Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler to Crown Bb. Pilipinas 2014 Winner

Miss Universe 2013 Maria Gabriela Isler of Venezuela is Manila-bound this March to crown this year's Bb. Pilipinas-Universe winner (Miss Universe-Philippines 2014) who will compete in the Miss Universe pageant later in the year.

The news was confirmed to the Philippine Star (Funfare Update) by the head of Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) Madame Stella Marquez de Araneta.

The grand coronation night of Bb. Pilipinas 2014 will be held on March 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Forty candidates will vie for the four crowns at stake—Miss Universe-Philippines 2014, Bb. Pilipinas-International 2014, Bb.Pilipinas-Tourism 2014 and Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational 2014.

Check this out: Bb. Pilipinas 2014 Official Candidates

The visit of the reigning Miss Universe to the Philippines is a good sign that the country is having a good relationship with the Miss Universe Organization. Last year, Ariella Arida finished third runner up, sealing the country's four consecutive placements in the Miss Universe top 5.

With the country producing several winners and runners up in the worldwide pageant arena recently, there is no doubt that the whole world will be anticipating the crowning of our new queens.

The 51st edition of Bb. Pilipinas will be a historical one as three international queens will be present to crown the local pageant winners. Aside from Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler, Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago and Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya Johanna Datul will also be crowning their local successors.

It seems that 2014 is another good year for the Philippines in terms of pageantry as reports circulating suggested the staging of Miss World 2014 pageant in the country for the first time. The current Miss World, Megan Young is also from the Philippines.

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Video: Ariella Arida Interview After Winning Miss Universe 2013 3rd Runner Up

Philippine bet Ariella Arida once again made her country proud after being hailed as Miss Universe 2013 3rd unner up, continuing the country's 4th consecutive placement in the top 5 of the said pageant. Gabriela Isler of Venezuela won the crown.

Ariella Arida strutted on stage wearing a red bikini and stole the show with her signature turn before advancing to the top ten. In the evening gown competition, Ariella elegantly paraded a yellow dress that finally earned her a spot in the top five.

For the final question and answer, she was asked by judge Tara Lipinski with the question, “What can be done about the lack of jobs for young people starting their careers around the world?”

Ariella, the only candidate who did not use an interpreter, confidently answered, “For the people who have lack of jobs, I do believe that we people should invest in education and that is my primary advocacy, because we all know that if everyone of us is educated and well aware of what we are doing, we could land into jobs and we could land a good career in the future. Education is the primary source and ticket to a better future.”

Check out OPMB Worldwide's interview on Ariella Arida hours after she clinched the title of Miss Universe 2013 3rd Runner Up. Also watch the full video replay of the pageant here.

Post by OPMB worldwide.

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Miss Universe 2013 Full Video Replay; ABS-CBN Airs Replay on Sunday's Best

Philippines’ bet Ariella Arida finished 3rd runner up at the recently concluded “Miss Universe 2013” pageant held in Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia that aired live on Velvet and early this morning on ABS-CBN with Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler taking home the coveted diamond nexus crown.

Ariella continues the winning streak of Filipina beauties who made it to the top five of the prestigious pageant ever since Miss Universe 4th runner up Venus Raj started the trend in 2010. She followed the footsteps of Shamcey Supsup who also finished 3rd runner up in 2011.

Read: Miss Universe 2013 is Gabriela Isler of Venezuela; Ariella Arida is 3rd runner up

Janine Tugonon remains to be the Philippine representative who came closest to the crown when she won 1st runner up last year alongside Miriam Quimbao who almost clinched the title in 1999.

ABS-CBN, the home of Miss Universe in the Philippines, aired the pageant live via its cable channel Velvet and through a special telecast on ABS-CBN. Watch the replay tonight on Velvet at 7 PM and ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best at 10:45 PM.

You can also watch the full show in the video embedded below.

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Miss Universe 2013 is Gabriela Isler of Venezuela; Philippines' Ariella Arida is 3rd runner up

The Miss Universe 2013 pageant was held November 9 (November 10 in Manila) at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia and Miss Venezuela Maria Gabriela Isler was crowned as the winner in the 62nd edition of the said pageant. Watch the full video replay here.

