On Sunday, April 30th, the reigning Miss Universe Philippines, Maxine Medina, and her court; Miss International 2016, Kylie Verzosa, Joanna Eden, Jennifer Hammond, Nicole Cordoves and Nichole Manalo will crown their successors at the conclusion of the Philippines’ biggest night in pageantry. As always, the stakes are high and most of the candidates have their eye on the Miss Universe Philippines title….however, winning any one of the crowns will be an achievement in itself. The 40 delegates will be vying for the title: in swimsuit and evening gown, where a Top 15 will fight to the finish line. This year’s bevy of beauties consist of previous competitors, pageant system crossovers and fresh-faced newbies. Of course, pageant pundits, at this point, have chosen their front runners, so it will be very interesting to see which girls actually re-confirm their popularity.
As a passionate Binibini fan, the crowns and pageants I’m really interested in are: Miss Supranational, Miss Gwand International, Miss International and Miss Universe, simply because we can catch a live telecast or webcast on these competitions. Which leaves the Globe and Intercontinental title, which I do enjoy, but there is very minimal coverage on both of those pageants……..HOWEVER, rumor has it, that there’s one more crown at stake? Could it be that Madame Stella has re-obtained the Miss World Philippines franchise? As doubtful as that is, that would be amazing!
So I’ve come up with a Top 15 + 5 alternates! The girls I have on my list, are different and consist of all the elements I had previously mentioned. I don’t know how accurate I’ll be, but I am hopeful that the overall winner “MUP” will come from this list. That being said, here are my FINAL PREDICTIONS:
THE PREDICTED “FRONTRUNNERS”:
CHARMAINE ELIMA: Charmaine “Maine” competed in 2013, along with Pia and Ariella, and she has chosen the perfect time to peak! I actually think that she is the most prepared delegate this year….from styling, mannerisms, makeup, walk, great physique, she pretty much has everything it takes to take the main title. However, if I’m being super critical, the only thing I would change is for her to be more natural and not too, rehearsed/prepared. Because it can come across, borderline “pageant patty”. If she is able to continue the momentum and really stick to being consistent, I think she could take easily take the top prize!
SIRENE SUTTON: From the moment Sirene had screened for the pageant, people noticed how beautiful she was. From her excellent physique, to her stunning facial features, she had been pegged as a front runner from the very beginning. I personally love her softness….she can dial up the “fierce”, but also look incredibly sweet. One concern that I have is that she does not belong to a particular training camp, which could hurt her chances. As we all know, the big winners of the pageant are usually trained by either Aces & Queens or Kagandahan Flores. But on the contrary, I think that is one of her strengths. If she wins without a camp, she truly has natural skills and stage presence that would just need refining. If all goes well, she could be the breakout story of this year’s class. I appreciate the fact that she’s really holding her own, amongst the beauties that have trained much longer.
MARIEL DE LEON: Being the daughter of a famous Filipino actor has its advantages, which easily puts you in the spotlight. However, Mariel was in the spotlight back in 2013 when she first competed alongside, Pia, Ariella and Charmaine…..and she’s back again to try and conquer one of the titles. Many fans have already proclaimed Mariel to be the new MUP, however, there are some obstacles that may stand in the way. There’s no doubt that she has a beautiful face (bares similarities to Philippine actress and model, Liza Soberano), and the fact she’s being trained by the exclusive Aces & Queens also plays a big part, BUT, she sometimes comes across as timid, and I think that she needs to work on toning her body. This is a small factor, as we know that body positivity is encouraged. Could she defy all odds and come out on top? Most certainly! I really do like her and I think that she will be a contender for one of the main titles!
