Hard work far from over for Bb. Pilipinas winners

Following the Philippines’ impressive performance in last year’s international beauty contests (we also landed in the top 5 of the Miss Universe competition for three consecutive years), all eyes are on the winners of the recent Binibining Pilipinas pageant.

The Inquirer’s Entertainment team, with representatives from the company’s other platforms, sat down for a Q&A session with Miss Universe Philippines Ariella Arida, Bb. Pilipinas-International Bea Rose Santiago, Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism Cindy Miranda, Miss Supranational Philippines Mutya Datul and first runner-up Pia Wurtzbach.

How have things been so far?

Wurtzbach: They’ve been great. We’ve been doing interviews and public appearances … people recognize us and they’re interested in what we have to say.

Miranda: I’m still overwhelmed … still shocked by what’s happening … People look up to us and we have a lot of fans … We’re not ordinary people anymore; we’re beauty queens!

Arida: I’m getting ready for the training. I’ve started going to the gym again. I’m excited to know how much more training I will have to go through.

Santiago: I’m more relaxed now, more confident. I think nothing changed deep inside. I’m still the same person. But now that we have more followers, anything we say will reflect on us and the Bb. Pilipinas family. So I’m more careful about what I do and say.

Datul: I am very proud of myself after winning over 49 candidates. It is inspiring to be among the winners.

How did each of you prepare for the Q&A during your respective pageants? Did you read the papers to brush up on current events?

Arida: Before Bb. Pilipinas, we were trained to answer questions. But we also had our own way of preparing. I read during my spare time. It helped being able to talk to someone. I asked my sister and my friends to ask me questions so, during the Q&A, I felt like I was just talking to them.

But it always seems scary.

Santiago: What was scary was, it felt like you were battling yourself. When you were there, even if you knew the answer, your mind could go blank, especially when you are facing the  camera and people were expecting you to say something bad.

How

did you overcome that feeling?

Miranda: You had to forget there were people in front of you, and focus on your answer.

Arida: Presence of mind. What was scary was standing there not knowing what they were going to ask you. You have to listen carefully to the question and then come up with the best answer.

Wasn’t the Q&A more difficult than dieting and being beautiful all the time?

Miranda: Yes. Everyone was beautiful and knew how to project herself. The Q&A spelled the difference.

Arida: That was the make-or-break part because people would quote whatever you said. If you said something wrong, everyone would remember it forever. The people’s reaction was the scariest part.

The first runner-up’s role is also important.

Wurtzbach: I’m the only runner-up, the one to take the place of whoever will be unable to participate in any international pageant.  I have to train with them, too. I

gain experience by being with them, which would be an advantage should I join the competition again next year.

Would you want an interpreter during your respective international pageants?

Santiago: It’s an advantage for the whole world to see us as Asians who speak English well. It will impress other people.

Wurtzbach: Most Filipinos know the language well.  What’s more important is the substance of the answer. You don’t have to have perfect grammar or diction. Latinas have strong accents and their grammar is not flawless  but they still win.

Most of you do not have boyfriends. Is it because you want to focus on the pageant?

Santiago: It is difficult for a man to be with someone who’s not there all the time.

Arida: It’s just coincidental. But I know my priorities.

Miranda: I don’t think it matters if you have a boyfriend or not. You just have to know how to balance things. I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year now. We were schoolmates.

Did you joi

n pageants when you were in school?

Arida:  No. It was only after I graduated from college that I joined pageants and accepted modeling jobs. Friends saw my potential. I grew up in a very different environment.

Datul: I was only 16 when I joined a pageant in our province. I think I had joined every competition and won. But in Manila, you meet others who seem to be better. Last year, I joined two national pageants and only managed to become a finalist. A friend encouraged me to join the Bb. Pilipinas, saying, “Baka doon iyong destiny mo.”

Miranda: I have joined pageants before, the last one was at the University of Santo Tomas. I was runner-up to Janine [Tugonon]. I really waited for this. At first, I was afraid, then I found the courage to join.

I grew up inspired by beauty queens. They seem perfect, the complete package—beauty and brains.

Now that you are a beauty queen, do you think you are perfect like them?

Miranda: I patterned myself after beauty queens so I hope people will also think highly of me.

