Will ‘Girl on Fire’ bring home Phl’s 5th Miss Int’l crown?

Here’s a continuation of our forget-the-ugly-and focus-on-the-beautiful stories:

 2013 Bb. Pilipinas-International Bea Rose Santiago described herself as the “Girl on Fire” because, according to Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas, Bea is an independent woman who lives alone in a condo unit with her pet dog Megan as companion. Her dad’s sister and family lives in Japan where Bea will compete in the 2013 Miss International pageant on Dec. 17 at the Shinagawa Prince Hall in Tokyo, hoping to bring home the country’s fifth Miss Int’l crown, after Gemma Cruz (1964), Aurora Pijuan (1970), Melanie Marquez (1979) and Precious Lara Quigaman (2005). Wish her luck.

 Maria Isabelle Zaragoza Mendoza was crowned 2013 Miss Campus World on in Thean Hou Temple Grand Hall in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 5, with her counterpart Roland William Ayalde De Dios finishing first runner-up to Singapore’s Ian Chua as 2013 Mister Campus World. Reported Celso, “Eighteen student-delegates from Asia competed in the contest with the primary goal of recognizing the role of students as equal partners in development and youth empowerment.”

After her whirlwind visit home to help the Yolanda victims, 2013 Miss World Megan Young went to Guangzhou, China, to grace a special charity function organized by Kieu Hoang and the Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co., Ltd. Reported Celso, “Megan was reunited with 2012 Miss World Wenxia (of China), 2013 Miss Oceania Erin Holland (of Australia) and 2013 Miss Indonesia Vania Larissa. Known as the Magic Flute Trio, they wowed the audience of the 2013 Miss World pageant in Bali, Indonesia last September.”

 2013 Miss Resorts World Manila Nikita McElroy (of Davao), 20, who beat more than 100 hopefuls, will host RWM events, do radio/TV guestings, grace fashion shows and appear in print ads. Among her prizes is to pose for the Resorts World Manila’s 2014 calendar.

She inherited her exotic looks from her French/Black-American father and Filipina mother. She started modeling after finishing high school and that became her passport to the beauty contest.

 Funfare’s “beauty expert” Felix Manuel reported that the My Husband’s Lover concert in the US East Coast was a hit, produced by Castellvi Productions and GMA International/GMA PInoy TV/GMA Life TV. “MHL stars Dennis Trillo and Tom Rodriguez tickled the audience when they made sweet gestures and addressed each other as ‘Beh!’ during their song numbers,” said Felix. “Kuh Ledesma still reigns supreme while Victor Basa and Pancho Magno did a sexy number.”

The MHL group performed in New York and then in Maryland.

In celebration of the 56th Founders Day of the Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), CIMphony (a group composed of CIM students) will stage a concert called Music Heals: The CIM Concert For A Cause tonight at 6 at the Epifania Mendoza Velez Hall (EMVMH) of Velez College, Cebu City.

For inquiries, call Maurice Geroy (0931-8655364), Jeff Go (0922-8902577), Cyrus Tejam (0922-2772064) or Dr. Jedrick Yu (0922-8480892).

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)