Showbiz potentials among Miss Asia bets - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

In last Tuesday’s (Nov. 28) column, Funfare wrongly mentioned that the Miss Asia-Pacific Quest will have its final pageant tomorrow, Dec. 2, at the UP Theater (Diliman, Quezon City). The 32-year-old pageant will go on, as usual, and so will the Mutya ng Pilipinas search, winners of which go on to compete in the Miss Asia-Pacific Quest.

It’s only Carousel Productions, Inc. which will stop producing the two beauty searches. Next year, Carousel will spearhead the Miss Philippines contest, with the winner as the country’s bet to the new Miss Earth Pageant (also to be produced by Carousel) in which more than 60 countries are expected to compete.

As in past contests like it, in tomorrow’s Miss Asia-Pacific Quest, there are several showbiz potentials, according to Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Gery Yumping, Joey Cezare and Francis Calubaquib. Here’s the quartet’s report:

Amparo Muñoz (Miss Universe 1974), Dayanara Torres (Miss Universe 1993), Johanna Raunio (Miss Finland and 1974 Miss Universe 2nd runner-up/Miss Photogenic), Maureen Ava Vieira (Miss Aruba and 1974 Miss Universe 4th runner-up), Tara Ann Fonseca of India (Miss Asia 1973), Eva Arni of Papua New Guinea (Miss Asia 1975), Michelle Van Eimeren (Miss Australia-Universe 1994), Viveca Babajee (Miss Mauritius 1994) and Joyce Giraud (Miss Puerto Rico and 1998 Miss Universe 2nd runner-up). What do these girls have in common? They are among the international beauty queens who joined local showbiz.

Last Nov. 16, during the press presentation at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, 22 lovely delegates from all over the Asia Pacific region were formally introduced. Members of the press, pageant watchers and kibitzers had a great time watching these ladies parade in their native costumes and swimsuits.

Several girls showed showbiz potentials. Among them:

* Miss India – Diya Mirza Handrich is an 18-year-old model and student who stands 5’6" and measures 34-25-35. This stunning beauty loves to read and swim. Many pageant watchers chose her as the potential winner because of her beauty, poise and regal bearing, not to forget the fact that she has the gift of gab. She hopes to continue her country’s winning streak in the pageant circuit.

* Miss Philippines – Twenty-one-year-old Josephine N. Canonizado is an Asian commercial model by profession. Our hometown bet stands 5’7" and measures 34-24-34. She enjoys singing and dancing. Her natural grace and charm will surely help her in her quest for our 5th Miss Asia Pacific crown.

* Miss Thailand – Twenty-one-year-old Kanungnit In-ong stands 5’7" and measures 32-25.34. This Ina Raymundo deadringer is a student who loves to swim and play basketball and volleyball

* Miss Colombia – Statuesque at 5’10", 24-year-old Ana Maria Wolff Mira, who measures 35-24-36, works as a security manager and loves to read books. Her compatriot, Andrea Juliana Arango Londonio, is the reigning Miss Asia Pacific.

* Miss New Zealand – Twenty-year-old Melanie Jane Paul is involved in tourism marketing in her country. This blonde beauty stands 5’9" and measures 34-24-34.

* Miss Turkey – Aysunn Dogrul stands 5’9" and measures 35-25-37. A model by profession, she wowed the crowd during the national-costume presentation when she belly-danced her way to the stage. Her classic beauty makes her one of the top contenders for the crown. She is 20.

* Miss Honduras – Ana Waleska Beteta is a 20-year-old Lotis Key lookalike who stands 5’8" and measures 34-25-37. She is a model and student who has won several beauty titles in her country. Let’s wait and see if she can pull a surprise.

* Miss Lebanon – Exotic Cynthia Saliba is a 20-year-old student and fashion model who stands 5’8" and measures 36-25-37. She loves to dance and listen to the radio.

* Miss Panama – Twenty-two-year-old Marianela Salazar Guillen is a student and model who loves to cook. She is 5’7" tall and is evenly distributed at 34-24-34.

* Miss Papua New Guinea – Twenty-one-year-old Charmaine G. Tongia is a sales representative by profession. She stands 5’6" and measures 32-25-36. This exotic lass loves to dance.

