A misty-eyed look at Armi Kuusela, the 1st Miss Universe

Armi Kuusela with Virgilio Hilario

Fifty-four years ago today, a beautiful 17-year-old girl from Finland was crowned (by Hollywood actress Piper Laurie) the first Miss Universe at a glittering ceremony at The Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, with a court of honor composed of Hawaii’s Elza Kananionapua Edsman (first runner-up), Greece’s Daisy Mavraki (second runner-up), Hong Kong’s Judy Dan (third runner-up) and Germany’s Renate Hoy (fourth runner-up).

My Miss Universe Experience

I remember it very clearly

I live a life without major mistakes

“I’ll make sure they’ll remember my name a hundred years from now.”

What happened in Vegas

Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2010
Venus Raj

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do. — Unknown

A common adage says that we only live once so we should make every moment in our life meaningful. I consider myself very lucky because I was given the chance to represent my country in one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the world. An acquaintance once told me that I should be very thankful because many girls are wishing to be in my shoes. My Miss Universe experience is surely the most wonderful journey I have ever taken. I’d like to share some of my most unforgettable moments during the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.

Sandra Inez Seifert Miss Philippines-Earth 2009: The beauty queen as an advocate

Miss Philippines-Earth 2009
Sandra Inez Seifert

The world of beauty pageant through the decades had defined the image of a quintessential beauty queen. She is a beauty cool under pressure, complete with a saccharine smile, flawless skin and a confident bearing that commands attention.

But for one Visayan girl who won in one of the most prestigious pageants in the Philippines, being a beauty queen means beauty beyond skin deep. She said that you can be serious in your attempt to win, but that doesn’t mean that you have to lose yourself in the process and more importantly, you should have more on your mind than the title, the sash and the prestige that goes with it.

If these statements are an indication that there’s more to Sandra Seifert’s pretty face, then the lad by all means deserves the beauty queen title of Miss Philippines-Earth.

“A lot of people think that beauty queens are all about being pretty and winning titles—that it’s not about the substance or wit of a woman but more about her physical appearance,” Seifert relates to The Manila Times. Exuding a confident aura, the seriousness of her tone is an inkling that she was back on stage to prove something.

“In some pageants, that’s true because their intelligence evaluation is only about 10 percent of the total score,” she states, continuing, “The beautiful part is, not all pageants are like that.”

Crowned Miss Earth Philippines on May 10, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum, Seifert bested 49 others as the country’s next environmental ambassador. Seifert succeeded 2008 grand winner, Karla Paula Henry. She will be representing the country in October for the global Miss Earth beauty contest.

Seifert had a previous failed attempt at the Binibining Pilipinas title stemming from the issue of her photo in swimsuits appearing in a men’s magazine. She narrates that all these trials sweetened more her Miss Earth victory. “When I was younger, I was fond of watching beauty pageants. I would challenge myself by trying to answer the questions the contestants would get,” she reminisces.

During the interview, Seifert was lounging comfortably in a sofa without the trappings of a beauty queen. She carries the laid-back radiance of a 25-year-old girl who was on her way to fulfilling a landmark role in her life.

Born Sandra Inez Seifert, the half-European-half-Ilonggo beauty shares that she owes her beauty to the strong German features of her father, Harald, and the tender glamour of her Filipina mother, Zenaida. She reveals that her family encountered some financial hardships in the past but quickly adds that despite the difficulty, she considered them to be very blessed.

“I had a pretty good childhood,” Seifert narrates, continuing, “I was really, really pampered. I have three brothers. They are all younger than me but they are all taller than me.”

At the age of 14, Seifert was approached by a talent scout who asked her if she wanted to be a model. Though she immediately grabbed the offer, it took her about 50 attempts before she landed on her first legitimate modeling project.

Her perseverance was paid off with a promising career. To date, she has already done several national and international commercials and fashion shows. Seifert displays a penchant of involving herself with social issues through her work and through the media. She even worked with showbiz old-timer German Moreno in his late night program Master Showman.