RACHEL PETERS: Rachel is a Miss World Philippines 2014 alumni, placing 4th runner up to Valerie Weigmann, and I think she has all the potential to really make an impact here. In my opinion, she is THE BODY of the competition and hopefully all that hard work in maintaining an excellent physique pays off. Facially, she might not be the strongest, but one can’t deny the overall package, because she truly does stand out. Communication skills seem to be on point, and hopefully, she can keep composure when she faces the Q&A portion. I like her a lot, and I think that she has the ability to connect with her audience. When she smiles, it’s evident how beautiful she is. Not sure what crown she is aiming for, but I think she would be perfectly suited for Supranational or Grand International.
JEHZA MAE HUELAR: After competing at Binibini 2016, and placing as the 1st runner up, it looks like Jehza has her eyes on the PRIZE. She has vastly improved since last year, and I think that she could certainly pull a Dianne Necio….not sure what crown will best suit her, but personally, I can see BB Pilipinas International as the one she takes. Her features would certainly appeal to the Japanese organization and could possibly pull a high placement at Miss International, if given the opportunity to do so. Once again, Jehza is an example of doing well in her first year, and returning to the pageant looking even better than her previous stint. I have a feeling that she will do extremely well, come finals night.
TOP 15:
NELDA IBE : Another Miss World Philippines 2014 alumni, Nelda Ibe was the 2nd runner to Valerie Weigmann. She’s tall, eloquent and has a pretty face. I feel that she could easily be a contender for one of the titles, based on her experience, alone. She has been gaining momentum, near the final pull of the competition, and I would not at all be surprised to see her win one of the titles.
DINDI JOY PAJARES: After having competed last year and doing so well, I had really high hopes for Dindi for a strong return. And I think that she’s doing a great job at this year’s stint. At first, I wasn’t sure about her styling and how she presented herself, but the fact of the matter is, she still is very beautiful and one of the strongest Binibini’s competing. Her face is certainly captivatingl and she just possesses this effortless, natural charisma! I think that she will once again make an impact on the judges, and is a locked Top 15 placer.
CHANEL OLIVE THOMAS: The crossover beauty 1st runner up from Miss Philippines Earth 2015, now has her eye on the Binibini crowns. I really like her. I think that she’s an eloquent, intelligent and confident communicator, in addition to being a beauty. At certain angles, I find her features to be a little strong, but overall, I think that she’s a beautiful lady. Her stage presence has been consistent, she’s in great shape and seems very confident! If I could see any crown on her head, I think she would be a force at Miss Gwand International.
KATARINA RODRIGUEZ: Katarina is one of THE FACES of the competition, which also is her strongest asset. She seems to be an eloquent speaker, and has a lot of confidence. She was previously, an Asia’s Next Top Model contestant, so she certainly has experience in front of a camera. I do think that her body might need a little bit of toning, but nonetheless, she is beautiful and could easily snag one of the titles. If I were to peg a crown for her, at best, I think she would do amazingly well at Miss International.
LIEZEL RAMOS: First year she competed, she made the Top 15…..second, she missed the cut, and now she has her hopes on besting both previous attempts. Can Liezel do it? Most certainly. This year, she seems to be more relaxed….still competitive, but more laid back. I hope that she will be called into the Top 15, because overall, she deserves to be in there. Let’s see what happens!
ANGELIQUE DE LEON: I love Angelique’s story of being inspired by the BB Pilipinas pageant to motivate her to lose 50 pounds. She has been an official candidate, two previous times, and this is her third year competing for the crown. She looks the most natural (than previous years), more prepared, and I hope that she can finally manage to penetrate the Top 15. I actually don’t understand how she didn’t make the cut last year. If she does make it, I have a feeling that she could be a darkhorse contender for one of the titles.
JULIA KAPEUNDL:Another beauty, whom I really like, simply because she has been consistent and on the ball at all times. I think she has such a gorgeous face, a good body and seems to be pretty consistent in all areas of the competition. Hopefully, she interviews well. If she can penetrate the Top 15, then she will make a strong impact.
RUFFA NAVA: In my opinion, I think that Ruffa is probably one of the facially strongest delegates this year. She’s gorgeous! She also has a great figure, and really knows how to work her angles. I think that she needs a little more refinement, and preparation, but I don’t think a Top 15 placement is far-fetched. If she were to compete in a couple of years, being more refined, I could easily see her winning the Miss Universe Philippines title.
