Four winners from 50 aspirants from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and overseas Filipino communities will be chosen tomorrow night, Sept. 16, at the Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena — Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific International 2018, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International 2018, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Global Beauty Queen 2018 and Mutya ng Pilipinas - Tourism Queen of the Year International 2018. Hosted by Iza Calzado, Marc Nelson, Ganiel Krishnan and Kristine Caballero-Aplal, the grand finals will be (delayed) telecast on ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best.
As usual, Funfare’s “beauty experts” Felix Manuel and Celso de Guzman Caparas made their respective lists of “20 Most Likely” to win (which is not intended to influence the judges).
Fourteen made it to both lists. They are (at random):
#19 Sharifa Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel, Sultan Kudarat;
#21, Nina Ancheta, Los Angeles, California;
#30, Kheshapornam Ramachandran, Iloilo;
#13, Anie Uson, Pangasinan;
#24, Pauline Amelinckx, Bohol;
#46, Julieane Fernandez, Taguig City;
#23, Agatha Lei Romero, Manila;
#1, Jade Sky Roberts, Australia;
#4, Rein Hillary Carrascal, Legazpi City;
#16, Shanon Jumayh Tampon, Quezon City;
#25, Bettina Reloy Dingemans, Netherlands;
#26, Katrina Mae Sese, Tarlac City;
#39, Honey Grace Cartasano, Antipolo City; and
#42, Kristine Micah Malicsi, Navotas City
Those who are not in Felix’s list: #44 Nikka Marie Cristina Castro of Marilao, Bulacan; #28 Alhia Charmaine Estores (Netherlands); #20 Jessica Duhay (Arizona); #34 Geri Franchesca Camargo (Meycauayan, Bulacan); #18 Marseilaise Perkins (East Coast Canada); and #15 Mina Kim (Makati City).
And those not in Celso’s list: #48 Mary Justine Teng (Muntinlupa City); #27 Allison Lorenzo (Southern California); #6 Gezza Avila (Candelaria, Quezon); #9 Mae Kimberly De Luna (Caloocan City); #22 Jeserey Sanchez (Northern California); and #47 Maria Fe Loayon (Cebu).
16 vie for 2018 Miss Asia Pacific crown
Meanwhile, 16 beauties from the same number of countries are competing in the (also) 50th Miss Asia Pacific pageant to be held on Oct. 4 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila (RWM) where reigning queen, Brazil’s Francielly Ouriques (the first from her country to win), will relinquish her crown.
Here are the 15 hopefuls (the 16th candidate from the Philippines, Mutya Asia Pacific International, will be known tomorrow night):
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)