To beef up her portfolio, Seifert once posed in a photo shoot wearing a two-piece swimsuit in a bedroom setting. The photo, which was done in good taste, was published in the men’s magazine FHM.

Seifert recalls that at that time, she considered those photos no more than a mere attempt to showcase her range as a model, not realizing that it would make a controversial impact on her career. In those days, she is not keen on joining beauty contests even when people were goading her into it. “I wasn’t really up for it. I wanted to just continue going to school and pursue a chosen profession,” she says. Later on, the photos eventually got in the way of her dreams of winning a prestigious beauty contest.

Seifert got her degree in Nursing from the City University of New York in the United States. Before getting her license last year, she excelled as a campus leader and honor student. These accomplishments allowed her to be more confident and more knowledgeable regarding communication and advocacy.

When she came back to the Philippines, the call to join another beauty pageant again came knocking on her door. She took the plunge the second time around.

Candidate number 13

Early this year, Seifert joined the Binibining Pilipinas. “Most of the girls in that pageant were very beautiful—like professional models or beauty queens and the competition was too intense,” Seifert recalls.

Despite her popularity as a contestant, controversy hounded the half-European, half-Ilonggo beauty. Seifert was later to be coined “The candidate with the unlucky number 13,” because of her disqualification after the Binibining Pilipinas organizers discovered her past stint with FHM. She was disqualified from the competition days before the coronation night. The pageant organizers stated that the publication of her feature in such kind of magazine made her unqualified to continue competing in the contest. “Since they did it the last minute, it was really a shock for me,” Seifert laments, adding, “I pleaded through my attorneys, for the organizers to reconsider my case because it’s not like I hid it. It’s just that they never addressed it and a lot of people here knew me already so I thought they knew. I am a professional model. I didn’t want to endanger my reputation so I worked with a professional team and the real story is: we just shot for a portfolio. And since the photographer, worked with FHM a lot, they saw the photos and they wanted to release it. If it had been Preview or Mega that saw those photos first, they probably would’ve been the ones to release and I think that that wouldn’t have been used against me. I think they just used the labeling of FHM and the connotation that goes with it.”

Seifert had considered the whole affair water under the bridge and had already moved on with her life.

She’s thankful because not only that it made her a better person but through it, she learned how many people love and support her.

“I heard a lot of inspiring things during the coronation night. I was there and I received my own flowers from people who believed in me and there were some people who even cried.”

The Binibining Pilipinas’ rejection of her, opened a lot of doors. It caught the attention of another beauty contest: The Miss Philippines-Earth .

A beauty for a cause

A brainchild of Philippine-based Carousel Productions, the first Miss Earth beauty pageant was launched in 2001 with the aim of promoting the preservation of the environment. One proud distinction of the Miss Earth contest is that all its contestants are involved with environmental causes and its winners are expected to participate in international environmental projects. The latter caught Seifert’s fancy.

“Before I joined Miss Earth, I did my research just to see if I wanted to do this,” she shares, continuing, “Before, people would ask me, ‘Oh did you join Miss Earth for vindication?’ I said no because I didn’t want to waste my time and Miss Earth’s time just to get back at people. That’s childish. I want to do something and to put my time in something I believe in and that would allow me to generate more good.”

Fresh from her failed attempt at the Binibining Pilipinas title, she stressed that she was not afraid to join Miss Earth and likewise, Miss Earth was not afraid to have her. That despite her being a former “FHM girl” she could represent the country in the pageant’s campaign for 2009.

“When I came to Miss Earth, one of the judges during the screening said, ‘Before anything else, I would just like to tell you that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what you did at FHM,” Seifert says with a proud smile. “When I joined, I made a promise to myself to do my best and to have more fun because in Binibini it was like a competition every day. You couldn’t value friendships so much because we were placed in situations where you have to be really competitive. I didn’t want to be that way anymore. Instead, I should be genuine about everything.”

