Gloria Diaz: Winning Miss Universe is fate
MANILA, Philippines — With her characteristic candor, Gloria Diaz shared her thoughts on this year’s Miss Universe that saw the Top 10 placement of the Philippines’ representative, Michelle Dee.
There was a collective dismay from the local pageant community over Michelle’s failure to advance to the Top 5, especially given her efforts in the lead-up to the finals night.
“There are too many questions about it, if (it’s) fate or dinaya. But parang sanay na ako eh. This is almost how many years? Forty years na ata yung nadaya, naisahan dapat ganito kasali, ‘di kasali. Parang OK, in the end, everybody really deserves to win,” the veteran actress, who holds the record as the first-ever Pinay Miss Universe crowned in 1969, said during a chance interview after the mediacon for her 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) movie Mallari.
“I always feel it’s fate,” Gloria continued, citing her own experience that she wasn’t the “most beautiful” among the candidates during her time, yet she was declared winner.
“Madami mas magaganda, mas matatangkad, madami malalaking boobs and during my time puro totoo yun ‘di ba?” she quipped.
“But at the end of the day, it’s really swertehan …. destiny, yes!”
Gloria even connected it to the presidency, stating: “I mean, how would you know Bonget (Bongbong Marcos) would become President? Hindi mo naman maisip ‘yan, before ‘di ba? It’s really fate at the end of the day. You can move mountains, declare this, declare that, but parang (it appears) that it’s destiny.”
Meanwhile, asked what she thought of Michelle as the country’s bet, as well as her performance during the Miss Universe, she said, “I had said this, to quote and unquote myself, that Michelle is beautiful, she’s tall and everything.”
“Her mother, on a scale of 1 to 10, is a 10. Michelle is an 8 but she had a good chance of winning,” added Gloria, revealing that she was a judge when Michelle’s mom, former Miss International Melanie Marquez, won and was among those who pushed the latter to become a beauty queen.
“She’s beautiful in and out, she’s LGBT,” she reiterated about Melanie’s daughter Michelle. “Her performance was amazing. She looked confident. She wore a beautiful gown (referring to the black gown inspired by the oldest-living Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang Od). Nainggit nga ako, (sabi ko) isusuot ko nga ‘yan.”
However, the ultimate decision remained in the hands of the judges who chose Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua as the new Miss Universe queen.
“Tayo mga Filipino, nasanay tayong laging manalo, that all of sudden we feel naku dinaya, lutong macau and stuff like that…Pero iba naman yung type ng judges for this year,” she said.
Gloria also believes Michelle can consider joining again. “She can always join, si Michelle. Baka next year, sali uli siya… ‘Pag di mo nakuha the first time, (you can on the) second and third (try). ‘Pag hindi pa, fourth.”
Miss U pageant, then and now
Gloria also pointed out the differences between the present-day Miss U competition to the one she was part of.
“Don’t forget Miss Universe is a very controversial contest ngayon,” she said, referring to the bankruptcy issue of its owner, Thai transwoman media tycoon Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip.
“During my time, they focused on scholarship, fitness, health and charity, ngayon pwede na yata lahat... And before they chose very young. In fact, during my time, they were also, ‘And now, we have our oldest Miss Universe candidate, 24 years old, and so and so.’ But parang now, I think that’s the youngest age na, 24,” she added.
Gloria also weighed in on the new changes instituted in the Miss Universe, particularly the rules in qualifications. In 2022, the Miss U Organization announced that mothers, married, or pregnant women are now eligible to participate in the pageant. It also dropped the height and age limits. Back in 2012, the pageant started allowing transgender contestants to join.
“It’s good but about trans, ako naman, I think they should have their own contest,” she frankly said.
“Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against them. In fact, matatalo nga ang tunay na babae kasi mas maganda sila gumalaw, mas alam nila umarte (on stage). But it’s not fair. They should really have their own, let them compete in their own contest because like sports, it’s a different ballgame altogether.
“I mean, I just heard somebody talking, for example, a biological woman, let’s say on the night of the contest, has a menstrual problem. It’s already unfair (for her) compared to the (transwoman) kasi she has other issues. (It’s) just an unfair and unbalanced competition,” Gloria expressed.
From bashed to loved
Obviously, the pageant fervor hasn’t died down and is expected to last until Michelle holds her homecoming parade on Dec. 10, Sunday, at the SM MOA complex. Among the happiest for the love and support Michelle is receiving now is fellow Kapuso actress and best friend Rhian Ramos.
Michelle had been quoted as saying in interviews that she was one of the “most bashed” Miss Universe Philippines titleholders. But that changed after her Miss Universe journey.
The STAR got to talk to Rhian on the sidelines of the presscon for her Dec. 13 film Ikaw At Ako with Paolo Contis and she recalled how much Michelle was doubted in the past. “True, I saw that people had so much to say back then, but I think she was able to really prove herself and show that she really won Miss Universe Philippines fair and square,” she said.
Rhian also admitted she was probably more affected and emotional than Michelle over the results. “I was sitting in the car tapos na-traffic ako konti tas pinapanood ko yung mga stories and ang dami niyang post at tsaka mga repost ng mga fans niya na nagmamahal sa kanya,” she shared.
“And I saw more videos na naman of her in that iconic beautiful gown and I started crying in traffic while watching. Yung thought talaga na pumapasok sa isip ko nung umiiyak ako was, ‘Oh my God! She’s so beautiful and loved.’ And that’s what I wanted for her ever since before.
“I mean, I’ve known her for a long time that she’s an amazing human being. She inspires me all the time and I think she will be inspiring many other people. And for her to finally feel that, I’m just overjoyed because that’s the love that I’ve always wanted her to feel.”
When asked for her comment to the viral video of Miss U owner Anne Jakrajutatip saying the words “Move on Philippines” and “Move on Thailand” while holding on to Michelle during a post-pageant event, Rhian said, “Well, I just feel like the fans and all of these girls who put themselves out there and really fought for their lives and gave it their all, I don’t think it’s nice to shrug off the amount of effort that each and every girl put into it. I don’t think it’s a casual thing that I can joke about.
“And I just felt like I didn’t like seeing my friend in that uncomfortable situation. Am I mad? No naman but, you know, it’s over and done with. And I think the love that Michelle is getting now is more than a title.”
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