Miss Sandugo ’04 attracts two dozen entries

Tagbilaran, Tuesday, 29 June 2004 (updated: Thursday, 14 September 2006)

REMEMBER Sandra Bullock’s Miss Congeniality? The pageant flick related to us on how Bullock became Miss America against seasoned female competitors. Through the help of Mr. Manners, Bullock’s character blossoms into a lady, winning the hearts of the organizers and other contestants.

It is human nature to appreciate beautiful persons and things. Here in Bohol, the story takes on a more interesting twist. For 15 years, Miss Bohol Sandugo (MBS) has made its distinctive mark as one of the more prestigious and credible among a dozen annual beauty pageants. It has produced a number of titleholders who after their reign have moved into a woman of distinction and otherwise. Many of them have exalted in the fields they chose to pursue to this day and their names become a byword to many.

In some cases, local beauty pageants attract young ladies each year, but makes a beauty queen of only a handful. And, chances are, those queens don’t shine, burn up and drop out to make wan for other interesting ladies. In this part of the country, beauty pageants are now a big business.

‘Memorable search’

It was in the 1950's that a fresh batch of sultry beauties was introduced. During the reign of former OIC (officer-in-charge) Gov. Victor dela Serna, he founded the famed Miss Bohol for Fiesta Islands’ celebration. To name a few: Paula Raagas Valles became a mayor in Maribojoc; Delia Canda became Miss Visayas and she is now faithfully serving God as lay minister at St. Joseph Cathedral; Theoprolia Clarin from Sevilla and Geraldine Galang from Carmen, Reza Cabagnot from Tagbilaran City.

In the 1980's, Rachelle Oculam was Miss Bohol from Lila. Marcel Gatal was also a beauty queen.

Gemma Mandin, one of the Tagbilaran’s Five Prettiest (the pet project of then OIC Mayor Dan Lim) was crowned Miss Bohol in Dec. 1986. She was then an engineering student from San Carlos University when she joined the pageant. Now, Mandin is a flight stewardess of Philippine Airlines.

There was no Miss Bohol 1987.

Wenny Moreno Lim who represented Tagbilaran City made history as the first to get the crown in 1988. She is now residing in Cebu.

Elizabeth Mumar Añana from Guindulman was the first to get the Miss Bohol Sandugo crown. The 1989 pageant was “shocking” as Añana was the only one wearing hi-cut suit which was “rare” at that time.

Añana became the first Ms. Guindulman in 1989 and Ms. San Miguel Central Visayas in 1989. She graduated at the University of San Carlos (BS in Business Administration) and is currently the general manager of Symmetry Philippines, Inc.

Jagna accomplished the first-ever “three peat” in the beauty pageant when the town’s entries successively triumphed from 1990-1992. Tiffany Yap, 1990, Ma. Recelle Adlaon, 1991 and Celevel Ranoco, 1992. However, the 1990 pageant was one of the most dramatic when Marivic Labado, the crowd favorite was just a cinch to the crown. The first Boholano to become a Penshoppe model ended as first runner-up. Labado was Miss Cebu Doctors’ and she is now married to Dr. Larazabal, heir of the Cebu Doctors’.

Miss Bohol Sandugo 1993 was Mary Ann Eronico from Talibon town. Vanessa Joyce Evardone was MBS 1994 and she is now working in Manila

In 1995, Irah Noemi Naron of Baclayon was crowned MBS and she made it to the Mutya ng Pilipinas and received a special award. Here first runner-up and also Miss Talent was Shiela Sumalinog kept up Jagna’s string of impressive finishes in the search.

Laianne Reyes Canoy was MBS 1996 from Maribojoc. Socorro D’ Mari “Tali” Inting from Tagbilaran City was MBS 1997. She started as Miss Divine High School, competed and won the Miss Divine and Miss Tagbilaran. To date, Tali is the only Miss Bohol Sandugo who has a remarkable record of all beauty queens who passed the bar exam.

Josely Ferniz who represented Bilar got the MBS crown in 1998. She is now happily married and manages a business.

The MBS 1999 was Maria Niña Cubello from Tubigon; Mellanie Wallace, MBS 2000 from Tagbilaran City and MBS 2001 was Jenny Justiniane represented Valencia town. It was sad to note that Cubello and Justiniane both had not completed their reigns who ended up marrying early. Cubello was replaced by Jennifer Ejoc of Catigbian who crowned the new winner on her behalf; while Vanessa Cadorno from Duero replaced Justiniane. To set the record, they were not “dethroned” by the organizers. They simply had a ‘disgraceful’ exit.

Question: Who could forget Cherry Mae Bacarro who was MBS 2002?

Answer: During her reign, she made it to the Bb. Pilipinas, but she represented Cagayan de Oro City (her sponsor) instead of Bohol.