Like in Binibining Pilipinas, Seifert became a crowd favorite in Miss Earth as well. She showcased her vast knowledge of environmental issues as well as the poised she earned from years of professional modeling. She points out the difference of her experiences joining the two pageants: “I looked younger compared to how I looked in Binibini because in Miss Earth we were encouraged to go for a more natural look. In Binibini, we were made up everyday. I also looked happier and not so haggard because our schedules were more spread out. We got more rest opportunities. Everything was very natural. It was also very soothing. In Miss Earth, we could sit, unwind and act natural. In Binibini, we always had to be so ‘perfect’ and poised even when there were no judges around.”

She also notes that being a Miss Earth candidate allowed her to be herself than just being “Candidate No. 13.” “But of course, the competition was just as tough,” she stresses.

Seifert stayed focus. Faced with two question-and-answer portions, she took the opportunity to share her cause with the audience and quoted Ghandi by saying “In gentle ways you can shake the Earth.”

Beyond environmentalism

After bagging the Miss Philippines-Earth title, Seifert believes that there’s still a lot to be accomplished.

“I have a lot of plans—short term and long term. I definitely want to raise more awareness in the advocacy that I started with as a candidate in the Miss Earth pageant, which is waste management. During the contest, I spoke about a Republic Act 9003. It exists but only a few local government units, at the moment, are enforcing it. We need to get more people involved. That’s one of the things I wish to achieve during my reign as Miss Earth—to increase the number of participants getting involved in addressing this issue. And since I have access to the media, I would love to start a show wherein we could help raise environmental awareness as well. That would be for my long-term goal. A short term goal perhaps would entail getting a segment in one of the current TV shows.”

Seifert also tells of plans with a global scope, “Global warming is still a big issue. I think that even though they have these protocols like the Kyoto protocol, where they try to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by five percent, we don’t really see that much of it yet. People are still burning fossil fuel. I think we need to understand that there is a need to not just focus on the immediate returns of businesses we’ll have. I agree with [President Barack] Obama. We should always encourage people to shift to renewable energy because it doesn’t just solve the environmental problem; it also solves the long-term financial problem.”

An avid traveler, she also wants to see more of the Philippines before she represents it on October. And still, she maintains that although her duties are arduous, she will not let it overwrite who she is as a person.

“It’s good to be proper, refined and womanly but women should also be like girl scouts, ready to roll their sleeves to work.” Seifert says pertaining to how she willingly went through garbage clean up in an episode of the TV show Matang Lawin.

As the reigning Miss Philippines-Earth, Seifert believes that there is indeed a lot of pressing environmental issues but as a “queen” and as a woman, she expresses on fulfilling additional missions.

“I want my fellow queens and others who are aspiring for the title to always go for what they believe in and not let anyone discourage them. I noticed that a lot of people who would join this did it just for fun. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but I think that it comes with a responsibility and it comes with an opportunity to inspire people. That’s what I want to achieve: to change the perception most people have of beauty queens.”

With that said, it is clear that Sandra Inez Seifert is not just another beauty queen with a saccharine smile.

Featured Article: Sandra Inez Seifert Miss Philippines-Earth 2009: The beauty queen as an advocate originally appeared on Manila Times on 07 Jan 2009.

To Miss Universe —And Beyond!

Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2007
Anna Theresa Licaros

MANILA, Philippines – My most distinct memory from the Miss Universe pageant this year was that of Miss France holding a cheeseburger served us at Hard Rock Café Mexico. Holding half a burger with her delicate fingers, she looked at me and said: “Ye know, Tu-ress, ze first thing I learn to zay in eve-ree langu-egh is ze word, hamburguer.”

I looked at her, nodded and bit into my burger. I was so hungry after all that walking up and down the Basque de Chapultepec in four-inch heels. It’s not easy being a beauty queen. Try fitting a mirror, lipstick, lip gloss, face powder and extra eyelash glue into a tote and carrying it around with poise while you negotiate palatial staircases in your heels and miniskirt. Every day was a marathon for us at Miss U.