Wurtzbach: This is my first pageant, although many people encouraged me to join beauty contests. Until recently, I had to focus on acting because I was the breadwinner  in our family. Luckily, I was chosen as one of the top five on my first beauty pageant.  I think this is just the beginning for me.

What is your advocacy?

Santiago:  I’m a Gawad Kalinga ambassador and Binibini has a community that we actually visited.  I think the next community I will help is in Masbate, my province. I would love for BPCI (Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc.) to help more communities in my province.

Wurtzbach: From personal experience, I feel passionately against violence toward women and children. A family member was a victim but I don’t think I have to be a victim to support the cause … So I decided to look up … campaigns with a similar cause.

Miranda: As a tourism graduate and as Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism, I hope I can help the Department of Tourism. Now that I have the title, the power to inspire people, it would be easier for me to help.

Arida: Aside from the BPCI project, I will probably be involved in AIDS awareness because it’s  the advocacy of Miss Universe.

Datul: Aside from Operation Smile and Gawad Kalinga, I joined a visit to Child Haus. I want to make that my advocacy because I know how difficult it is for a family if a member is sick.

If the Miss Universe pageant were held here, where would you bring the other candidates?

Arida: I would bring them to Palawan. I want them to see how beautiful the Underground River is.

Santiago: I would want them to see Bicol. There is so much diversity in Bicol. Masbate has the second-largest mining venture in Asia. We have gold and we have rodeo. We’re the rodeo capital of the Philippines. Bicol itself is a treasure … I want them to eat Bicol Express and pili nuts.

Datul: Isabela. People don’t know it has a  hidden paradise. We have a beach in Palanan, Dikotkotan Beach. We have Honeymoon Island, where you can really appreciate the beauty God gave us.

Miranda: I want them to see the other side of Boracay, the less congested part—and during the off-season. I want them to see that Boracay is not just about parties and nightlife but also for relaxation.

Wurtzbach: They often do not tour Manila. There are many places here they could visit. If they really want to go to the beach, they should go to Boracay. I brought my stepdad, who is British, there. The beauty of the place left him breathless.  “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life!” he said.

Are you ready for international pageants that can be ruthless?

Santiago: Yes, I have friends who are past winners and they have warned me about what to expect. I’ve also been to an international pageant once. But Miss International is one of the biggest, so it will be different.

Arida: It’s also super competitive in the Miss Universe pageant but I’m ready for it. We are briefed before we leave and I have talked to past winners, like Venus (Raj), Shamcey (Supsup) and Janine (Tugonon), who told me about her experience, giving me an idea of what to expect.

Miranda: I’m not 100-percent ready, so the training will help. Focus is needed.

Datul: I am ready. I am used to pressure, stress and problems. My life is like that. If I was able to overcome our difficulties, I know I can survive the  pressure of an international competition. You just need focus and discipline.

Pia, are you ready for next year’s Binibini?

Wurtzbach: I am getting ready, but first I am focusing on being first runner-up. I’m still enjoying my experience with them (winners). They can share their experiences with me, because I am a first-timer. Hopefully, I will be able to join next year and one of them can hand me their crown.

Are you all joining show biz? Who would you like to have as leading man?

Santiago: I want someone tall and chinito  so it’s Xian Lim for me. He sang on coronation night. He’s cute.

Datul: I like  Coco Martin because he makes a newcomer comfortable. I am a fan because he is good in any  role.

Arida: I can’t think of anybody … OK, I’ll go for Sam Milby.

Miranda: I’d like to continue hosting, given the chance, with Lucky Manzano as cohost. But given the chance to act, of course, I’d like my boyfriend to be my leading man so the emotion will be real. I want to make a name in films with him. He’s with Star Magic, David Chua.

Wurtzbach: I like John Lloyd Cruz. I have worked with him before (“It Might Be You”); he is a good actor. At that time, he was teamed up with Bea Alonzo and their love team was solid. But maybe now it will be different, ha-ha-ha!

Any message for your fans?

Arida: The [Bb. Pilipinas] magazine is still available at National Book Store and Fully Booked for P150.

Santiago: We are all wearing bikinis (in the magazine). You will see the result of all our hard work.

Miranda: That means the result of all our dieting and exercise.

Arida: I hope they will continue supporting us for the next competitions.  For updates and events, as well as pictures and schedules, follow us on Facebook—“Bb. Pilipinas (Official).”

Photos by Edwin Bellosillo

grpup(photo by andrew tadalan)