Entertainment

Mary Jean Lastimosa almost didn't join Bb. Pilipinas 2014

Chuck Smith - The Philippine Star

April 2, 2014 | 8:42pm

MANILA, Philippines â€“ Mary Jean Lastimosa overwhelmed the competition during the recently-concluded Bb. Pilipinas pageant. But she revealed she was not even planning to join the contest until the very last minute.

Mary Jean, who was crowned Miss Universe-Philippines during the Binibining Pilipinas 2014 coronation night last March 30, said joining the pageant was one of the â€œtoughest decisionsâ€ of her life.

â€œIt was a last minute decision for me to join. I think it was December... I was hesitant, I was praying to God if I was going to join or not,â€ she said during the press conference for the winners of the Bb. Pilipinas 2014 on Wednesday, April 2.

The 2014 pageant wasn't the first time Mary Jean joined the Binibining Pilipinas. The country's representative to the Miss Universe pageant this year joined the pageant in 2011 (where she was named second runner-up) and in 2012 (where she was among the top 12 finalists).

The 26-year-old beauty queen admitted that there was a time she thought joining the Bb. Pilipinas pageant was no longer for her.

â€œMy friends were convincing me to join. I said, 'I don't know if it's for me.' It was a tough decision. It was one of the toughest decisions of my life. And I'm not a usual risk taker, but now I can say I'm a risk taker,â€ she said.

Mary Jean added, â€œI'm just thankful I decided to join.â€

Mary Jean's win made the 2011 batch of Bb. Pilipinas among the pageant's most successful. Apart from Shamcey Supsup, who represented the country in the Miss Universe pageant that year (she was named fourth runner-up), Janine Tugonon was also a contestant in the said batch. Janine eventually won the Miss Universe-Philippines crown in 2012 and placed second.

Is Mary Jean pressured to live up to the success of her predecessors and fellow 2011 Bb. Pilipinas contestants?

â€œIt shouldn't be a competition for us, even though we're from the same batch. I'm so happy that our batch is considered as one of the most successful because a lot girls from the batch, they did not only succeed in Bb. Pilipinas but also in other pageants,â€ she said.

Another beauty queen from the 2011 Bb. Pilipinas pageant si Queenierich Rehman, who represented the country in the Miss World 2012 pageant.

While training for the international pageants for her and the other winners will begin soon, Mary Jean is still currently trying to â€œembrace the thoughtâ€ of her victory.

â€œPag nagpa-pressure kami agad sa thought ng preparation for the international pageant, baka mawala freshness, which is very important,â€ she said. â€œRelax, inhale exhale muna before kami mag-training.â€

PHOTOS: Bb. Pilipinas 2014 coronation night

Mary Jean added, â€œHindi pa nagsi-sink in. Gusto ko munang i-savor yung moment na nanalo ako.â€

â€œConfident ako sa mga tao na nakapaligid sa akin. Ako ko na alam nila kung ano yung kailangan kong gawin.â€

Aside from Mary Jean, the other Bb. Pilipinas 2014 titleholders are: Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti (Bb. Pilipinas-International 2014), Yvethe Marie Santiago (Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational 2014), Kris Tiffany Janson (Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental 2014), and Parul Shah (Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism 2014). Laura Victoria Lehman was named first-runner up and Hannah Ruth Sison second runner-up.