Maria Gabriela Isler bested 85 other candidates to grab the Diamond Nexus Lab crown as well as the opportunity to wear the million dollar Yamamay swimsuit for her first photoshoot. Gabriela is the 3rd Miss Universe titlist from her country in the last six years and the seventh in history.

The Philippines' Ariella Arida was hailed 3rd runner up, sealing the country's 4-peat (four consecutive placement) in the Miss Universe top 5 started by Venus Raj in 2010, followed by Shamcey Supsup in 2011 and Janine Tugonon in 2012.

Here is the list of winners in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant:

Miss Universe 2013	-	Venezuela, Maria Gabriela Isler
1st runner up	-	Spain, Patricia Rodriguez
2nd runner up	-	Ecuador, Constanza Baez
3rd runner up	-	Philippines, Ariella Arida
4th runner up	-	Brazil, Jakelyne Oliveira
Top 10		Top 16
Great Britain, Amy Willerton India, Manasi Moghe USA, Erin Brady Ukraine, Olga Storozhenko Dominican Republic, Yaritza Reyes		Costa Rica, Fabiana Granados China, Jin Ye Indonesia, Whulandary Herman Puerto Rico, Monic Pérez Nicaragua, Nastassja Bolívar Switzerland, Dominique Rinderknecht

Congratulations to the winners, especially Ariella Arida who again made the country proud for continuing the Philippines' top 5 placement streak. 

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Ariella Arida Steals Show in Miss Universe 2013 Prelims, Trends on Twitter

Miss Philippines Ariella Arida stole the show during the recent “Miss Universe” preliminary competition after she strutted on stage wearing her swimsuit and evening gown that not only gained one of the loudest cheers from the crowd but also gained positive feedback online, making her a trending topic on Twitter.

Filipino fans stayed awake after midnight just to support Ara. While watching the livestream on the official Miss Universe site, Filipino netizens from around the world shared how much Ara wowed them and how proud they are of the Philippines’ bet to the prestigious beauty pageant.

Even in the venue, Ara was one of most applauded candidates among 85 other beautiful women from different parts of the globe.

Full Video: Ariella Arida in Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Competition

Ara confidently showed off her fit and sexy body wearing a red bikini. From showing her bubbly aura at the swimsuit competition, Ara then exuded elegance and class when she walked on stage in her yellow evening gown.

During her walk, the hosts described Ara as an athletic woman who was influenced into sports by her dad, a gym teacher. They also said that she was a class valedictorian with a degree in chemistry, which she intends to use to develop her own line of organic fragrances.

This year’s Miss Universe will be crowned this Sunday (Nov 10) in Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. The show will be hosted by Thomas Roberts of “MSNBC Live” and Mel B of “America’s Got Talent.”

Watch it live on Velvet Channel at 2 AM with a delayed telecast on ABS-CBN at 9 AM and a primetime replay at 10 PM.

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Full Video: Ariella Arida in Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Competition

Miss Universe-Philippines Ariella Arida was a stand-out during the Miss Universe 2013 preliminary competition which happened November 5 (November 6, MLA time) at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia.

Ara Arida effectively worked the crowd with her signature strut (the Arriba Walk) during the swimsuit competition wearing a red Yamamay two piece swimsuit. Meanwhile, Ara was very elegant in a yellow Barraza creation during the evening gown presentation.

With Ara's sterling performance during the Miss Universe 2013 preliminaries (the swimsuit and evening gown rounds, including the interviews which she herself felt happy about), a Top 5 finish all the way to the crown is not at all impossible.

Watch the full video of Ariella Arida during the Miss Universe 2012 preliminary competition below and don't forget to vote for Ara in the Miss Universe website. To watch the full show, click here.

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Ariella Arida in Yellow Evening Gown for Miss Universe 2013 Preliminaries

Philippine bet Ariella Arida walked the runway of Miss Universe 2013 wearing a yellow sparkling gown during the pageant's preliminary competition held November 5 (November 6, MLA time) at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia.

Here is a peek at Miss Universe Philippines Ariella Arida in her yellow mermaid gown. According to reports, the yellow gown (which represents the golden year of Bb. Pilipinas) is another Alfredo Barraza creation, a Columbian designer who used to dress our representatives to the said pageant.

