Aquino sees Shamcey in Naia courtesy call

Shamcey Supsup

MANILA, Philippines—The true measure of a winner is accepting the fact that one does not always win and one has to appreciate another person’s success.

With that message to her countless supporters, Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up Shamcey Supsup flew in on Sunday, after winning third runner-up honors in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Her being a finalist brought her another honor: a meeting on Sunday night with President Aquino just before the Chief Executive flew out to the United States, at past 10 p.m., to attend an international conference with other world leaders in New York.

Due to her scheduling problems, Supsup’s courtesy call on Aquino was held at a VIP lounge at the international airport, and not at Malacañang.

Aquino personally congratulated the 25-year-old beauty queen for her strong finish at the Sao Paulo pageant.

“The original plan was to have it in Malacanang, but with her crazy timetable, and the President’s, there’s really no other way. She will have an hour with the president,” said Viana Fores of the Araneta Group of Companies earlier. The Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) is a corporation under the Araneta group.

Speaking to reporters at the Gateway Suites in Quezon City, Supsup – whom many Filipinos thought should have been the winner or should have placed higher in the competition – urged her compatriots “to be happy” at the victory of Miss Angola Leila Hopes.

She said she thought the Angolan contestant “really deserves the crown.”

Supsup said she felt flattered to be thought of as the real winner but added: “That’s (3rd runner-up ranking) where I was placed. I did my best, I gave my all. I’m happy.”

“One should accept things for how they are,’’ Supsup said. ‘’I think that what makes a winner is not just by getting a crown but also being able to accept na hindi ikaw ang nanalo (that someone else had won). You should be grateful with whatever was given to you.”

The 25-year-old looker from General Santos City added: “I don’t see her as a threat, none of the other candidates did. She’s nice. She’s not arrogant. She always maintained her calm. I also thought she could win the crown.”

Supsup’s homecoming was delayed for a day, forcing her  to adjust her already tight schedule.

Engine trouble caused the delay in her flight.

“We were supposed to have left Brazil at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, but after waiting inside the plane for four hours we were told that there was something wrong with its left engine and that we had to deplane,” she said.

“We looked for a hotel since there was no other flight leaving that night. All 300 passengers were stranded for 24 hours.”

Supsup said she was thankful to all the Filipino passengers who helped her. “They assisted me in carrying all my bags,” she shared. “The delay also did me some good because I was able to rest. I stayed in a hotel for free, was given free food and access to free Wi-fi. That was more than enough for me.”

She added that she was overwhelmed by the show of support of Filipinos all over the globe. “Shortly before the competition, I got a call in my hotel room from a Filipino doctor based in Miami. He said he would fly all the way to Brazil just to see me compete. I didn’t’ think much about it because I get all sorts of prank calls, but on the day of the show I was shocked when he came up to me and introduced himself.”

The magna cum laude graduate from the University of the Philippines-Diliman said she intended to discuss her plans with her bosses in the BPCI, with which she signed a contract for a year.

“I don’t want to be definite about things. I will not be deciding on my own. We’re still sorting things out,” she pointed out. “One thing I’m sure about is that, in the future, I’ll be an architect.”

Supsup’s response to the question posted by telecast judge, actress/TV producer Vivica Fox—whether she would change her religious beliefs to marry the person she loved—was the topic of various online debates.

Supsup’s answer was that she would not marry the person she loved if it would mean changing her religion. “If that person loves me, he should love my God, too.”

In an interview with ABS-CBN’S “Umagang Kay Ganda,” Supsup admitted to having a boyfriend but refused to divulge his name to protect his privacy. She, however, described her beau as a Born Again Christian like her.

“Hindi ako show biz. I want people to know about it (her relationship),” she said. Online reports named the guy as Filipino-Chinese Lloyd Lee, 27, whose family owns one of the biggest knitting companies in the country. He is a legal management graduate of De LaSalle University and works as a part-time model.

When asked about her boyfriend’s reaction to her controversial answer, Supsup said: “He was happy about it. He knew it was the truth.”

Broadway star and Inquirer Entertainment columnist Lea Salonga, also one of the seven telecast judges, said she placed Supsup at first runner-up and Miss Angola at the top spot. “(Supsup) is gorgeous, confident and comes across as very intelligent,” Salonga told “News To Go” on GMA 7. “Honestly, on TV she looked like she had no expectation of getting that far. I think she took everything in stride, I think she herself is happy with how she did at the end of the day.”