Meanwhile, Miss France continued her train of thought: “Like here in Mexico… zey call it hamburguesa. What about you, Tu-ress? What do zey call it in ze Philippines?” I was taken aback. I’m a pretty articulate person with above average capacity for witty retorts, but in this pageant, all sorts of questions were hurled at me from nowhere! It was like the question and answer portion, only worse: they were mostly everyday stuff about me and my country that I never really thought about before joining the pageant. I tried to buy some time by sipping my Coke light, sin hielo, lest I find myself running to the loo every five minutes. I struggled for the Filipino word for hamburger: Ham-barger?

Oops, too late. Someone mentioned another topic and the conversation shifted. Ham-barger it was. I reeled at the thought of how this might affect how the Philippines is perceived by the next person that Miss France meets to whom she repeats this conversation. That was my everyday reality as Miss Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant. I ceased to be just Theresa or Tu-ress to Rachel/Miss France. I became the Philippines.

Early on, I became aware of what representing my country really means. Having to wear the banner “Philippines” across my breast every single day kept me on my toes, careful of how I’ve been projecting myself and of everything I say or do. To some extent it was scary, but also a source of pride. Every smile I flashed, each pose I struck was done with the thought that it should be my best because this wasn’t just about me anymore.

For the most part, the other contestants were fantastic. Contrary to popular belief that women who join beauty pageants are airheads or bimbos, most are college graduates with full time jobs in their own countries. They are opinionated and know what they want.

When I came back from Mexico, I was always asked if acts of sabotage really took place during the pageant. (Reportedly the most controversial in years, the 2007 Miss Universe pageant saw Miss USA being booed by some Mexicans unhappy over a pending immigration bill in the US, Miss Sweden pulling out after complaints in her country described the contest as degrading to women, and Miss Mexico being asked to change costumes because the original was deemed in poor taste.—Ed.)

I’m happy to report that I didn’t experience any such incident firsthand. The closest thing to intrigue that I encountered was a remark from a fellow candidate that was perhaps meant to psych me out. During one rehearsal, I was called onstage to do the evening gown pattern, after which I had to look at the camera and pose. Suddenly, everyone was clapping and cheering. I must have done something right, I thought.

Indeed, when I got off stage, Miss Tanzania approached me, saying “Girl, that was an amazing face!” Most everyone thought so, except for Miss Bolivia who told me flat out: “You look dead onstage. Your eyes are just blank. Maybe you should, like, move your eyebrows or something.” Just friendly advice, she said, because she wanted me to do well. That was odd, I told her; another candidate had just told me the exact opposite. Miss Bolivia simply rolled her eyes and said I should trust her instead. Well, I thought afterwards, when you do something significant, you’ll get both good and bad reactions.

As an insider, I also learned that the Miss Universe organizers and production team wanted to veer away from the traditional pageant look and feel. They discouraged stiff and exaggerated posturing and encouraged sexy, relaxed, fluid and model-like movements. A Miss Universe, said our catwalk teacher, Lu Sierra, must know how to smile. She hated it when the contestants sported sexy I’m-gonna-eat-you-alive looks. The pageant organizers had a “look” in mind and I was personally sold to the subtle but sexy models’ stance that they advocated.

There were so many things to learn and it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were really days when I just wanted to put a paper bag over my head and not wear any makeup. I had to keep telling myself that I was in Mexico to do a job and that the job requires me to put on makeup at five in the morning. So I’d just shake off whatever negative feelings I felt, play some dance music and sing along while putting on my pageant face. That was how I got through the doldrums.

Apparently, I did that so well that some contestants would ask me to close my eyes so they could check out my eye makeup. They said they liked the way I blended the colors. One photographer even took a photo of my right eye. Just my right eye! He said it looked so beautiful that he wanted a shot of it. My thanks go to Jay Lozada, Allen Rosales, Lia Ramos and Jenny Tan for selflessly sharing their makeup tips with me.