ARIENNE CALINGO: Arienne is another Miss World Philippines crossover, and in fact, she was Catriona Gray’s first runner up. I feel like this girl will surprise most people. There’s something very unique about her that stands out, and she certainly knows how to carry herself. Not only is she intelligent, eloquent and an EXCELLENT communicator, but Arienne is also fluent in many different languages. For me, she has all the potential to snag one of the crowns, and I think the Grand International crown would be a good pageant for her to represent the Philippines in. Arienne is fluent in Thai, and if she were to be crowned MGI, she would be an excellent spokesperson for that organization, since it is a Thailand run pageant.
JESSICA RAMIREZ : Very Filipina, warm smile, great body and stage presence, I would love to see her make the cut. Her performance throughout the pageant has been very good thus far, and I just really like her. Hopefully it’s enough to get her name called, during finals night!
ALTERNATE PICKS:
JENNYLINE CARLA MALPAYA: She looks just as consistent as she did last year. The only difference this time around, is that It’s evident that she is in it for one of the titles. Hopefully she has trained harder, so that she could achieve a placement. Pretty Filipina, good body and catwalk….hopefully her interview is as strong.
CAMYLL LEITZ ANG: Another beauty, that I have kept a close eye on. She reminds me a lot of Nichole Manalo when she first competed. Training under Aces & Queens, Camyll obviously will be prepared, going into the final. I think that she has the beauty and the presence to catch Madame’s eye, so let’s see what happens. Overall, she’s a pretty well-packaged delegate.
GILLIAN COLCOL: I had initially counted her out, because she wasn’t an original Binibini….but when Mae Lanie Chan (was that her name), was left out of the competition, Gillian became Binibini 36. To my surprise, upon reviewing her pictures and her overall performance leading up to the finals, I think that she has all the potential to make the cut. I love her modelesque looks, and she seems to perform well on stage. Not to mention, she is very pretty and have a very nice physique!
VANESSA SALIBA: The half Lebanese, half Pinay’s facial beauty is hard to ignore. Based on what I’ve seen of her so far, I like her. Of course, this is according to my personal preference. Vanessa looks like a porcelain doll, and overall she’s a very pretty girl.
GAIL TOBES: Every time Gail smiles, she lights up the room. There’s something that is very charming and effortless about her presence. Would not at all be surprised if she’s announced as a placement. I also hear that she’s very intelligent, so that could be an asset for achieving one of the titles.
FINAL RANKING:
So I'm going out on a limb here. My favorites for MUP are Charmaine, Mariel and Sirene. They've been on my radar ever since the beginning, and I really hope that one of them wins the title. However, if I had to rank them, then Mariel would slightly edge over Sirene, simply because of the "camp" factor. She also has the famous parents, the previous contestant experience, and will also have the ability to showcase a transformation, leading up to the actual Miss Universe pageant. I do think that Sirene is stunning and if she misses out on a main title this year, that's OKAY....because if that's the case, I would love to see her go for the gold next year. But if she does happen to win a title, I think her features and abilities would be a nice follow up to Kylie Verzosa. Charmaine has played her strategy safe thus far, and I think that she too, could be a total contender for MUP....BUT in hindsight, I would place her at Supra. She has the exotic, dusky Filipina looks (a la Mutya Datul * Yvethe Santiago), which would contrast nicely from Joanna Eden. Rachel Peters would be an excellent Grand International, although my alternate for the title is Arienne Calingo, who Nawat, would fall in love with! Jehza and Chanel Olive complete the other titles, with Nelda Ibe and Dindi Pajares as my runner ups.
