Behind Vickie Rushton's winning smile

CEBU, Philippines - Barring any last-minute hitches, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 Vickie Marie Milagrosa Rushton will vie for the Miss Intercontinental title this April in Europe.

She was reserved for another international pageant last December, but the lovely lass from the country’s so-called "City of Smiles" chose to prioritize her studies at the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod. Vickie, a third year Interdisciplinary Studies major, could no longer afford any school absences that time, so her first runner-up was instead sent to the Miss Tourism International contest.

Gifted with a stunning face and effortless curves (stats: 36-24-36), she beat out 29 other candidates in the annual beauty pageant last year, including eight hopefuls from overseas. She was an early favorite, bagging that night’s lion’s share of corporate and major awards—Mutya ng Sheridan, Mutya ng Zen, Mutya ng Golden Bay, Best in Casual Wear and Best in Swimsuit.

A fixture in her hometown’s pageant circuit (she was Lin-ay Sang Talisay 2008, Lin-ay Sang Negros 2009 and Ms. Western Visayas Eco-Tourism 2009, among others), the Mutya crown was Vickie’s first national victory. At nineteen years old and showing a lot of promise, it could possibly be not her last.

Describing her beloved Bacolod, she had this to say: "One can enjoy a very affordable trip in Bacolod. You can go to our Mambukal Falls, or Sipalay City which has at least seven white beaches. If I could illustrate Bacolod in one word, it would be ‘progressive’."

Asked if being a known beauty queen was a childhood dream, the 5’6"-tall Vickie answers that it wasn’t so. Unwanted circumstances forced her to earn money the best way she knew how, and this was the reason she grabbed opportunities to join local pageants.

"My childhood years were mostly marked with pain because when I was eight, my parents separated. My younger brother is also a special child. Since then, they’ve been depending on me. In high school, I would join pageants so that I would earn money if I won. And now my mom is blind, that’s why I am more involved in charities that help people with a disability like her. I am adopting a committee called Home for the Blind," Vickie related.

Reflecting on those trials and those that are yet to come, she takes to heart the saying that ‘What can’t kill you can only make you stronger.’ "My childhood wasn’t all that great. But these experiences molded me into a better person."

Owing to her half-British lineage, Vickie has often been told that she looks a lot like celebrities Bianca King, Bea Alonzo and Cheska Garcia-Kramer. Two network giants in fact, ABS-CBN and TV5, took notice of her beauty and secured her contact number. The thing is, her parents forbade her to get into showbiz, unless it’s for a modeling, hosting or commercial gig. Ultimately, it is Vickie’s dream to be a news anchor.

She may not have grown up with the constant presence of her Briton father, but the faith and family-oriented charmer thinks she inherited her penchant for promptness from his side of the gene pool. That’s to say she’s no fan of the infamous ‘Filipino time.’

"I’m a stickler for being on time. I never want to be late. For example, I am the vice-president of our course department’s organization and we often hold meetings. As much as possible, I want everything to be arranged and every one of us complete on time. I’m OC (obsessive-compulsive) that way."

That’s one tidbit her future suitors would do well to take mental note of. Vickie hasn’t been anyone’s girlfriend yet, and didn’t express the desire to be one anytime soon. When she deems herself ready, Vickie hopes for a guy that’s responsible and God-fearing. (FREEMAN)