Prior to the evening gown presentation, Ara strut the runway with her arriba walk wearing a red two-piece swimsuit by Yamamay. Check out the photos here.

Photos courtesy of Bruce Casanova/OPMB Worldwide

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Ariella Arida Sexy in Swimsuit for Miss Universe 2013 Preliminaries

The Miss Universe 2013 preliminary competition happened November 5 (November 6 MLA time) at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. The 86 candidates sashayed with their evening gowns and swimsuits all to capture the judges' eyes.

Miss Universe Philippines Ariella Arida was glowing even at the start when the candidates got to introduce themselves. She was most applauded in her red cocktail dress along with Misses Indonesia, Myanmar, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and host candidate Russia.

Ara captured the world with her radiance wearing a red Yamamay swimsuit while surprising everyone with her arriba walk. She looked very sultry at the same time regal with her silky straight hair worn down. Her color definitely made her a stand out. Later on the show, Ara exuded elegance with her yellow evening gown (see gown photos here).

Check out some photos of Ara Arida in swimsuit during the Miss Universe 2013 preliminaries below.

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Janine Tugonon Defends Ariella Arida in Moscow, Russia

Speaking English is not a pre-requisite to winning Miss Universe.

Just like what she answered at the Miss Universe pageant last year, Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up Janine Tugonon reiterated her view and defended Philippines bet Ariella Arida from criticisms of her poor command of the English language.

“Honestly, I’m not that good in English but still I managed to clinch the first runner-up title,” explained Janine. “What they care about is what’s in your heart, your personality, and your stand on certain issues. Knowing Ara, I know she has a good heart and so I’m confident with her interviews.”

Janine, who just finished her two-month acting class in the Los Angeles branch of the prestigious New York Film Academy, believes Ara is a very strong contender and may be the one to finally bring back the Miss Universe crown to the country after 40 years. Margarita Moran last won the title in 1973.

“I believe Ara really has the face and the body. I’ve been seeing her pictures and I love them. She trained hard so i know she’ll do good. I can’t say exactly how she will fare in the competition but with Ara’s beauty, which for me is very Filipina, I think she stands a good chance because they love Filipina beauty,” said Janine.

The preliminary round of judging for Miss Universe has already begun. After the closed door preliminary interview, Ariella was recently adjudged wearing her national costume, alongside 85 other candidates,  in the National Costume competition held in Vegas Mall.

This year’s Miss Universe will be crowned this Sunday (Nov 10) in Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. The show will be hosted by Thomas Roberts of “MSNBC Live” and Mel B of “America’s Got Talent.”

Watch it live on Velvet Channel at 2 AM with a delayed telecast on ABS-CBN at 9 AM and a primetime replay at 10 PM.

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Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Competition Full Video

The Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary competition happened live at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia on November 5 at 8:00 pm, Moscow Standard Time (MSK) (November 6, Manila time).

The 86 candidates of Miss Universe 2013 walked the runway of Crocus City Hall wearing their swimsuits and evening gowns. The preliminary judges scored the contestants and the combined scores from the event and the interviews will be the basis for determining the Miss Universe 2013 Top 16 (one being the winner of online voting) which will be announced in the pageant's coronation night on November 9.

Check out the full video of the Miss Universe 2013 preliminary competition below. Competition (without the one hour promo) starts at 1:18:21.

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Ariella Arida National Costume in Miss Universe 2013

The Miss Universe 2013 National Costume show (parade of nations) happened November 3 (November 4, MLA time) at the Vegas Mall in Moscow, Russia. The Philippines' very own Ariella Arida was one of the most-applauded candidates wearing her national costume.

The 86 candidates showcased their ethnicity and creativity through the colorful costumes paraded during the event. Miss Universe-Philippines Ariella Arida wore a sparkly nude-colored Filipiniana as her national costume. The gown was adorned with beaded butterfly sleeves and top, an electric pleated skirt and a feathered head dress as accent.

Ara Arida carried the national costume very well and with sophistication and elegance. Her aura shines through despite fans clamoring for grander and more creative costume this time. By the look of the costume, it can be inferred that it was Columbian-made, another Alfredo Barraza creation.

Watch the video below of OPMB worldwide's Adam Mears showing how Ara worked the gown in front of her Filipino fans in Moscow.