That kind of team work, or collaboration, also defined my Miss Universe experience. There were so many teachers who shared their knowledge with me, as well as family and friends who flew all the way to Mexico to become my cheering squad and support group. I got a lot of joshing when I gave my guest list: 25 people strong. Not bad for a pacific islander who lives roughly 12 time zones away. It was the kind of support that others could only envy. My roomie, Miss Thailand, wanted to “borrow” a brother because she didn’t have any family around during the pageant. I gladly obliged, telling the bunso in our family to go wild when Thailand gets called. I think he did go wild —for all the girls—so that was substantial compliance.

The reality of representing one’s country can be daunting, but it also enhanced me as a person. While it might have been a source of insecurity to pose beside Barbie lookalikes, it boosted my confidence nonetheless. I looked at them and felt that I deserved to be there. Cheesy, I know, but when I stood there in high heels beside the most beautiful women in the universe, something changed. I was no longer a passive participant to whom things happen; instead, I chose to embrace the experience and learn from it. That made all the difference for me.

More than just another beauty pageant, this year’s Miss U put things into perspective for me. In a nutshell, my 30 days in Mexico with 76 other women from all over the world was a crash course in culture, diplomacy, confidence, and worst of all, geography. I’ll always remember— with amusement tinged with shame—how I had managed to put so many countries in the wrong continent and historical era and unwittingly displayed such ignorance by asking the delegate about it. So, I asked Miss Egypt, “You’re from Cairo. How are the pyramids?” She smiled and giggled: “They’re in Giza.” Getting my witty retort mode back, I countered: “Well, maybe if you’d take me around the Middle East one of these days, it won’t be so confusing.” As she wiped her fingers on a tissue, Miss France interjected: “Isn’t Egypt in Africa?”

Licaros is a junior at the UP College of Law. She plans to visit Egypt and see the pyramids next summer, and find out how they say “hamburger” in Arabic.

Featured Article: To Miss Universe —And Beyond! originally appeared on Inquirer.net on 28 Aug 2007 11:30:00.

Happy to be a Binibining Pilipinas reject

Sandra Inez Seifert

MANILA, Philippines—Miss Philippines-Earth 2009 Sandra Inez Seifert sympathizes with Maria Venus Raj, the embattled beauty queen whose Binibining Pilipinas-Universe crown still hangs in the balance.

“I can relate 100 percent to what she is going through,” said Seifert, a Filipino-German model and nursing graduate. “I wish [Venus’ case] had been handled another way.”

Last year, contest organizer Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) had disqualified Sandra from the competition two days before pageant night in March, due to her photos that appeared in a men’s magazine in 2007.

Venus was stripped of her title last month due to alleged misrepresentation—specifically, inconsistencies in her official birth records.

Both girls have claimed they were not given time to answer the accusations against them.

“It’s tough, what [Venus] is going through,” Sandra told Inquirer. “I had a very strong support group; I hope Venus had that kind of help around her,” she added.

Sandra said she hoped BPCI also learned from the experience. In hindsight, she admitted she is grateful for her disqualification, since it paved the way for her joining the rival Miss Philippines-Earth pageant. “As ‘Miss Philippines-Earth,’” she said, “I was able to touch many lives.”

Close second

Her victory as Miss Philippines-Earth led to her participation in the Miss Earth pageant in Boracay, against some 80 international delegates. She placed second to Brazil’s Larissa Ramos and also won the “Miss Earth-Air” title.

A new Miss Philippines-Earth will be crowned tomorrow night in a water-theme pageant to be held at the Manila Ocean Park.

Catherine Untalan, executive director of the Miss Earth Foundation, said the pageant is looking for “a well-rounded person, someone worth looking up to.”

The Miss Philippines-Earth pageant will be telecast April 25, 10 p.m. on ABS-CBN.

