The year 2012 has been a very successful one for the Philippines in the field of beauty pageants with Filipinos gaining recognition from several international pageants. With victories here and there, popular pageant website Missosology hailed the Philippines as the country of the year.
This year, our representatives to both male and female pageants did well, bringing home two crowns, six runner-up trophies, and two semifinals honors in major pageants and a handful in other pageants overseas.
Update: Rizzini Alexis Gomez won Miss Tourism International 2012 in New Years Eve, bringing the third crown for the Philippines in 2012.
Here's a run-down of the beauty kings and queens that made the Philippines proud in 2012:
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1. June Macasaet, winner, 16th Manhunt International
June is the first Filipino to
win the Manhunt International title. This Batangueño commercial and ramp
model bested 52 gorgeous men, including heavy favorite Mr. Sweden, Peter Bo
Johnsson at the 16th edition of the male beauty pageant held on November 9 in
Bangkok, Thailand.
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2. Kevin Balot, winner, 8th Miss International Queen
Just like June Macasaet, Kevin
Balot is the first Filipino to win the title of Miss International Queen. The
Pinay transgender beauty beat 22 other transsexuals from different countries,
including four other Filipinos at the pageant night held on November 2 in
Pattaya, Thailand.
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3. Janine Tugonon, first
runner-up, 61st Miss Universe
The second Filipina to be standing
next to the eventual winner at a Miss Universe coronation night, Janine
Tugonon has proven all her detractors wrong and made all Pinoys proud after
her exemplary performance in the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant
held in Las Vegas, USA which crowned the home girl, Olivia Culpo.
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4. Stephany Stefanowitz, first
runner-up, 12th Miss Earth
Armed with wit, beauty and
concern for the environment, Stephany Stefanowitz was named Miss Earth Air
(first runner-up) in the Miss Earth pageant held on November 24 at Alabang,
Muntinlupa City. This Jinkee Pacquiao deadringer lost the crown to Czech
Republic’s Tereza Fajksová.
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5. Andrew Wolff, first runner-up, 6th Mister World
Cory Quirino, the Miss and
Mister World franchise holder in the country made the right choice when she
sent Andrew James Wolff in the Mister World pageant in Kent, England. The
Philippine Volcanoes member has what the male pageant demanded and has to
lose only to Francisco Javier Escobar Parra of Colombia come the November 25
coronation night.
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6. Clarisse Marie Obia, first
runner-up, 1st Miss Teen Universe
This 19-year-old student from
Lyceum of the Philippines emerged as first runner-up in the inaugural Miss
Teen Universe pageant held in Managua, Nicaragua last April 30. The crown
went to Panama's Sasha Nikyta Kam. The 5-foot-6 beauty from Biñan, Laguna was
chosen by the Bb. Unibersidad organization to represent the country.
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7. Ayelee Marie Dasalla, second
runner-up, 2nd Miss Humanity International
Ayelee Marie Dasalla followed
the footsteps of Czarina Gatbonton who also emerged as 2nd
runner-up in the very first Miss Humanity International. Ayelee Marie beat
Bb. Pilipinas batchmate Marie Molo Peter (who represented Norway) in the
pageant's coronation night held in Barbados last October 20. The crown went to
Lesa Gayle Wee Tom of Jamaica.
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8. Elaine Kay Moll, third
runner-up, 4th Miss Supranational
Elaine Kay Moll may not be given
a title in Bb. Pilipinas 2012 but the local pageant’s first runner-up was
sent by BPCI to represent the country in the Miss Supranational pageant held
in Warsaw, Poland on September 15. The Philippines’ debut in the said pageant
was met with Elaine’s third runner-up finish, with Ekaterina Buraya of
Belarus winning the crown.
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9. Queenierich Rehman, Top 15, 62nd Miss World
Queenie Rehman made world headlines not
by winning the Miss World pageant but by showcasing a talent not usual for
beauty queens–beatboxing. Unfortunately, she was not hailed Best in Talent
but the winner, Yu Wenxia of China who was crowned at her home turf in a
coronation night held August 18 in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.
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10. Nicole Schmitz, Top 15, 52nd Miss International
Just when Miss China was crowned in
China, the Miss International 2012 winner, Miss Japan Ikumi Yoshimatsu, was
also crowned in Japan at the October 21 pageant night in Okinawa. The
country’s delegate, Nicole Schmitz finished in the Top 15. A seasoned pageant
competitor, Nicole is the third Filipina with German blood to represent the
country in the said pageant.
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Aside
from these ten, other notable pageant victories of the Philippines this year include Top
Model awards won by Joy Marie Gangan (Best Asian Model) at the Best Model of
the World held last December 8 in Istanbul, Turkey and Joy Castillo-Pasidis at
the Mrs. Universe pageant held August 12 in Rostov, Russia. Other Philippine representatives
to gain semifinals slots: Janicel Lubina (Top 5 – Miss Scuba International held
in Bali, Indonesia on November 30); Angelee Claudette Delos Reyes (Top 10 –
Supermodel International held in Bangkok, Thailand on September 5); Bea Rose
Santiago (Top 10 – Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International held in Nanjing
China on December 3); Grendel Alvarado (Top 15 – Miss Asia Pacific World held
in Seoul, South Korea last June 16).