Item: In July 2002, she was invited by the Bohol Sandugo Foundation to welcome the Miss Earth candidates in October 2002, but she failed to grace the activity “kay nagpaplantsa sa iyang buhok” (because she was straightening her hair). She came late to the place where everybody had left the place two hours before she arrived. Bacarro left an impression of neglecting the most responsibility for a very cheap or flimsy reason.

Again, MBS 2003 Fatima Liora Lloren Rana was from Jagna.

Running out of beauties

For the past years, you would probably agree, and would perhaps ask yourself, “Are we running out of beautiful ladies?” The road to Miss Bohol Sandugo is just easy as ABC, still there are ladies who are hard trying or “undeserved” or reluctant yet deserving ladies who still need to be “pushed” just to win.

In the near future, the organizers might unknowingly have transvestite candidates. Who knows? Sometimes, we can blame the LGUs, which are reluctant to send official candidates, claim of having no budget. If there’s no money to hold a local beauty pageant, they should have just appointed ladies and they don’t much spend bucks for the search.

Miss Michelle Palaca representing Baclayon decided to backout from the contest.

This year’s edition has 23 candidates, so far, the first search that has the highest number of candidates. They had studio pictorials last June 22 and they were presented to the press in the afternoon. New batch of beauties are Maria Stephanie Alesna (Bilar), Benia Nika Lao (candijay), Chimney Arat (Loay), Lorraine Marie Evasco (Tagbilaran City), Faye Michelle Mahinay (Corella), Hazel Laganson (Lila), Grace Ylanan (Pilar), Hanna Rose Milagrosa (CVSCAFT), Marian Licayan (Duero), Kathy Lynn Atuel (Ubay), Donna Maricel Cardino (Clarin), Cheryl Amormarie Eastman (Calape), Lira Mae Uy (Batuan), Redelyn Rosales (Talibon), Richelle Anne Guibone (Panglao), Rhea Jane Echavez (Maribojoc), Jill Ivy Maire Loquias (Antequera), Abegail Gozum (Guindulman), Rhiz Novah Arenas (Inabanga), Michelle Palaca (Baclayon), Jacqueline Tutor (Mabini), Rodelyn Ann Buena (Dauis), and Joyce Amor Lague (Dimiao).

Take note of these important facts: MBS has many participating Mutya sa Tagbilaran winners. Gozum, who is now representing Guindulman was a Mutya sa Tagbilaran runner-up; Tutor who was first runner-up of Mutya sa Tagbilaran last year is now representing Mabini; Eastman, who is representing Calape had joined Mutya sa Tagbilaran this year but she failed to enter the finals; and Buena, this year’s Mutya sa Tagbilaran second runner-up is now representing Dauis.

Miss Baclayon Michelle Palaca, who is also the reigning Miss UB is from Valencia town. She joined Miss Valencia but didn’t win, now she represents Baclayon. In a sudden turned of event, it was learned yesterday that Palaca has to backout in joining the contest. Palaca has to concentrate her studies.

Mahinay was Miss Corella 2001, Guibone, Miss HNU and Miss Young Maribojoc, and Loquias is Miss Olta. The witty-voluptuous Arenas who was popular of her “Basta ubi Bohol, basta Bohol ubi” was crowned Ubi Queen 2004. Yet, she didn’t escape from some kibitzers that she is not from Inabanga town and she is a homegrown Cebuana. However, it was found out that her mother is from Inabanga town she’s representing.

There are those who joined the Mutya sa Tagbilaran, barrio and town pageants and ended as runners-up, now they are representing another town. What these ladies doing are a kind of “trial and error” and “try and try until you succeed.” Unfortunately, they will end as “recycled” and “wasted” beauties in the future.

Some beauty insiders gave their reactions about the Mutya winners who are joining this year’s search. The people know they have represented Tagbilaran City. Why are they now representing another town? They join maybe of lineage, from their mother or father’s side. Or their factotums (yaya) and their “fairy homosexual godmothers” set them to represent other town. They are making business out of it at the expense of the girls who are humiliated on the stage. So far, there is no rule from MBS that prohibits ladies to join their search again even if they’ve present titles, so there’s no limit. The point here is representing another town where you have not yet finished your reign is considered as a certain “disloyalty.”

It was also found out that it is useless why the pageant committee set guidelines, yet they will go down just to accommodate pretty candidates even not qualified based on age.

What if the towering model Chona Balagot, the Miss Candijay will join the pageant? Or Miss Central Visayas model Liza Tandugon will join this search? Would they be a hindrance to other candidates to get the crown? Maybe yes, maybe no.

With Wilfreda Collins and Gesnelle Yap who head the MBS this year--and though almost late for preparations---we are sure they will work hard for the pageant.

Watch who among the 22 will be chosen by a panel of judges. The talent night is on July 10, while the grand coronation night is on Bohol Wisdom gym on July 17, 7 p.m.

Leo P. Udtohan

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