WILL JANINE TUGONON WIN THE THIRD MISS UNIVERSE TITLE?

JUST LIKE her predecessors Venus Raj and Shamcey Supsup, the Philippines' bet to the 2012 Miss Universe pageant, pharmacist Janine Tugonon, is considered as one of the favorites to win the prestigious beauty title. Pageant sites including www.globalbeauties.com identified her as the strongest Asian contender so far and her stunning performance in the preliminary rounds has even made everyone believe that she is indeed the girl to beat for the Miss Universe crown.

But before we celebrate and claim our victory in the pageant, let me share to you some of my thoughts on Janine.

POSITIVE POINTS
Stage Presence-- With Venus and Shamcey's mentoring, Janine was able to improve her stage presence from being an average girl to a "scene stealer" level. She exudes confidence and her catwalk skills is simply perfect.

Facial Features-- Good makeup, weight loss, and probably eye-control training has placed Janine's facial features to its best. Her exotic look is reminiscent of the great Miriam Quiambao. Not a bad improvement for someone I initially thought was on the league of Violeta Naluz, Carla Gay Balingit, Jennifer Barrientos, and Maria Isabel Lopez.

Determination-- Determination is a secret formula to success and Janine is packed with so much of that. I won't be surprised if her will power leads her to the Miss Universe crown.

Not Exactly The Best Batch of Contestants-- This is probably one of the most average looking batch of Miss Universe contestants. Unlike the past two years when almost everyone is competitive. It's actually easy for Janine to standout given the level of her competition. Lucky girl!

Sash Factor-- Donald Trump has business interests in the Philippines. Have you heard of the Trump Tower?

NEGATIVE POINTS
Body Proportion-- Janine's body proportion has improved dramatically from the time she won the local pageant. I am not sure how she lost those thunder thighs, but it was all for good. However, no matter how skinny her legs now are, she still looks visually short, specially in her silver long gown. Her published height is 5'9 but she seems 5'5 to 5'6 in her videos and photos. It's probably the length of her legs. (And mind you, the first round of elimination after the Top 16 is announced is the swimsuit segment.)

Too Polished-- I am worried that Janine's "too trained, too polished" demeanor may not impress the judges. The Miss Universe pageant is looking for model-type of women who are confident about themselves but are "fun" to be with. Janine is border lining to "over confident" and is too pageant patty. I hope she brings out her natural charisma on stage.

FEARLESS FORECAST
Best Placement: Top 16 only, may be eliminated after the Swimsuit Competition
Who Will Win The Miss Universe Title? A European girl or Miss USA

SCOOP: IS VENUS RAJ JOINING WILLING-WILLIE?

Venus: "I'm not aware..."

Comedian Willie Revillame is said to be eyeing on Miss Universe 2010 runner-up Venus Raj as his second female co-host in his primetime game show "Willing-Willie" (TV5) after surprisingly signing up former presidential girlfriend and Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad.

Is Willie Revillame eyeing on beauty queen Venus Raj as his co-host?  

According to sources, the mass appeal of the statuesque Bicolana beauty queen may help Willie attain his goal to overthrow TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) and 24-Oras (GMA-7) in the ratings game.

But Venus denied the speculations that a negotiation is on the works for her inclusion in the controversial game show. In a conversation with Mr Blind Item a few days ago, Venus said that Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and her manager Jonas Gaffud, has not informed her of any deal being cooked up with Willie.

Miss International 2005 Lara Quigaman was once a co-host
of "Wowowee"

"So far I have not been told by BPCI and my manager about the Willing-Willie gig," said the beauty queen. "I have no knowledge about it..."

Should Willie pursue his plans, Venus would be the second international beauty queen to serve as his co-host. In 2007,  Miss International titleholder Precious Lara Quigaman became a co-host of his now defunct noontime show "Wowowee."

10 MOST UNDERRATED CELEBRITY ENDORSERS TODAY (PART 1)

For these celebrities, the industry belief that a celebrity's true value is measured by the number of products that he/she endorses seems not applicable.

