A crowning moment for the Philippines

It was a morning when the Philippines was the Universe.

The Philippines, despite the odds — real or imagined — reigned over the world stage yesterday in front of a TV audience of one billion people in 180 countries for the successful staging of the 65th Miss Universe beauty pageant.

Eighty-six candidates and just as many security threats and the pageant was flawless, organized, world class. Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and her team, Narvacan, Ilocos  Sur Councilor Chavit Singson (who threw his millions where his heart was), and the Filipino people — please take a bow.

As commentator Adam Genato said on television, “Kina-reer talaga natin ito!” (We made a career out of hosting this!)

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Though I had hoped for a climactic face-off between Miss Philippines and Miss Colombia, the unexpected happened. Miss France Iris Mittenaere, not an early crowd favorite, took the crown. (Although beauty queen expert Pamboy Pastor predicted two weeks ago that she would win the crown.) The last time a Miss France became Miss Universe was 64 years ago. And I believe Iris Mittenaere deserves her crowning moment. She has beauty, stage presence and talent. As a dentist, she is all set for a career even and despite being Miss Universe.

As Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen of India, one of this year’s judges, noted, it’s the Question and Answer portion that makes a winner out of a bevy of beauties. A favorite can drop the crown, so to speak, because of her answer (that’s why favorites Miriam Quiambao and Venus Raj were said to have missed the Miss Universe crown, though they were runners-up), and an unlikely winner can have the crown virtually bobby-pinned on her head after the last sentence of her answer in the Q & A portion.

At a press conference following her victory Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere, who admitted to loving Philippine mangoes, said she still keeps on holding her crown, almost in disbelief that she is actually wearing it now.

“I don’t believe it...I cried at every step,” she said in halting but good English.

Beauty expert and dermatologist Aivee Aguilar-Teo, who was in the audience at the Mall of Asia Arena, said, “I think Miss France showed calm under pressure and her answers were eloquent with substance.”

Professional trainor Sandy Lamb Moran, who was in the audience as well, thinks Iris is “so beautiful!”

“And very demure,” Sandy adds. “I think she really thought Miss Haiti would win.” Haiti was a favorite in the Mall of Asia  Arena audience. I thought she acquitted herself superbly in the Question and Answer portion about the failure in her life and how she overcame it (in her case, it was how she rose after the Haiti earthquake seven years ago, when she thought her body would fail her.)

Colombia was also a favorite especially when it was down to the wire, and her face mirrored her disappointment when she was named second runner-up.

But at the end of the day, or night, the unexpected happens. Early frontrunners in the people’s scorecard like Miss Venezuela and Miss Brazil didn’t make it to the winning circle. And the unexpected winner — if you judge by the early favorites — wasn’t on the radar of most beauty pageant seers. Except Pamboy, that it is. (“The crown belongs to Miss France,” Pamboy said two weeks ago.)

But Miss France is magnifique, a Miss Universe if ever there was one.

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The show was breathlessly short and sweet. No dead air, no dull moment. No long self-serving speeches. Pageant host Steve Harvey redeemed himself — first, because he owned up to his mistake last year, he apologized for it, and moved on with lessons indelibly etched in his consciousness. And all through it all he maintained his sense of humor.

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach was a forever queen not just for her regal bearing and grace, but also for that inimitable wit! The woman who coined “confidently beautiful, with a heart” thanked Steve for making her the “most popular Miss Universe.” To which the host retorted, “and thank you for making me the most famous Miss Universe host!” (For those who forgot, Steve Harvey mistakenly announced that Miss Colombia was Miss Universe, and retracted it after 28 seconds.)

Miss Colombia won points by giving Steve a hug, and Miss France scored by offering to cook Beef Bourguignon for him.

Voluptuous Miss Canada showed the universe that it was okay to be plus-sized, and that one can be confidently beautiful regardless of one’s race, color, creed, or weight.

Miss Kenya was a true woman of substance, eloquent and purpose-driven. I also saw her make the sign of the cross, which endeared her to me.

Miss Indonesia was a real stunner at 6 feet, while Miss USA expressed her patriotism by serving in the military and representing her country at the pageant.

Miss Mexico admitted she has tripped in a previous pageant but says it drew attention to her; Miss Peru figured in a car accident that almost left her out of the running. But due to determination and devotion to therapy, she strutted the stage with nary a limp.

Miss Brazil is her country’s first black representative in 30 years while Haiti’s advocacy to save the eyesight of her afflicted countrymen, and her sharp but heart-tugging answers to all the questions propounded her, made her stand tall indeed.

And our very own Maxine Medina was a stunner, she glowed and glided onstage. She deserved to be in the Top 6. Unfortunately, the crown eluded her.

I watched the live telecast of the pageant (all the gays in my staff filed a leave, by the way) and after the 2 1/2-hour show, I felt like overall, it was the Filipino people that emerged with a crown. We pulled it off. We behaved. We put our best foot forward.

Bravo!

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)