Will Kris wear undies at Bench Big Dome show?

FLASH:Kris Aquino is joining the Bench Understatement show on Aug. 18 at the Araneta Coliseum featuring, as the show’s title implies, Bench underwear to be modelled by such bodies-to-die-for as Francine Prieto, Juliana Palermo, Jon Hall, Marc Nelson, Rob Duat and many others.

Like the previous Bench shows, this one promises to be even more revealing – and more controversial?

If ever Kris pushes through with her "threat" to join the show, she being a Bench image model (along with former Morning Girls co-host Korina Sanchez), will she parade down the Big Dome ramp in her undies? How, do you think, would she look in a skimpy outfit (or lack of it)? Or will she just "tease" the audience a bit and opt to wear something, ehem, see-through?

Knowing Kris, she won’t let her fellow Bench endorsers steal the thunder from her, so she’ll surely make...what!?!... a scene?

That much Funfare can reveal at the moment. To find out what our dear Kris is up to, be at the Big Dome during the big show (but, please, don’t tell Tita Cory what you’ll see – promise?).

Cynthia Ugalde Back For Good

Of course, Baby Boomers remember who Cynthia Ugalde is. She was among the most popular Misses Philippines in the early ’60s, along with Josephine Estrada and Lalaine Bennett (fourth runner-up in the 1963 Miss Universe Pageant, the first highest honor ever garnered by the country in that contest which two Filipinas – Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973 – eventually won). The three beauties later joined showbiz and migrated to the US (Josephine is separated from her engineer husband while Lalaine is a widow).

The good news is that Cynthia has come back for good two weeks ago from the States where she and her family lived for more than 37 years.

But, according to Felix Manuel, one of Funfare’s "beauty experts" who talked to Cynthia, the balikbayan beauty is not keen on going back to showbiz, although I’m sure that if a producer (TV or movie) is persistent enough, with the right "bait," she just might. After all, once an actress...

Here’s Felix’s report on Cynthia:

In 1962, Cynthia Lucero Ugalde won the Miss Philippines-International title. Before that, she already had a string of beauty titles to her name: Princess of Charity at St. Theresa’s College (Quezon City) when she was five years old, Miss Luzon (also in school) when she was 10, Miss United Nations (again, in school), Miss Junior at the Philippine Women’s University (high school) at 14, Miss Philippine Air Force, Miss Education at UST and 1961 Miss Press Photography (with Helen Gamboa and Vilma Valera, a retired actress now based in California) before she was named Miss Philippines.

After winning fourth runner-up in the Miss Photogenic category of the 1962 Miss International contest, Cynthia entered showbiz (she was chosen Miss Philippine Movies in the annual popularity contest conducted by Weekly Graphic magazine).

Her launching movie was Reynang Nakabakya, with the late Nestor de Villa as leading man. She also starred opposite late Cesar Ramirez in Matang Lawin; Romeo Vasquez in Tatlong Siga ng Maynila; Josephine Estrada in Bathing Beauties (inspired by an Esther Williams movie); again with Josephine, Eddie Gutierrez and the late Vic Vargas in Birds of Paradise; former President Joseph Estrada in Big Boss; Dolphy (and Vic Vargas) in Tanzan vs. Tarzan; and Tagumpay ng Mahirap, her last movie (with Fred Montilla), a President Diosdado Macapagal bioflick where Cynthia played the First Lady, Eva Macapagal.

In 1965, Cynthia married Dr. Oscar Tan. They migrated to the US and had two children. They will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on Dec. 17 next year.

Karen Second Runner-Up In Two International Tilts

Here’s another report by Felix (in cooperation with fellow "beauty experts" Joey Cezare, Francis Calubaquib and Gery Yumping):

Our representative, Karen Loren Medrano Agustin, finished second runner-up in this year’s World Queen of Coffee held at Wortham Center, Cullen Theater in Houston, Texas. She also bagged the Miss Internet award. Her previous experience in pageants helped her achieve another honor for our country.

Miss Colombia, Jeymmy Paola Vargas, a 21-year-old Psychology student, won the crown. The statuesque 5’11" colored beauty was first runner-up in last year's Miss Colombia pageant. She will most likely represent Colombia in the Miss International Pageant later this year. She also won the Best in National Costume award. Miss Guatemala, Florecita Cobian, won first runner-up and Most Photogenic.

The other girls who placed in the top six were Misses Venezuela Eleidy Aparicio, El Salvador Andrea Hernandez and Mexico Ericka Honstein. The semi finalists were Misses Brazil Paola Lopez, Dominican Republic Dawilda Gonzalez Cid, Ecuador Giselle Rosado and Puerto Rico Gina Villegas.

The pageant was founded in 1996 by Francisco Cortez to raise funds for the Benjamin Bloom Children's Hospital in San Salvador, El Salvador. Yosphe Alicia Machado Fajardo of Venezuela won the pageant a few months before becoming Miss Universe.

Here’s the list of the pageant’s past winners:

• 1996 – Yosphe Alicia Machado Fajardo, Venezuela

• 1997 – Ana Maria Osorio, El Salvador

• 2000 – Cris Tomaszeck, Brazil

• 2001 – Catherine Constantinidis, South Africa

• 2002-2003 – Johanna Acosta, Colombia

There were no pageants in 1998 and 1999 due to security problems brought about by the political and economic problems after Hurricane Mitch that affected the whole of Central America. There was also no pageant in 2003, thereby allowing Johanna Acosta to have a two-year reign.

Aside from placing second runner-up in the World Queen of Coffee contest, Karen also finished second runner-up overall in her division in the International Modeling and Talent Association contest held in New York prior to the World Queen of Coffee. There were 2000 delegates who competed in their divisions. In Karen's division, a total of 200 aspirants competed. She was chosen winner in the make-up and tv-beauty categories. She was first runner-up in the jeans category and fourth runner-up in both the swimwear and runway categories. She probably is the most awarded Philippine beauty in pageant history.

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)