FEARLESS FORECAST: GWENDOLYN RUAIS WILL WIN MISS WORLD 2011

LAST WEEK's crowning of the first Miss Philippines-World was uneventful. With poor publicity efforts and a not-so-exciting roster of contestants who were mostly losing and disqualified beauties from Binibining Pilipinas, the pageant didn't create a natural buzz.  Worse, the coronation night was held at the eve of the much-awaited homecoming of the fabulous Miss Universe 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup.

So many of us only found out the results of the Cory Quirino-led Miss World-Philippines contest the day after when they were flashed on the front pages of the newspapers. Pageant veteran Gwendolyn Ruias, a six-foot Filipino-French woman will have the chance to fly to London and represent the Philippines in the Miss World pageant.

I honestly can't say if she deserved to win because I didn't watch the pageant. I have always thought Gwen's features and built are just too masculine and rough for a beauty queen. Her height though is an advantage but it ends there. To me she is simply just another clapper.

However, I believe that Gwen is going to take home the most elusive international pageant crown to Filipinos. (Remember, not even the exceptionally gorgeous Ruffa Gutierrez won the Miss World crown in 1993 when in far she was a clear standout!)  There seem to be a shift of politics in the Miss World organization led by Julia Morley and it is indeed to our sash's favor.

The eventual winner of the Miss World, if you didn't know, is always handpicked by Morley from among the Top 10 finalists. The logic, I guess, is she wants to make sure that the titleholder will live up to the advocacy of pageant.

The change of pageant organizers, from Stella Marquez de Araneta to Quirino, seemed to have please Morley so much so that she herself visited the Philippines along with the reigning Miss World Alexandria Mills of the United States. Mills even went back to Manila last weekend to personally crown Ruias. This is a very rare occasion for Filipinos to be visited by a Miss World winner. I really can't remember when was the first or last time it happened.

And so, whether we like Ruias or not, politics is in her favor and she is bound to win the Miss World 2011 crown.

FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER CZARINA GATBONTON TO COMPETE IN MISS WORLD 2010

When 19-year-old Czarina Catherine Gatbonton was announced as the new Binibining Pilipinas-World, eyebrows reached arches high. The Hotel and Restaurant Management sophomore was obviously not one of the crowd favorites and her answer to the final question in Filipino was far from being witty or smart. 

Pageant critics doubted the 5'7.5 tall Czarina's capacity to bring home the elusive Miss World crowd for the Philippines. Others even thought her win was a big joke. I completely disagree with them. I am convinced that the Filipina beauty is one of our strongest bet in British-organized pageant. I see in her looks the ideal Miss World template-- naturally beautiful, innocent-looking, simple, level-headed, and friendly. 

Just like Venus Raj, our Miss Universe fourth runner-up this year, Czarina has an inspiring story to tell. She is the daughter of Juanito, a fisherman, and Magdalena, a day-care teacher, from the nearby island of Pamarawan in Malolos, Bulacan. She helps her grandmother dry fish (daing) for a living and rides the bangka each time she leaves her place.

"I am proud of this place... this is where I came. I will never forget that I am a fisherman's daughter and I used to help my lola make daing," said Czarina in a TV interview. 

She caught the public's attention in April this year when she left unharmed in car accident. Months after, another beauty queen, Miss International finalist Melody Gerbasch, had a fatal car accident in Bicol.

Czarina is exactly the girl Miss World is looking for-- someone who has the charisma and likability to draw people to its many causes. I believe that she can easily pull a surprise and become our first-ever Miss World.

Goodluck Czarina! Mabuhay ka!

TRANSEXUALS JOINED MISS VENEZUELA 2010?

Miss Venezuela is perhaps the most awaited national pageant in the world. It has produced the most distinguished women of elegance and pulchritude-- winning the most number of titles in the Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International beauty pageants.

But this year's Miss Venezuela is being heavily criticized by pageant observers and fanatics around the world. The unflattering official photos of its contestant did more harm than good. I personally think that the styling and photography exaggerated these gorgeous women's strong features, many of them ended up looking like high-class transexuals.

Here are some of the images, and I think you'll agree with me that many of them would look crown-ready if only the Miss Venezuela pageant organizers selected a competent team of photographers, stylists, and make-up artists.