistan) ang award na ito, we thought, magiging isang tradition na ito ng Miss Earth. Pero last year missing na ang special award na ito.But just in case na muling ibalik ito this year, may suggestion po ako:

Before Finals Night, ang Miss Earth Organization ay pipili ng 5 nominees para sa Beauty for a Cause Award. Ang criteria: Mga activities, foundations, charity works, social works at environmental contributions na nagawa, na-itinayo o nai-contribute ng mga ito sa kanilang bansa o sa pangkalahatan.

Lahat ng candidates ay eligible para sa award pero ang 5 na may pinakamalaki o pinaka malawak na nagawa o na-contribute ayon sa criteria ang siya lamang mano-nominate. Bago ang Finals Night ay ilalabas na ang list of nominees at sa Finals Night ia-annonce ang winner ng Award.

9. Quantity

The more... the better, ika nga. Ang Miss Universe ay may 70+/80+ na participants habang 50+/60+ naman ang Miss International. Pinakamalaki ang Miss World na umaabot na sa100+ delegates.Ang Miss Earth ay nagsimula sa 60+candidates.

In future, we hope to see at least 80+/90+ participants but please NO to fictional country names at half-pinay kind of candidates (tulad na lamang ng half Filipina na si Shenevelle Dickson na nauna ng nagwagi bilang 2nd runner up sa Miss Filipino-Australia bago pa kinatawan ang Australia sa Miss Earth last year. Shenevelle placed among the Top 8 Finalists at lumikha ito ng protesta mula sa ilang pageant directors lalo na't less than a week before the grand final nag-participate sa contest ang pinay-australian beauty na ito.Maging ang half pinay na si Juliana Drossou na kumatawan sa bansang Greece noong Miss Earth 2002 ay pumasok ng semis at naging 3rd runner up (Miss Earth - Fire).

It seems like half-filipina representing OTHER nations really do well in this pageant at hindi kataka-taka na ganitong formula o pattern ang gagayahin ng ibang pageant directors para mag-succeed sa Miss Earth.

10. Quality

Miss Earth should attract top-notch ladies just like how Miss Universe and Miss World do. Sa Miss Universe at Miss World ay punumpuno ng mga de-kalidad na mga candidates. Dapat nating isipin na -fair man o hindi- ay dito nakasalalay ang quality ng pageant.

Last year, naging tampuhan ng tukso mula press at fans ang overweight beauty na si Simone Roethlisberger ng Switzerland, ang petite representative ng Portugal na si Frederica Santos at ang sana'y inaasahang top quality na candidate na kakatawan sa USA.

"The Worst in Swimsuit goes to Switzerland's Simone Roethlisberger. We don't want to sound harsh but Simone didn't obviously meet the requirements of the swimsuit competition. Yeah, she's beautiful in her own right but her national director should've sent her to the gym to workout & maintain her figure. This type of body is a no-no in a major pageant such as Miss Earth where the physical form of a woman is one of the vital parts of its judging system."
Best & Worst of Miss Earth 2004
Missology.org

"...thank goodness the winners chosen in Miss Earth last year were so babe-errific, and the telecast so entertaining and nearly seamless that they made us forget those three cellar-dwellers."
Joseph Vitug
Miss International 2005
Fearless Forecasts
MabuhayBeauties.com

"...on the other end we have Miss Portugal and Miss Switzerland, who, honestly speaking, should be somewhere else. Inner beauty may be essential in a beauty contestant, but physical beauty should be a REQUIREMENT... As for Miss USA, can't the organization get someone more competitive from the country which promotes beauty pageants in the entire globe?"
Miss Earth 2004 Coverage
GlobalBeauties.com

Narito ang excerpt ng review ng Global Beauties sa Miss Earth 2004:

Miss Earth Begins With More Quantity And Less Quality. Over 50 delegates have arrived in Manila to compete in the 4th edition of Miss Earth pageant. If in terms of quantity of participating nations the pageant has grown, the same cannot be said for quality, as some of the delegates lack the most important requirement (supposedly) for participating in a beauty contest: physical beauty.

