Beauty camp Aces & Queens starts training pageant hopefuls from ‘grassroots level’
MANILA, Philippines — Aspiring beauty queens from different provinces need not come to Metro Manila to train and prepare for a pageant competition as Aces & Queens is bringing its “boot camps” to various locations in the country.
The beauty camp, which helped the country produce international winners such as Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss World 2013 Megan Young, has conducted training in Bacolod City for Miss Bacolod Masskara and Zamboanga del Sur for Miss Zamboanga del Sur. The beauty camp will also be in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro in November. Last August, Aces & Queens held its first Boot Camp at Okada Manila with 20 participants.
Last week, the beauty camp, together with Rotary District 3830, held a Queens Charity Ball 2022 at Okada Manila with Project REACH: Reaching Out To Each Child Through High-Quality Classrooms as its event beneficiary.
Aces & Queens head Gerry Diaz told The STAR in an interview that he drew inspiration from the sports development program at grassroots level in starting these boot camps. “I also got inspiration from the grassroots development program of athletics, boxing, basketball and now weightlifting which aimed to scout and train promising athletes from the provinces,” he said.
“The girls become polished and more confident when they join the national pageants. And Aces & Queens gets to have a wider reach in scouting for potential beauty queens.
“If more provincial and regional pageants avail of the Boot Camp, provincial candidates will be exposed to a different type of training other than what they were used to. They also get to know about the latest trends in hair and makeup, styling, pasarela, among others. (It) will elevate even more the quality of candidates, who will compete in the different national pageants,” he added.
Miss Universe 2010 fourth-runner up Venus Raj, who hails from Bato, Camarines Sur, is a product of the initiative, according to Diaz. “She was introduced to Jonas Gaffud (now with Miss Universe Philippines), who was then head of Aces & Queens by Atty. Francis Papica… Venus is one proof that aspiring beauty queens from the provinces can win not only in the national but in international pageants as well.”
Gerry further recalled how he introduced former Miss Bicolandia Yvethe Santiago from Daraga, Albay to Aces & Queens in 2014. She subsequently won the Binibining Pilipinas Supranational title and was a semifinalist at Miss Supranational beauty pageant in Poland.
Miss Eco Philippines 2022 Ashley Montenegro, Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Charity Pauline Amelinckx, Miss Supranational Philippines 2022 Alison Black and Miss World Philippines 2022 second runner-up Riana Pangindian are participating in the Boot Camp.
Aces & Queens alumni expressed their support for the program that will enhance the confidence and skills of beauty pageant hopefuls.
Bb. Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold shared, “Giving the candidates an opportunity to learn personal development, (handle) question and answer, (do) pasarela, hair and makeup, styling, is so nice because not all of those girls have the means to come to Manila and do the full-on training. So it’s a nice opportunity for them.” She was one of the judges at the Miss Zamboanga del Sur 2022 beauty competition.
Bb. Pilipinas International 2022 Nicole Borromeo described it as a “holistic approach.” “With me, they tackled every single thing, especially personality development. I think it is very important in journey pageantry,” she said.
“For them to go there (provinces) and meet the women first-hand to train them, it really encourages more girls to join pageants, to know themselves, to empower each other,” she added.
Bb. Pilipinas Grand International 2022 Roberta Angela Tamondong also shared her experience with the beauty camp. “You’re in good hands with Aces & Queens,” said Roberta who is currently in Indonesia to compete in Miss Grand International 2022.
Bb. Pilipinas 2022 second runner-up Stacey Gabriel also commented on the initiative: “We have so many budding queens, untapped talents from all over the Philippines. And it’s only a matter of accessibility and affordability but the talent pool is there. It’s deep.
“And what Aces & Queens (is) doing, coming to the (provinces) instead of the other way around is really testament to how dedicated and how passionate they are about this mission to raise the Filipino flag and to uplift these women and amplify their voices.”
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