So there you have it! So many beauties competing and 6 crowns to bestow……I’m SUPER excited to see who will win the competition. In addition, I hear that Q&A portions are going to weigh heavily on the final conclusion of the winners, which I completely agree with. No matter how beautiful you are, one needs to be able to think under pressure, so I’m very interested on who will rise to the occasion. One thing’s certain, the Philippines, once again was successful in 2016 pageantry, so this year’s class must raise the bar! There are more than enough women, who could fill these shoes, effortlessly. I hope you all enjoyed the read, and I’ll see y’all on Sunday! Maraming Salamat!
As a passionate Binibini fan, the crowns and pageants I’m really interested in are: Miss Supranational, Miss Gwand International, Miss International and Miss Universe, simply because we can catch a live telecast or webcast on these competitions. Which leaves the Globe and Intercontinental title, which I do enjoy, but there is very minimal coverage on both of those pageants……..HOWEVER, rumor has it, that there’s one more crown at stake? Could it be that Madame Stella has re-obtained the Miss World Philippines franchise? As doubtful as that is, that would be amazing!
So I’ve come up with a Top 15 + 5 alternates! The girls I have on my list, are different and consist of all the elements I had previously mentioned. I don’t know how accurate I’ll be, but I am hopeful that the overall winner “MUP” will come from this list. That being said, here are my FINAL PREDICTIONS:
THE PREDICTED “FRONTRUNNERS”:
CHARMAINE ELIMA: Charmaine “Maine” competed in 2013, along with Pia and Ariella, and she has chosen the perfect time to peak! I actually think that she is the most prepared delegate this year….from styling, mannerisms, makeup, walk, great physique, she pretty much has everything it takes to take the main title. However, if I’m being super critical, the only thing I would change is for her to be more natural and not too, rehearsed/prepared. Because it can come across, borderline “pageant patty”. If she is able to continue the momentum and really stick to being consistent, I think she could take easily take the top prize!
SIRENE SUTTON: From the moment Sirene had screened for the pageant, people noticed how beautiful she was. From her excellent physique, to her stunning facial features, she had been pegged as a front runner from the very beginning. I personally love her softness….she can dial up the “fierce”, but also look incredibly sweet. One concern that I have is that she does not belong to a particular training camp, which could hurt her chances. As we all know, the big winners of the pageant are usually trained by either Aces & Queens or Kagandahan Flores. But on the contrary, I think that is one of her strengths. If she wins without a camp, she truly has natural skills and stage presence that would just need refining. If all goes well, she could be the breakout story of this year’s class. I appreciate the fact that she’s really holding her own, amongst the beauties that have trained much longer.
MARIEL DE LEON: Being the daughter of a famous Filipino actor has its advantages, which easily puts you in the spotlight. However, Mariel was in the spotlight back in 2013 when she first competed alongside, Pia, Ariella and Charmaine…..and she’s back again to try and conquer one of the titles. Many fans have already proclaimed Mariel to be the new MUP, however, there are some obstacles that may stand in the way. There’s no doubt that she has a beautiful face (bares similarities to Philippine actress and model, Liza Soberano), and the fact she’s being trained by the exclusive Aces & Queens also plays a big part, BUT, she sometimes comes across as timid, and I think that she needs to work on toning her body. This is a small factor, as we know that body positivity is encouraged. Could she defy all odds and come out on top? Most certainly! I really do like her and I think that she will be a contender for one of the main titles!
RACHEL PETERS: Rachel is a Miss World Philippines 2014 alumni, placing 4th runner up to Valerie Weigmann, and I think she has all the potential to really make an impact here. In my opinion, she is THE BODY of the competition and hopefully all that hard work in maintaining an excellent physique pays off. Facially, she might not be the strongest, but one can’t deny the overall package, because she truly does stand out. Communication skills seem to be on point, and hopefully, she can keep composure when she faces the Q&A portion. I like her a lot, and I think that she has the ability to connect with her audience. When she smiles, it’s evident how beautiful she is. Not sure what crown she is aiming for, but I think she would be perfectly suited for Supranational or Grand International.