Photos courtesy of Jory Rivera (OPMB) and Missossology

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Riza Santos is Miss Universe Canada 2013; Two Filipinas to Compete in Miss Universe 2013

Former PBB housemate Riza Santos was hailed Miss Universe Canada 2013, said an announcement posted on the Miss Universe Canada website, admitting to a mistake in the tallying of scores which presented a different results on the coronation night.

During the finals night which happened on May 25 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto, it was Denise Garrido who was crowned with Riza standing at first runner up.

The organizers of the Miss Universe Canada pageant said that during the validation of the computerized scoring results (which occurs the following day), a typo was discovered in the top 5 entries, which significantly impacted the final results of the competition. It turned out that the eventual winner was actually Riza Santos and the woman who was crowned that night was only good for third runner up.

Beauties of Canada, the pageant's organizer offered their sincere apology to Denise Garrido and congratulated Riza for being the true winner. The latter will represent Canada in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant to be held later this year.

Riza, whose parents hail from Bataan and Bulacan, is a pageant veteran representing Canada in Miss Earth 2006 and Miss World 2011. She's 2nd Big Placer in PBB Celebrity Edition 2 in 2007 and also appeared in a few films in the country, most notable is Dobol Trobol with Vic Sotto and Comedy King Dolphy.

With Riza Santos being Miss Universe Canada 2013, we will see two Filipinas competing at the Miss Universe stage although wearing different sash. The question now is that who will fare better between Riza and Ariella Arida, Miss Universe Philippines 2013?

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Kantar Media (December 19-20) TV Ratings: Miss Universe 2012 Pushes TV Patrol to No. 1 Spot

The recently concluded Miss Universe 2012 Pageant in Las Vegas telecast on ABS-CBN is the second most-watched daytime program nationwide last December 20 according to the TV ratings data provided by Kantar Media/TNS.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN's flagship newscast TV Patrol captured the number 1 slot on primetime, beating Princess and Iand Ina Kapatid Anak. This is brought about by  first runner-up finish of Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon which made the entire nation tune in to TV Patrol for more updates about the Philippine winning delegate.

Here are the Top 10 daytime and primetime programs on December 19-20, 2012 among Total Philippines (Urban & Rural) households according to Kantar Media/TNS:

December 19, 2012 (Wednesday)
Daytime:

1. Be Careful With My Heart (ABS-CBN) – 21.5%
2. MasterChef Pinoy Edition (ABS-CBN) – 14.3%
3. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) – 13.7%
4. Yesterday’s Bride (GMA-7) – 13.1%
5. Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga (GMA-7) – 12.4%
6. Magdalena (GMA-7) – 11.8%
7. Detective conan (GMA-7) - 11.1%
8. It’s Showtime (ABS-CBN) – 11.0%
9. Secret Love (ABS-CBN) – 10.9%
10. One Piece (GMA-7) - 10.7%

Primetime:

1. Ina Kapatid Anak (ABS-CBN) – 30.0%
2. Princess And I (ABS-CBN) – 29.4%
3. TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 27.9%
4. Aryana (ABS-CBN) – 22.0%
5. A Beautiful Affair (ABS-CBN) – 17.9%
6. 24 Oras/Aso Ni San Roque (GMA-7) – 17.3%
7. Temptation of Wife (GMA-7) – 16.5%
8. Pahiram Ng Sandali (GMA-7) – 14.6%
9. Paroa: Ang Kuwento Ni Mariposa (GMA-7) – 13.4%
10. Kahit Puso'y Masugatan (ABS-CBN) - 11.5%

December 20, 2012 (Thursday)
Daytime:

1. Be Careful With My Heart (ABS-CBN) – 26.3%
2. Miss Universe 2012 (ABS-CBN) - 22.8%
3. Secret Love (ABS-CBN) – 13.7%
4. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) – 13.4%
5. It’s Showtime (ABS-CBN) – 13.2%
6. Yesterday’s Bride (GMA-7) – 13.0%
7. Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga (GMA-7) – 12.8%
8. PHR Paraiso (ABS-CBN) - 11.5%
9. Magdalena (GMA-7) – 11.2%
10. A Gentleman's DIgnity (ABS-CBN) - 11.0%

Primetime:

1. TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 32.4%
2. Princess And I/Ina Kapatid Anak (ABS-CBN) – 32.3%
3. Aryana (ABS-CBN) – 24.7%
4. A Beautiful Affair (ABS-CBN) – 17.6%
5. Aso Ni San Roque (GMA-7) – 17.3%
6. 24 Oras (GMA-7) – 16.6%
7. Temptation of Wife (GMA-7) – 15.8%
8. Pahiram Ng Sandali (GMA-7) – 14.8%
9. Paroa: Ang Kuwento Ni Mariposa (GMA-7) – 14.1%
10. Kahit Puso'y Masugatan (ABS-CBN) - 11.2%

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Miss Universe Candidates Believe Janine Tugonon is the True Winner

Miss Universe 2012 1st runner-up Janine Tugonon told reporters in a press conference held December 22 for her homecoming that several other candidates believed that she was the true winner of the Miss Universe crown.

According to Janine, many candidates came over her to tell that they believe she won the competition shortly after Miss USA Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss Universe on Thursday (Manila time).

"Nakakatuwa nga, halos lahat sila nag-hug, sabi nila, 'It is you, we know it's you, and you know it's you,'" said Janine Tugonon who arrived from Las Vegas early Saturday morning.

"Hindi ko na alam kung sinu-sino, pero madami," she added.

The outcome of the world's most prestigious beauty pageant was met with several "protests" from Filipinos and even foreign supporters of the Pinay beauty queen who couldn't help but make comparison of Janine and Olivia Culpo's performance in the question and answer portion.

Janine's roommate, Miss Indonesia Maria Selena is one of those who said that Janine deserved the crown.

"Si Indonesia, roommates kami eh, and we became very close, and right after the crowning, umiiyak siya, siya pa 'yung umiyak para sa 'kin. Umiyak siya kasi nakapasok nga ako, nagulat din siya sa results, pero sabi niya okay lang naman daw," JanineTugonon said.

Janine, however said that she's satisfied with her first runner-up finish since not many Philippine Miss Universe representatives reach the top 2. She also said that Miss USA might have won because of her spontaneity, beauty and she's already known to the Miss Universe Organization. 

Janine Tugonon's runner-up feat is the best finish of the Philippines in the pageant since 1999 when Miriam Quiambao won first runner-up in the 48th Miss Universe pageant held in Trinidad and Tobago.

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Miss Universe 2012 Replay on Studio 23 and ABS-CBN

Philippines’ bet Janine Tugonon was hailed as the second most beautiful woman in the world after ending as the 1st runner up in the “Miss Universe 2012” pageant aired via satellite from Las Vegas,Nevada on ABS-CBN.

Miss USA Olivia Culpo took home the crown and is about to start her reign as the new “Miss Universe” replacing Angola’s Leila Lopes who won the title last year. Irene Esser Quintero of Venezuela ended up 2nd runner up; Renae Ayris of Australia was third runner up; and Gabriela Markus of Brazil was named 4th runner up.

Janine wowed the judges and the crowd in the swimwear competition with her fabulous figure and signature cobra walk that made her advance to the top ten.

Her elegant pose and unique yet graceful hand gesture also stole the show and stunned viewers in the evening gown portion. Watch the video of the Top 5 final question and answer portion here.

In the question and answer portion, Janine was interrupted by the audience’s applause while answering the final question asked by fashion photographer Nigel Barker: “As an international ambassador, do you believe that speaking English should be a prerequisite to being Miss Universe? Why or why not?”

The Filipina beauty confidently answered, “For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It’s being able to influence and inspire other people. As long as your heart wants to serve and you have a strong mind to show to people, then you can be Miss Universe.”

This is the second time the Philippines placed 1st runner-up in the world’s most prestigious pageant after Miriam Quiambao finished 1st runner up and lost the crown to Ms Botswana back in 1999.

To date, the Philippines has only won two Miss Universe titles, the first one in 1969 by Gloria Diaz and the second one in 1973 by Margarita Moran.

Janine is a 23-year old licensed pharmacist and a cum laude graduate of the University of Santo Tomas.

This marks the sixth year since 2007 that the Miss Universe Organization entrusted ABS-CBN as the home of Miss Universe in thePhilippines.

