Analysis: Factors that helped Beatrice Luigi Gomez win Miss Universe Philippines 2021
MANILA, Philippines — Cebu City's Beatrice Luigi Gomez bested 27 other hopefuls to emerge as the country's representative to the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Eilat, Israel this December.
What could be the factors that made her win as a "dark horse" over other frontrunners?
Here are some of those traits, which could also be her edge in her bid for the country's fifth Miss Universe crown.
First Philippine LGBTQIA delegate
There was a time when gender (within the terms of sexual orientation) was a very sensitive issue among the youth. If you were different or queer, you get ostracized and bullied for most of your years in elementary and high school, and even after that.
Today, with society's permissiveness to LGBTQIA campaigns and crusades, members of the pride get to compete alongside their "straight" kinsmen in all forms of competition - from the Olympics to beauty pageants, and everything in between.
Gomez's victory in the recently-concluded Miss Universe Philippines 2021 pageant is one great example. While her victory is much lauded now, it was an unheard of scenario in the past century.
Standout swimsuit, evening gown walk
Another factor that went to her favor was winning the top spots in the evening gown and swimsuit preliminaries. When a candidate wins as Best in Swimsuit and/or Best in Evening Gown during the preliminary competitions, you will know that she is a favored entrant in the eyes of the jurors. And when she continues her A-game in the final show, she becomes a shoo-in. This is what happened in the years when Shamcey Supsup-Lee and Catriona Gray competed in the national finals, as well as countless other local and international winners who grabbed the crown because of good performance in all categories.
Bea might not be the prettiest girl in the Top 5, but she was commandeering in her final swimsuit and evening gown walks. While other candidates' walks were either over-the-top or included fancy footwork, hers was just simple and elegant but she carried what she wore to perfection. Her natural beauty, with her hair simply beautifully dangling, shone through as she walked, pulling eyes to glue on her. She walked like a winner with her unadorned hair looking like a perfect blank canvas for the crown.
Remember: Even before a candidate reaches the final Q&A, she must be a good walker first and execute the final swimsuit and evening gown competitions well. Hence, no matter how good a bet is in Q&A, if she would not perform well at the swimsuit and evening gown, then she could not advance to reach the Q&A and settle as a finalist, just like what happened with Rabiya Mateo at last year's Miss Universe.
Timely Q&A answer
Because it is very timely, indeed, for the Philippines to send a lesbian candidate to the Universe. You see, Israel is one country that championed the Rainbow Pride ahead of America and the rest of the world. This means that the permissive air of the host country, coupled with the rising acceptance for transgender candidates, like Spain's Angela Ponce, can spell wonders to Bea's journey to the Miss Universe crown.
There might be flak and much mud-slinging. But when the murkiness subsides and fans get their act together, there will be realizations for the better. After all, victory is sweeter when shared with a common vision. And that is to continue the Philippines' winning streak on the global stage. — With additional analysis from Deni Bernardo
- Latest
- Trending