Featured Article: Happy to be a Binibining Pilipinas reject originally appeared on inquirer.net on 22:14:00 04/22/2010

Lissome Lia

Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2006
Lia Andrea Ramos

The most remarkable thing about Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2006 Lia Ramos is not her reed-thin figure, dusky skin and lovely face. What stands out is this UP grad’s down-to-earth attitude about everything that has come her way. Discovered by Jonas Gaffud (present head of Mercatel Modeling Agency) during her college days, Lia was asked to join the university pageant. Although she did not win this contest, Gaffud would call Lia every year and encourage her to participate in more pageants.

“Jonas convinced me to enter the Bb. Pilipinas contest and I was fortunate enough to win,” Lia shares. “Life changed dramatically after that. Because of the title, I have gotten exposed to several national events, my modeling career has blossomed and I have learned so much about life as a whole.”

Asked what she has learned during her stint, the Davao-born beauty recounts, “I learned how important it was to be disciplined and focused in order to achieve much in life. When I participated in the Miss Universe competition in Los Angeles, I had to interact with several of the contestants. I learned that for many of them, the pageant was a ticket out of poverty. Many of them wanted to be actresses and models.

Oftentimes, the contestants’ families would rely on them for a better future for all.”
“I made many friends during my LA stay. Misses Colombia, Uruguay and Puerto Rico were wonderful. Right now, I have a two-month commercial and print modeling gig in Cape Town, South Africa, thanks to Miss Nigeria who sent my photos to her agency,” Lia adds.

Right after winning Bb. Pilipinas, Lia was flown to Colombia where she entered a beauty pageant boot camp where she trained for three weeks. Before this, she had undergone strict training and diet under Pilates instructor John Cuay.

For two months, Lia shares, she worked out for up to three hours a day and went on a low carb-high protein diet. She did cardio exercises like dancing and cycling and toned her body through weight-training. Now that she’s no longer competing, her workouts are less hectic.

Asked about her plans for the future, Lia shares, “I would like to continue modeling for as long as I can and do a lot of traveling. I also would like to be involved with advocacies that support child welfare and the environment. Being known as a beauty queen, one is subject to being stereotyped. But I realized that how I deal with this is entirely up to me.”

Spoken like a truly “un-stereotypical” beauty!

Featured Article: Lissome Lia originally appeared on Philstar.com on 04 November 2007 12:00 AM.

Giving Up French Fries for World Peace

Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2006
Lia Andrea Ramos

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” my boss and good friend Atty. Carol Mercado wrote me the day after I won the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe title. These, I thought, are words I could live by the rest of my life.

My joining the pageant came as a pleasant surprise to my family and friends. As a political science graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, I’ve always dreamt of entering the foreign service and becoming a diplomat.

But the persistence of Jonas Gaffud, a geography graduate of UP, who had spotted my graduation picture in 2001, finally won out. He had been convincing me to join the contest year after year, but my exact reply was: “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a beauty queen.”

So why did I change my mind five years later? I remember walking along Central Park in New York some time after New Year, and musing about where my life was going. I was turning 25 in nine days and had this strong desire to make things happen for me in 2006. I had a gut feeling that this was going to be my year.

Inner voice

Interestingly enough, when I flew back to Manila some days later, the idea of joining Binibining Pilipinas popped into my head. There was this inner voice that told me I would win, and I thought, why not? Better not let any opportunity slip by than wonder all my life about what could have been.

And indeed, it was an opportunity to expand my sphere of influence. I was already involved in development work with Asia Foundation, an international non-governmental organization. As part of a team implementing a program on legal accountability and dispute resolution, I thought a beauty title could help me reach out to more people and promote personal advocacies, particularly women’s and children’s welfare.

It wasn’t as easy as I thought. I barely knew how to put on make-up and wear high heels. Remember the movie, “Miss Congeniality”? I felt I fit that stereotype, right down to the “world peace” joke. But in a span of one month, Jonas managed to transform this NGO employee into beauty queen material.