Watch the replay of the “Miss Universe 2012” pageant today (Dec 20) on Studio 23 at 5 pm and the primetime telecast on ABS-CBN Sunday (Dec 23), 11 PM.

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Video: Miss Universe 2012 Q&A Portion

The Miss Universe 2012 Pageant culminated December 19 (December 20, MLA time) in a glittering ceremony held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and Miss USA was crowned as the new Miss Universe. For the results and complete list of winners, click here.

The Top 16 was chosen from the scores given during the preliminary competition and come coronation night, the fate of these ladies were determined by a panel of telecast judges which includes Nigel Barker, Diego Boneta, Scott Disick, Brad Goreski, Cee Lo Green, Masaharu Morimoto, Ximena Navarrete, Pablo Sandoval, Lisa Vanderpump and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

The semifinalists then competed in the swimsuit round, trimmed to ten before being cut to five after the evening gown round. The Top 5 then moved to the final question and answer round.

Watch the Top 5 final question and answer portion of Miss Universe 2012:

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Janine Tugonon in Miss Universe 2012 Q&A Portion

The Miss Universe 2012 Pageant night was held on December 19 (December 20 in Manila) at the Planet Hollywod Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and the home candidate, Miss USA Olivia Culpo was crowned the 61st Miss Universe (For the complete list of winners and related article, click here).

The Philippines' Janine Tugonon placed 1st runner-up, completing three-peat in the Top 5 of Miss Universe. She's just one question away from grabbing that Diamond Nexus crown and we knew she gave one of the best answers from among the Top 5 finalists. Anyhow, her feat elevated the Philippines to the elite club of top 5 three-peaters in the history of Miss Universe: USA, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Janine Tugonon was given a Twitter question from judge Nigel Barker: "As an international ambassador, do you believe that speaking English should be a prerequisite to being Miss Universe? Why or why not?"

She answered: "For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It's being able to influence and inspire other people. As long as your heart wants to serve and you have a strong mind to show people, then you can be Miss Universe."

Watch the video of Janine during the final question and answer portion of Miss Universe 2012 below. To watch the Q&A video of all the Top 5 candidates, click here.

With that alone, she could've won but the stars had already written Miss USA Olivia Culpo's fate. Janine Tugonon still made us Filipinos proud. Next year, hopefully will be the year for the Philippines to get its 3rd Miss Universe crown. It might be 'U' for the Miss Universe crown as we already had completed the quartet of Q-R-S-T placement in the said pageant.

Q - Quiambao, Miriam (1999 1st runner-up)
R - Raj, Maria Venus (2010 4th runner-up)
S - Supsup, Shamcey (2011 3rd runner-up)
T - Tugonon, Janine (2012 1st runner-up)
U - Miss Universe crown

Photo courtesy of normannorman.com

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Miss USA Olivia Culpo Wins Miss Universe 2012, Philippines' Janine Tugonon 1st Runner Up

The 2012 Miss Universe pageant night happened December 19 (December 20, MLA time) at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and Olivia Culpo from USA was crowned Miss Universe. Leila Lopes of Angola crowned her successor at the end of the event.

Olivia Culpo bested 88 gorgeous ladies from different countries and territories around the globe. The Philippines completed the 3-peat in the Miss Universe with Janine's placement in the Top 5 and ending up as first runner up, a higher place finish than her predecessors, Venus Raj and Shamcey Supsup.

Here is the list of winners of the Miss Universe 2012 pageant:

Miss Universe 2012: USA, Olivia Culpo

1st runner-up: Philippines, Janine Tugonon

2nd runner-up: Venezuela, Irene Esser

3rd runner-up: Australia, Renae Ayris

4th runner-up:  Brazil, Gabriela Markus

Special Awards:

Miss Photogenic: Kosovo, Diana Avdiu

Miss Congeniality: Guatemala, Laura Godoy

Best in National Costume: China, Ji Dan Xu

Miss Universe 2012 Top 10: Russia, Elizabeth Golovanova France, Marie Payet Hungary, Agnes Konkoly South Africa, Melinda Bam Mexico, Karina González

Miss Universe 2012 Top 16: Turkey, Çağıl Özge Özkul Peru, Nicole Faverón Poland, Marcelina Zawadzka Croatia, Elizabeta Burg Kosovo, Diana Avdiu India, Shilpa Singh

Watch the crowning moment of Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo in the video below:



The year 2012 has been a very good year for the Philippines when it comes to pageants. Our bets in Miss World and Miss International placed in the semifinals. Elaine Kay Moll grabbed a 3rd runner-up finish in Miss Supranational. Stephany Stefanowitz and Andrew Wolff were both 1st runner up in Miss Earth and Mister World, respectively while the country won the title of Miss International Queen 2012 (Kevin Balot) and Manhunt International 2012 (June Macasaet).

