The candidates from left to right: Alexa, Norella, Isabella, Misook, Jenica, Melissa, Erin, Shina, Dominique and Danielle. PHOTO BY DENNIS CLEMENTE
NEW YORK, New York — After several screenings and “duck walk” exercises, the East Coast candidates for Miss World-Philippines were presented last June 26 at the Philippine Consulate’s Kalayaan Hall Center, with Consul General Mariano de Leon in attendance.
“I’m the intermission,” Consul General De Leon quipped, as he wished the candidates luck and a purposeful life ahead of them.
The 10 candidates will vie for the 2014 Miss Philippines Quest-USA title on July 12 with the winner flying to Manila to compete in Miss World-Philippines.
Representing New York are Erin Manansala, 19, a freshman at Fairleigh Dickinson University; Melissa Ocampo, 24, a CBS Sports’ production assistant from Levittown; and Shina Lingat, an 18-year-old criminal justice student.
New Jersey’s pride, Norella Nacis, 24 of Passaic, is not new to pageants. She was Miss Earth-Philippines-Miss Friendship in 2011. Other candidates from the Garden State are Dominique Ivory, 22, a music and journalism student at Bergen Community College; and Misook Mendonca, 20, a nursing student at Rutgers University.
Three candidates hail from Pennsylvania: Jenica Balmes, 24, a B.S. Psychology graduate; Danielle Savitsky, 19, a junior at Clarion University, and 18-year-old Alexa Kirby.
Not all the candidates are Filipino Americans from the United States. Isabella Estella, a public relations and marketing practitioner, is from London.
Some of the candidates are of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Mendonca was born to a Brazilian father and Filipino mother while Savitsky was born to a Lithuanian father and Filipino mother.
The night would not have been complete without the talent portion, which consisted of singing, dancing and acting. Mendonca was obviously the most battle-ready, as she showed professional ballroom dancing chops already cut out for primetime TV.
Duck walk
Contestants with a very happy New York Consul General Mariano de Leon. PHOTO BY DENNIS CLEMENTE
Beauty pageants can be staid formal affairs, even with the talent portions. But actress Beth Tamayo, who hosted the event, would have none of it. She almost upstaged the candidates with her spontaneity and warm rapport with the audience.
In one instance, she saved people from any discomfort watching a long video that showed the candidates doing the duck walk in their bikinis. Asking everyone how it helps, she walked across the stage, doing some pale imitation of the duck walk in her evening dress, to warm chuckles from the audience. Ian Madrano co-hosted.
Apparently, this is a common training exercise in the Philippines. The beauty contestants walk in circles in a bikini in a dance studio lined with mirrors. It turns out it’s all about controlling hip sway, correcting posture and maintaining balance.
Judges
A pageant would not be complete without its staple Q&A, of course. The judges did most of the grilling, but the candidates coasted along with their answers, especially Manansala with her witty riposte on why she was wearing a svelte black dress. An easy question that only required an obvious answer. It showed off her figure in a flattering manner, but the audience liked the manner in which she said it—with aplomb.
The three judges at the pre-pageant were Rick Holbrook, a still life photographer for Quirky but whose works have included Ralph Lauren and Wired Magazine; ramp model and Community Living specialist Barbara Frez and Jerry Sibal, event production and floral designer with Virgin’s Richard Branson and Celine Dion for clients.
The search was a first for Synergy Productions and Marketing Inc. headed by Grace Labaguis in coordination with Cory Quirino, the franchise owner of Miss World Philippines. Quirino was reportedly encouraged to widen the search in order to give every eligible Filipina a chance to compete in the Philippines in November.
It’s not so hard to find interested candidates. The Philippines has been making waves in international beauty pageants for some years now, with Megan Young’s big win as Miss World 2013, inspiring the candidates in the U.S. to join the competition. And to add more significance to the search, Quirino is flying to New York for the coronation night on July 12 at the Symphony Space in the Upper West Side.
It’s interesting how beauty pageants excite so many Filipinos. They’re often criticized for objectifying women especially by those striving for political correctness. But proponents will argue that it can serve a purpose.
Beauty has to serve some purpose, after all.
For more info and photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/MissPhilippinesQuestUSA
Email at dennisclemente@yahoo.com Follow @dennisclemente