I’ve always thought that my strong Filipina features, self-confidence and spontaneity were an advantage, but I realized that my biggest edge over the 23 other candidates was my experience and commitment to development work. During the preliminaries, I felt that the judges saw the passion I have for my work. I hope they saw me as I perceived myself: a modern day Filipina who is independent, articulate and driven.

Grace and poise

The other candidates, a lot of them professionals in their own fields, earned my respect, as well. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to stay in the game. Walking in four-inch heels and looking poised in a two-piece bikini isn’t that easy. It takes a woman who is comfortable in her own skin to display grace and poise under public scrutiny.

Winning the title completely changed my life. My choice of putting myself in the public eye also meant embracing a life where I had to project a beautiful image all the time. I realized I had another choice to make: I had to make sure that beauty in my case becomes a means to an end, a way to gain more influence over people. Beauty queens must face the challenge of breaking the stereotype that limits a beautiful woman to being an object of adornment.

Preparing for the Miss Universe contest was another matter altogether. I’ve never channeled all my energies with such intensity as I did when I prepared myself physically, mentally and emotionally for the pageant. Fortunately, I found a good trainer and supportive friend in John Cuay of Gold’s Gym, who pushed me hard every single day. I had to discipline my diet, giving up pizza, pasta and french fries in the name of, well, “world peace.”

Colombia classes

The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) was supportive of my training here in Manila, and provided me with the opportunity to prepare further in Colombia. The past queens were equally generous in sharing their expertise. In Bogota, where I had to take up classes on catwalk, hair and makeup, culture, current events, dance, and so on, for three weeks, I had to struggle to mold myself into a woman of elegance and style without sacrificing my individuality.

But meeting a lot of interesting people made it all worthwhile. Colombians are such happy people. They live in a culture that celebrates life in song, dance and laughter. Similarly colonized by Spain for centuries, the Colombians have common sensibilities with those of Filipinos, in how they value family ties and in their ability to laugh in the face of economic and political problems.
Armed with ample training and desire to bring home the crown, I flew to Los Angeles fueled by high hopes and positive energy. Having a lot of relatives in LA gave me a home court advantage. And it probably helped, because I won the Miss Photogenic award, thanks mainly to text votes.

Pageant luck

Luck plays a major part in everything in life, and that includes competing in beauty pageants. At rehearsals, I looked around and saw a room filled with gorgeous and fascinating women. I thought anyone could be Miss Universe. It all depended on what package the judges were looking for. Beauty is indeed subjective.

Not getting into the top 20 was a disappointment to me. However, I don’t regret the entire experience because I know that I represented the country well, and that the quest for the crown has enriched my life in so many ways. The Miss Photogenic award was icing on the cake!

To say that I had an amazing experience at the Miss Universe pageant is an understatement. Meeting girls from 85 other countries and learning about cultures is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It still amazes me that despite the language barrier, we were able to make sincere connections among us. Equipped with my very basic and flawed Spanish, I easily made friends with the Latinas. Establishing ties with the Asians and Africans came naturally.

It was also worth getting to know the real people behind the thick foundation and false eyelashes who had their own stories to tell. One said it had always been her dream to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, while another took this route because it was a way out of poverty. We all had different reasons for being there. What we become out of the entire experience is another story.

Relevant beauty

Some people might ask how relevant a beauty pageant is, when terrorism, economic woes and fuel prices hog the headlines. I think it is precisely because there is so much conflict in societies today that we need it. Given the social and cultural differences around the world, a pageant provides a venue where people can co-exist and create an understanding. In my case, it provided us a means with which to share our values and beliefs and learn from each other. We may not have been gathered to resolve conflicts, but I can see how beauty queens can be instruments of diplomacy.

As a modern and independent woman, I see the pageant as an arena where women can speak out their mind on any issue. Moreover, it provides women an opportunity to represent certain advocacies, like combating the AIDS epidemic in the case of Miss Universe.