Here’s the Miss Asia-Pacific honor roll:

* 1968 – Macy Shih (Taiwan)
* 1969 – Wongkyung Suh (South Korea)
* 1970 – Aman Zeenat (India)
* 1971 – Flora Baza (Guam)
* 1972 – Janet Coutts (Australia)
* 1973 – Tara Anne Fonseca (India)
* 1974 – Susan "Sue" Currie (Australia)
* 1975 – Eva Arni (Papua New Guinea)
* 1976 – Jacqueline Stuart (Singapore)
* 1977 – Linda Emran (Indonesia)
* 1978 – Siriporn Savanglam (Thailand)
* 1979 – Ayla Altas (Turkey)
* 1980 – Lorraine Gaye McGrady (Australia)
* 1981 – Bernadine Rose Fernando Ramanayake (Sri Lanka)
* 1982 – Maria del Carmen Ines Del Alcazar Zaragoza (Philippines)
* 1983 – Gloria Aranas Dimayacyac (Philippines)
* 1984 – Melek Gurkan (Turkey)
* 1985 – Nurit Mizrahi (Israel)
* 1986 – Helen Crawford (New Zealand)
* 1987 – Cilinia Prada (Panama)
* 1988 – Preeyanuch Panpradub (Thailand)
* 1989 – Lorna Legaspi (Philippines)
* 1990 – No pageant (due to major earthquake)
* 1991 – No pageant (due to eruption of Mount Pinatubo)
* 1992 – Tali Ben Harush (Israel)
* 1993 – Michelle Zulueta Aldana (Philippines)
* 1994 – Jessica Tapia (Peru)
* 1995 – Mi-Jung Yoon (Korea)
* 1996 – Gabriela Aguilar (Costa Rica)
* 1997 – Voralat Suwanalat (Thailand)
* 1998 – Kisha Alvarado (Costa Rica)
* 1999 – Juliana Andrea Arongo Londono (Colombia)

And the Mutya Ng Pilipinas honor roll (and how they fared):

* 1968 – Mary Jane Mozo de Joya, 3rd runner-up
* 1969 – Maria Lourdez Hart Muñoz, None
* 1970 – Alice Tiongson Crisostomo, 1st runner-up
* 1971 – Carolyn Gomora Masibay, 1st runner-up
* 1972 – Yvette Marie Alfon, 1st runner-up
* 1973 – Maria Lourdez "Louie" Atienza, None
* 1974 – Maripola "Polly" Penson, 2nd runner-up
* 1975 – Maria Cecilia "Maricel" Fortuno, None
* 1976 – Maria Luisa Corazon "Baby" Delgado, 3rd runner-up
* 1977 – Maria Rosario Aspillera Diaz, 4th runner-up
* 1978 – Epifania "Effie" L. Lagman, 1st runner-up
* 1979 – Lorraine Espiridion Schuck, 1st runner-up
* 1980 – Rosa Maria Rosario de Vera, 1st runner-up
* 1981 – Marilou Arguelles Bendigo, None
* 1982 – Maria del Carmen Ines dela Alcazar Zaragoza, Miss Asia
* 1983 – Gloria "Bong" Aranas Dimayacyac, Miss Asia/Best in Swimsuit
* 1984 – Maria Aurora Claudia "Duday" I. Mandanas, semifinalist
* 1985 – Millicent A. Bautista, semifinalist
* 1986 – Glenah Marie Valmonte Slaton, semifinalist
* 1987 – Gina Abalos Vinluan, Miss Personality/semifinalist
* 1988 – Maria Hycinth Barbara Valencia Lotuaco, None
* 1989 – Lorna Villarubia Legaspi, Miss Asia Pacific
* 1990 – Mutya "Cha-Cha" Crisostomo Laxa, 2nd runner-up
* 1991 – No pageant (due to major earthquake)
* 1992 – No pageant (due to eruption of Mount Pinatubo)
* 1993 – Michelle Zulueta Aldana, Miss Asia Pacific and Miss Photogenic/Miss Friendship
* 1994 – Angelica Jasmin Berroya Reyes, semifinalist
* 1995 – Maricel Morales, semifinalist
* 1996 – Marilyn Maristela, 1st runner-up
* 1997 – Isabela Molina Cabrera, Withdrew

Sheryll Moraga, semifinalist

* 1998 – Rochelle Romero Ong, None/Miss Friendship
* 1999 – Ritchie G. Ocampo, semifinalist
* 2000 – Josephine "Josh or Jopay" Nieves Canonizado

(Note: Isabela Cabrera resigned. Her first runner-up, Sheryll Moraga, took over. But another finalist, Mellany M. Gabat, eventually represented the country in the Miss Asia-Pacific Quest.)