2 more ‘golden’ beauties

Aside from 1970 Bb. Pilipinas-International/1970 Miss International Aurora Pijuan (featured in Funfare last May 17) and 1970 Mutya ng Pilipinas Alice Crisostomo (also featured in Funfare last June 9), did you know that there are two more “golden” beauties commemorating their 50th anniversary?

Here they are, with a report from Funfare’s “beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas:

• Simonette de los Reyes was crowned 1970 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe on April 18. There were 31 contestants including Aurora who won Bb. Pilipinas-International 1970 and eventually 1970 Miss International in Japan on May 16.

While that year’s Binibini pageant was going on, a pocket rally by female students was being held outside the Big Dome, denouncing beauty contests for exploiting women.

Then 19, Simonette (of Arayat, Pampanga) was a Business Management student of Assumption and a fashion model discovered by Pitoy Moreno who asked her to join the pageant. She was among the 64 delegates who competed in the 1970 Miss Universe pageant in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on July 11, won by Puerto Rico’s Marisol Malaret, her roommate, crowned by Gloria Diaz, the previous year’s queen.

Simonette was named as one of Bachelors Club's 1969 Manila's Five Prettiest, 1971 Soap Derby Muse and 1972 Baron Travel Girl. Her sister Yvonne and cousin Bessie Ocampo were Misses Philippines and also competed in the Miss Universe Pageant in 1955 and 1954, respectively. Bessie was the first Filipina delegate to enter the semi-finals round. Another relative, Pacita Ongsiako de los Reyes, reigned as 1929 Miss Philippines at the Manila Carnival.

A businesswoman, Simonette is currently based in Metro Manila with her family.

Like other title-holders, Cita tried showbiz and was introduced in Rodolfo Valentino with Comedy King Dolphy as producer and leading man.

• Cita Avecilla was the first-ever Miss Young-Philippines. The inaugural finals was staged at Manila Hilton on Feb. 12, 1970. Cita was crowned by 1967 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Pilar Pilapil and Sen. Doy Laurel who both sat as judges.

Then 17, Cita (from San Juan, La Union) was a freshman at the Philippine Women's University (PWU).  She was tapped by Pitoy Moreno to compete in the inaugural contest. Her prizes included P1,000 cash, a Sylcon bed, a sewing machine and a round-trip ticket to Japan.

Cita traveled to Tokyo to compete in the maiden Miss Young International pageant held from March 15 to 27, with 43 beauties participating. She was adjudged second runner-up to Iceland's Henny Hermannsdóttir. Other runners-up were Hidemi Aoki of Japan (first), Hilda Soto Jiménez of Costa Rica (third) and Joan Ellis Andersen of Denmark (fourth).

The Miss Young International pageant was organized for women aged 14 to 19 by the people behind the Miss International pageant. Japan hosted the pageant in 1970 to 1979, the Philippines in 1980 and 1981, and South Korea in 1983. No pageant in 1982 and discontinued in 1984 due to budget constraints.

Cita was introduced in RVQ's Rodolfo Valentino, topbilled by Dolphy, Panchito, Katy dela Cruz and Rod Navarro, released on Nov. 21, 1970, at Roxan Theater.

In 1969, Cita was chosen by the Bachelors' Club as one of Manila's Five Prettiest along with Simonette, Marissa Gonzales, Cita Barretto and Elizabeth Jalbuena.

Simonette, Aurora and Cita relinquished their respective crowns during the finals of 1971 Bb. Pilipinas on March 27, 1971, a first in the pageant's history. Years after, Cita finished BSC Marketing at St. Joseph's College. She and her family currently reside in Metro Manila. Cita has three sons, a daughter and four grandchildren. They own two Bed and Breakfast hotels, So Beachy and Silungan, at the surfing town of San Juan, La Union.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)