JEHZA MAE HUELAR: After competing at Binibini 2016, and placing as the 1st runner up, it looks like Jehza has her eyes on the PRIZE. She has vastly improved since last year, and I think that she could certainly pull a Dianne Necio….not sure what crown will best suit her, but personally, I can see BB Pilipinas International as the one she takes. Her features would certainly appeal to the Japanese organization and could possibly pull a high placement at Miss International, if given the opportunity to do so. Once again, Jehza is an example of doing well in her first year, and returning to the pageant looking even better than her previous stint. I have a feeling that she will do extremely well, come finals night.
TOP 15:
NELDA IBE : Another Miss World Philippines 2014 alumni, Nelda Ibe was the 2nd runner to Valerie Weigmann. She’s tall, eloquent and has a pretty face. I feel that she could easily be a contender for one of the titles, based on her experience, alone. She has been gaining momentum, near the final pull of the competition, and I would not at all be surprised to see her win one of the titles.
DINDI JOY PAJARES: After having competed last year and doing so well, I had really high hopes for Dindi for a strong return. And I think that she’s doing a great job at this year’s stint. At first, I wasn’t sure about her styling and how she presented herself, but the fact of the matter is, she still is very beautiful and one of the strongest Binibini’s competing. Her face is certainly captivatingl and she just possesses this effortless, natural charisma! I think that she will once again make an impact on the judges, and is a locked Top 15 placer.
CHANEL OLIVE THOMAS: The crossover beauty 1st runner up from Miss Philippines Earth 2015, now has her eye on the Binibini crowns. I really like her. I think that she’s an eloquent, intelligent and confident communicator, in addition to being a beauty. At certain angles, I find her features to be a little strong, but overall, I think that she’s a beautiful lady. Her stage presence has been consistent, she’s in great shape and seems very confident! If I could see any crown on her head, I think she would be a force at Miss Gwand International.
KATARINA RODRIGUEZ: Katarina is one of THE FACES of the competition, which also is her strongest asset. She seems to be an eloquent speaker, and has a lot of confidence. She was previously, an Asia’s Next Top Model contestant, so she certainly has experience in front of a camera. I do think that her body might need a little bit of toning, but nonetheless, she is beautiful and could easily snag one of the titles. If I were to peg a crown for her, at best, I think she would do amazingly well at Miss International.
LIEZEL RAMOS: First year she competed, she made the Top 15…..second, she missed the cut, and now she has her hopes on besting both previous attempts. Can Liezel do it? Most certainly. This year, she seems to be more relaxed….still competitive, but more laid back. I hope that she will be called into the Top 15, because overall, she deserves to be in there. Let’s see what happens!
ANGELIQUE DE LEON: I love Angelique’s story of being inspired by the BB Pilipinas pageant to motivate her to lose 50 pounds. She has been an official candidate, two previous times, and this is her third year competing for the crown. She looks the most natural (than previous years), more prepared, and I hope that she can finally manage to penetrate the Top 15. I actually don’t understand how she didn’t make the cut last year. If she does make it, I have a feeling that she could be a darkhorse contender for one of the titles.
JULIA KAPEUNDL:Another beauty, whom I really like, simply because she has been consistent and on the ball at all times. I think she has such a gorgeous face, a good body and seems to be pretty consistent in all areas of the competition. Hopefully, she interviews well. If she can penetrate the Top 15, then she will make a strong impact.
RUFFA NAVA: In my opinion, I think that Ruffa is probably one of the facially strongest delegates this year. She’s gorgeous! She also has a great figure, and really knows how to work her angles. I think that she needs a little more refinement, and preparation, but I don’t think a Top 15 placement is far-fetched. If she were to compete in a couple of years, being more refined, I could easily see her winning the Miss Universe Philippines title.