In spite of their soaring popularity, remarkable talent, mass appeal, and potential for longevity in show business, very few decision makers in the advertising industry recognize their commercial potential.

Thus, projects fall on the laps of the same familiar faces resulting to an overload of endorsements that is actually damaging to the brands, especially those that don't have so much budget for production. Brands should be differentiated and the endorsers should be able to help achieve that.

I remember how confusing it was back then when Sharon Cuneta's instant noodle and ice cream TV commercials ran simultaneously. There were at least three unmistakably identical visual elements used in both materials--the dark blue hue, the cinematic texture and gloss, and the endorser and her wardrobe. The saving grace of these materials were the longer product and consumption shots.

Let's not forget too that a celebrity's endorsement value diminishes as more and more products are associated with him/her. The public begins to doubt whether he/she really believes in the products or if it's all for the money.

Enough said, here is the first batch of the 10 most underrated celebrity endorsers today and the brands and products that could best utilize them as endorsers.

CHARICE PEMPENGCO

As far as I can remember, Charice is endorsing only three brands-- a sandwich spread (Was it? I honestly forgot!), a ballpen brand (which placed an unflattering photo of her in the billboard) and a cosmetic procedure of a medical group (which caused so much flak from her fans especially abroad.)

Charice, who is currently a part of the hit TV series "Glee," deserves something better, something as grand as her stature as an international pop princess. Youth-oriented brands and beverages that are known for its musical linkages like Pepsi and NESCAFE 3in1 should take advantage of her pull in this market segment. A bidding between Smart and Globe should also start now, and the highest talent fee offer gets her.

Just a friendly reminder to advertisers, get Charice now. She may be expensive but at least some of you may still afford her.

REGINE VELASQUEZ

Have we all forgotten that Regine Velasquez single-handedly made Wendy's a big hit in the 90s when she sang its jingle in TVC? The one and only Asia's Songbird caters to a very broad market segment. The masses can relate to her rags-to-riches story as proven by her milk advocacy commercial. The high-end market loves her music and so she can easily endorse fashion and beauty products as well as beverages and food supplements. 

With a superb level of credibility and believability, she can persuade consumers to rush to the stores and purchase whatever she endorses.

MARIA VENUS RAJ

It's been so long now since she won fourth runner-up in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant and no single endorsements yet? What's going on Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI)? How come the screaming gay fans in pajamas have now their very own KFC commercial while Venus has none? 

The poor farm girl from Bicol who made her country proud by grace and beauty deserves to cash in her popularity. Technically any brand can create a good campaign revolving around Venus, from beauty and personal care products, fashion brands, food supplements, to beverages. (Paging Unilever!) Her story is inspiring and the public is interest to know everything about her.

SPONGE COLA

While most local bands silently faded behind the shadows of the KPop trend, Sponge Cola maintained its popularity, releasing one hit after the other. The group led by health buff Yael Yuzon are all educated in a prestigious university. The band managed to maintain a clean, youthful image on and off the screen. So far, Sponge Cola's only endorsement was a toothpaste product where they were asked to perform a cover of its jingle. 

An extensive list of brands could take advantage of Sponge Cola's popularity and appeal to the youth market. Let's start with the obvious and self-explanatory Coca-Cola or Pop Cola, telecommunication companies, food and beverages, and even advocacies.    

DENISE LAUREL

Denise has everything a woman aspires for-- exquisite beauty, versatile talent, intelligence, and of course pedigree. The gorgeous great grand daughter of former Philippines President Jose Laurel embodies natural beauty and unpretentious glamour. She exudes raw sex appeal and charismatic character. 

So the biggest mystery is, why is she just a contrabida in a soap opera-inspired TVCs with Sarah Geronimo? The former Pond's girl has grown up and she is ready to become the next face of multinational beauty and skin care products, food and dietary supplements, beverages, and almost everything that requires nothing less than a perfect woman.