This year, three grand slam pageants crowned the queens of the host country. Miss World which crowned Miss China was held in Inner Mongolia, China. Miss International held in Japan crowned Miss Japan while Miss Universe which was held in Las Vegas, USA crowned Miss USA.

Photos courtesy of missuniverse.com and normannorman.com, video by boomfiyahx

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Miss Universe 2012: Shamcey Supsup Goes 'On The Scene,' Interviews Janine

Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner up Shamcey Supsup went back to the Miss Universe pageant, this time as a host of the web show "On the Scene." Shamcey took pageant fans backstage of the National Costume show held on December 14 (December 15, MLA time) at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Shamcey had the chance to interview the candidates about their national costumes, among them Miss Trinidad & Tobago, Miss New Zealand, Miss Malaysia, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss South Africa and  our very  own Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon who said that her national costume paid tribute to our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Miss Universe 2012 airs live via satellite on ABS-CBN Channel  2 Thursday morning, December 20 at 9:30 am after Kris TV.

Meanwhile, watch Shamcey Supsup as she takes us "On the Scene" at the national costume show:

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Miss Universe 2012 Airs Live Via Satellite on ABS-CBN, Janine Tugonon a Favorite to Win the Crown

The most beautiful woman in the Philippines, Janine Tugonon, vies to become the most beautiful woman in the universe as she competes in the annual “Miss Universe” pageant in Las Vegas, USA airing live via satellite this Thursday (Dec 20), 9:30 AM on ABS-CBN.

Update: Miss USA Olivia Culpo Wins Miss Universe 2012, 

Janine Tugonon is 1st Runner up

After Shamcey Supsup’s 3rd runner-up finish last year, the whole country definitely has high hopes that Janine will take home the crown this year.

Pageant fans are raving about Janine online as she rocked the preliminaries and conquered the stage with her signature “cobra walk” wearing her evening gown, swimwear, and national costume. Many believe Janine is a strong competitor and has a very big chance on winning the title.

According to pageant expert Noel Berioso of OPMB Worldwide, an accredited online Philippine pageant site by the Miss Universe Organization to cover the “Miss Universe 2012,” Janine is surely one of the favorites this year after she got handpicked to participate in various pre-pageant activities among 88 other gorgeous women from different parts of the world.

Berioso cited that Janine was chosen to join Ms Cayman Islands in a special photoshoot for hair sponsor CHI; be part of the kids fundraise and the Jubilee theater tour in The Bally’s Las Vegas; and just recently, talk about the “Miss Universe” benefit auction with Miss USA in an interview with Fox television.

International pageant website GlobalBeauties.com also chose Janine as the top pick among Asian candidates this year and is one of their predicted top five countries in the competition.

Since the pageant is delayed this year compared to the previous years, Janine has more time to prepare herself in every aspect making her more fit to compete for the crown.

But amidst speculations, in the end, Janine’s fate still lies in the hands of the judges that includes singer-songwriter CeeLo Green, world series champion and MVP Pablo Sandoval, photographer Nigel Barker, singer-actor Diego Boneta, TV personality Scott Disick, celebrity stylist Brad Goreski, award-winning chef Masaharu Morimoto, Miss Universe 2012 Ximena Navarrete, Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, and TV star Lisa Vanderpump.

Meanwhile, Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner up Shamcey Supsup also took part in this year’s activities as she served as backstage and web host for the pageant.

This marks the sixth year since 2007 that the Miss Universe Organization entrusted ABS-CBN as the home of Miss Universe in the Philippines.

Don’t miss the most beautiful day in the universe happen once more on ABS-CBN this Thursday (Dec 20) in the live via satellite airing of “Miss Universe 2012,” 9:30 AM, after “Kris TV.”

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