There is no need to point fingers at anyone, as photographs speak for themselves. The fact is that Carousel Productions should make an effort to get the main national organizations of traditional power nations involved.With a very nice production and considerable interest by the local media, the pageant has most of the ingredients to become an international hit. The final step will be getting more attractive delegates from certain countries.Of course there is a small group of "class A" beauties, which promises to set this year's competition on fire! "

11. Powerhouse

Itinuturing na traditional pageant powerhouse ang mga bansang Venezuela, India at USA sa Miss Universe, Miss World at Miss International dahil na rin sa matagumpay na pagdomina ng mga ito sa nakaraaang mga taon. Maganda rin ang ipinamalas ng mga bansang tulad ng Puerto rico, Colombia, Canada, Russia, Dominican Republic at Australia. Maging ang mga Asian Countries na Japan At China ay hindi na rin nagpapahuli.Ang Miss Earth daw ay very non-traditional pagdating sa pagpili ng kanilang mga semi-finalists.

Sa Miss Universe, Miss World at Miss International ay very unlikely na mawala ang Venezuela, India, o USA sa semis. Sabi nga'y a pageant contest will not be the same without them. Madalas na kasalanan ito ng mga fans at pageant websites dahil na rin sa mataas na expectations o standards na ibinibigay ng mga ito sa mga tinaguriang pageant powerhouses. Kaya madalas, ang isang pageant contest na wala ang mga powerhouses na ito ay mahirap na mag-succeed.Miss Earth should attract top-notch ladies at least from Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, Japan, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, atbp.

Kung minsan ay iisipin mong unfair din naman ang ilang mga fans at pageant websites sa tila patuloy nilang pagyakap sa traditional na pag-domina ng mga tinaguriang 'powerhouse countries' ng beauty pageants.

"Miss Earth's history is of any indication, expect the unexpected when it comes to results. The celebrated pageant for a cause has been concluded yet a part of its credibility is being questioned primarily because of the startling inclusion of a number of 'underdogs'..."
Nicholo Paulo Ventura
Analyzing the Godsends of Miss Earth 2003
Missology.org

12. When to be held?

Ano nga ba ang ideal date para sa staging ng Miss Earth? Masasabing malaking factor sa tagumpay ng Miss Universe ay ang attention na naibubuhos ng media, fans at mga pageant websites dito. Nangyayari ito dahil na rin sa walang iba pang malaking pageant event na sumasabay sa Miss Universe tuwing May/June. At ito rin ang nagsisilbing unang malaking pageant event na ginaganap sa taon.Factor din na 5-6 months ang pagitan nito sa Miss World na siyang huling malaking pageant event (December of previous year).

Nagkakaroon ng long break at nagbi-build up ito ng anticipation mula sa media, fans at pageant websites. Hindi tulad ng Miss Earth (October) na nakikipag-agawan ng attention sa Miss international (September) at Miss World (November/December).

Comments nga ng Global Beauties:

"Miss Earth's main problem -which prevents them from getting more contestants- is that the duration of the pageant is too long (4 weeks) and that it's held in the fall, when most young women attend school and have to take important exams. It also collides with the realization of the Miss International and Miss World pageants, and some directors find it difficult to obtain wardrobe/airfare/coaching to several delegates at the same time."

13. Recent Events

Ang Miss Universe ay patuloy sa pagiging dominante at ang muling pagkamit nito ng "Best Pageant" award last year sa Global Beauties at successful ng 2005 Edition nito sa Thailand ay mga patunay lamang.

Last year, ang Miss World ay inulan ng batikos mula sa mga kritiko at fans sa mundo dahil sa controversial na voting system. Gayunpaman, masasabing matagumpay na tinangkilik pa rin ito ng marami.Ang Miss International 2004 Edition ay tumanggap ng mga favorable reviews mula sa ilang critics matapos ang ilang taong pagkritiko dito.

Samantala, sa local events naman, ang Miss Philippines 2005 pageant (kung saan pinili ang kandidata ng Pilipinas para sa Miss Earth 2005) ay hindi masasabing naging kasing tagumpay kumpara sa Binibining Pilipinas 2005 (para sa Miss Universe, Miss World at Miss International) at Mutya ng Pilipinas 2005 (para naman sa Miss Asia International).

Maging ang quality ng mga Top Winners ng Miss Philippines 2005 ay tila hindi rin gaano pinaboran ng ilang mga pageant watchers kumpara sa rave reviews na ibinigay sa mga Top Winners ng Binibini at Mutya.Ang lahat ng ito ay magsisilbing hamon sa taong ito (2005) para sa Miss Earth Organization.

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