ARIENNE CALINGO: Arienne is another Miss World Philippines crossover, and in fact, she was Catriona Gray’s first runner up. I feel like this girl will surprise most people. There’s something very unique about her that stands out, and she certainly knows how to carry herself. Not only is she intelligent, eloquent and an EXCELLENT communicator, but Arienne is also fluent in many different languages. For me, she has all the potential to snag one of the crowns, and I think the Grand International crown would be a good pageant for her to represent the Philippines in. Arienne is fluent in Thai, and if she were to be crowned MGI, she would be an excellent spokesperson for that organization, since it is a Thailand run pageant.
JESSICA RAMIREZ : Very Filipina, warm smile, great body and stage presence, I would love to see her make the cut. Her performance throughout the pageant has been very good thus far, and I just really like her. Hopefully it’s enough to get her name called, during finals night!
ALTERNATE PICKS:
JENNYLINE CARLA MALPAYA: She looks just as consistent as she did last year. The only difference this time around, is that It’s evident that she is in it for one of the titles. Hopefully she has trained harder, so that she could achieve a placement. Pretty Filipina, good body and catwalk….hopefully her interview is as strong.
CAMYLL LEITZ ANG: Another beauty, that I have kept a close eye on. She reminds me a lot of Nichole Manalo when she first competed. Training under Aces & Queens, Camyll obviously will be prepared, going into the final. I think that she has the beauty and the presence to catch Madame’s eye, so let’s see what happens. Overall, she’s a pretty well-packaged delegate.
GILLIAN COLCOL: I had initially counted her out, because she wasn’t an original Binibini….but when Mae Lanie Chan (was that her name), was left out of the competition, Gillian became Binibini 36. To my surprise, upon reviewing her pictures and her overall performance leading up to the finals, I think that she has all the potential to make the cut. I love her modelesque looks, and she seems to perform well on stage. Not to mention, she is very pretty and have a very nice physique!
VANESSA SALIBA: The half Lebanese, half Pinay’s facial beauty is hard to ignore. Based on what I’ve seen of her so far, I like her. Of course, this is according to my personal preference. Vanessa looks like a porcelain doll, and overall she’s a very pretty girl.
GAIL TOBES: Every time Gail smiles, she lights up the room. There’s something that is very charming and effortless about her presence. Would not at all be surprised if she’s announced as a placement. I also hear that she’s very intelligent, so that could be an asset for achieving one of the titles.
FINAL RANKING:
So I'm going out on a limb here. My favorites for MUP are Charmaine, Mariel and Sirene. They've been on my radar ever since the beginning, and I really hope that one of them wins the title. However, if I had to rank them, then Mariel would slightly edge over Sirene, simply because of the "camp" factor. She also has the famous parents, the previous contestant experience, and will also have the ability to showcase a transformation, leading up to the actual Miss Universe pageant. I do think that Sirene is stunning and if she misses out on a main title this year, that's OKAY....because if that's the case, I would love to see her go for the gold next year. But if she does happen to win a title, I think her features and abilities would be a nice follow up to Kylie Verzosa. Charmaine has played her strategy safe thus far, and I think that she too, could be a total contender for MUP....BUT in hindsight, I would place her at Supra. She has the exotic, dusky Filipina looks (a la Mutya Datul * Yvethe Santiago), which would contrast nicely from Joanna Eden. Rachel Peters would be an excellent Grand International, although my alternate for the title is Arienne Calingo, who Nawat, would fall in love with! Jehza and Chanel Olive complete the other titles, with Nelda Ibe and Dindi Pajares as my runner ups.
So there you have it! So many beauties competing and 6 crowns to bestow……I’m SUPER excited to see who will win the competition. In addition, I hear that Q&A portions are going to weigh heavily on the final conclusion of the winners, which I completely agree with. No matter how beautiful you are, one needs to be able to think under pressure, so I’m very interested on who will rise to the occasion. One thing’s certain, the Philippines, once again was successful in 2016 pageantry, so this year’s class must raise the bar! There are more than enough women, who could fill these shoes, effortlessly. I hope you all enjoyed the read, and I’ll see y’all on Sunday! Maraming Salamat!