For someone who’s never traded on her looks, it can be difficult to maintain an image of elegance and refinement when I’ve always dreamt of going backpacking across continents and sleeping in the deserts of Morocco. But I have learned not to be afraid to use beauty and femininity to be in a position of greater responsibility.

And that’s where my beauty title has put me. As a public figure, I am given the license to move people to action. This has certainly changed my life. As someone who hopes to effect change in society, I believe I’ve taken a defining first step to make a difference.

Featured Article: Giving Up French Fries for World Peace originally appeared on Inquirer.net.

My Bb. Pilipinas Experience

Regina Brosas Hahn

MANILA, Philippines - My mother, Chiqui Brosas, was a former beauty queen (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe). A very gregarious and outgoing person, she placed fourth in the 1975 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. I grew up quite the opposite.

I was timid and shy. Following in my mother’s footsteps was never in my plans. I knew my strengths so I chose to concentrate on my studies. I graduated as a dean’s lister in 2004 from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Computer Science. In five years, I went from being a programmer, to a project manager for a large telecommunications company, to an I.T. consultant for an international firm.

Needless to say, being an I.T. programmer and a beauty queen were on completely opposite poles. I must admit I had never watched a beauty pageant, even my mother’s. I had almost no modeling experience. My world was different from the glitz and glamour of Bb. Pilipinas, but I did not let that stop me. I wanted to try and I wasn’t going to let my inexperience discourage me.

The pageant was not without challenge. I was constantly asked whether I was pressured by my mom’s legacy. Strong competition surrounded me and there were expectations to do well in the question and answer portion due to my “bookish” background. Without focus, it could have been very easy to lose confidence and be overcome with anxiety. But I did not allow myself to become distracted. This for me was a competition against myself.

I worked hard to learn the ins and outs of being a beauty queen. Many sleepless nights were spent “YouTube-ing” past pageants. I read up and wrote down my thoughts on almost every world issue. I learned to put on make-up by watching the artists paint my face.

I experimented with different hairstyles to see what best suited me. Despite the initial awkwardness, I found the courage to go out in my swimsuit and strut my stuff in front of millions of viewers. I swallowed my fear of tripping on my very long gown and learned how to walk down the stage with the confidence of a pro. I smiled like a winner every day despite the lack of sleep, an aching back and painful throbbing feet. To me, success was measured by my ability to bring out the best in myself, to lose all inhibitions, fears, and insecurities. I stood there and gave it everything I had. I knew I did my best, and with that alone, I felt that I had won.

The night before the pageant, every contestant was dreading the Q&A portion. Standing in the spotlight at Araneta Coliseum and on national television, dressed in a two-piece swimsuit, expected to think quickly and speak sensibly was no easy task. As with every other night, I read one chapter of my Bible before going to bed.

It so happened that that night I was on Exodus, Chapter 4, Verse 12 (Exo.4:12) reads, “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” I was overwhelmed. Right then and there, I knew that He was with me. Come pageant night, I lifted my eyes in prayer and dedicated the competition to Him. True enough, He carried me through. My prayer always was that His will be done in my life. I knew that any outcome was part of His perfect plan for me. Now I am excited to see where this will lead me.

I’ve learned from this experience that anything is possible with determination, hard work and prayer. I want my story to be an inspiration for Filipinos to believe the same. We are a very gifted and talented people. We can succeed as a nation if only we learn to believe in our own potential and unite to work towards a common goal.

Let us stop looking to others for salvation, but instead act within our capacity to contribute to the betterment of our country. So stand up and do something. Do not be afraid to try. Start that business you’ve been dreaming of. Stop corruption.

Restore your family. Encourage your children. Instill in them good morals and values. Recycle. Excel in every good thing that you do. There are many ways to contribute. Now is the time to act. Our country’s future is in our hands, if we would only try.

Featured Article: My Bb. Pilipinas Experience originally appeared on Philstar on 19 March 2009 12:00 AM.