[Uncle Bob] Why are Filipinos crazy about beauty pageants?

I attended the Binibining Pilipinas 2024 coronation night at the historic Araneta Coliseum on July 7 after getting a free ticket at the last minute from friends whose company was a commercial sponsor for the pageant.

I had never attended a beauty pageant before although I watched them on TV in my younger days. Binibini essentially means single young woman.

The event stuck closely to the industry formula – long gowns, swimsuits, outdoor video shoots and interviews.

Unless I missed it, no contestant called for world peace despite what’s happening in the West Philippine Sea, Gaza, and Ukraine.

The winner, Miss Abra Myrna Esguerra, was a hot favorite before coronation night, and she will compete in the Miss International contest.

She is quite stunning but that’s no surprise.

Why are Filipinos crazy about beauty pageants? Because they love beauty and they win a lot of contests.

The Philippines so far has won four Miss Universe crowns, ranking number four in the list of countries that have produced the most Miss Universe titleholders.

Gloria Diaz – Miss Universe 1969
Margie Moran – Miss Universe 1973
Pia Wurtzbach – Miss Universe 2015
Catriona Gray – Miss Universe 2018

The first three countries are USA which has had nine, Venezuela seven, and Puerto Rico five.

Miss Universe is the most prestigious global pageant. Filipinas have also won Miss International and other titles, and all pageant winners went on to get lucrative show business, modeling, and commercial endorsement careers.

Why does the Philippines produce so many beauty pageant winners?

Five centuries of interracial procreation, large families, and a population of about 120 million – one of the 15 largest in the world – have produced a steady supply of tall, English-speaking beauty contestants from the village to the international level.

Heck, even volleyball players and sports courtside reporters look like fashion models and actresses.

So our women have Chinese, Malay, Spanish, American, Japanese, Arabic (a lot of our overseas workers are in the Middle East), other European and, in more recent years, Korean blood. Did I miss any?

Our colonial rulers were Roman Catholic Spain and film giant America.

As the saying goes, the Philippines lived 400 years in a convent and 50 years in Hollywood.

What are the key attributes for beauty contestants?

Big teeth and big mouths that look like they’re permanently smiling
Big round sparkling eyes
A tight round butt that will be accentuated by long gowns made by fiercely competitive fashion designers
Medium-sized boobs, large breasts are too distracting and hard to support
Straight, long black hair with hairdresser curls at the end

The rulebook says girls have to be 18-27 years old regardless of the applicant’s civil status and height. Yes, no minimum height is required although those who are tall with long legs do have an advantage.

What do the contestants have to master?

The Walk: one foot over the other, knees closely spaced while the hips sashay to the beat of the recorded music
The Head Twirl to make their hair swing in the air
The Hair Flip: a forefinger pushes the hair at mid-neck level as the chin goes up

The coronation night must have been torture for the girls, who had to walk around in six-inch platform heels for at least four hours at the Araneta Coliseum.

They must have needed strong deodorants to smell fresh all night and lots of Healthy Pure water, a pageant sponsor owned by my friends Maridee and Mike Chanco.

Marketing Director Maridee told Rappler that Miss Abra was the favorite “because of her charisma, grace, strong stage presence and exotic morena beauty.”

She commended the organizers of the 60th anniversary of the pageant, which included appearances by past beauty queens.

I was amazed by the flawless production, including a drone camera hovering over my head, and hope to be invited again.

And yes, my wish is for world peace. – Rappler.com

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Roberto Coloma, better known as Bobby, retired in 2022 after 40 years as a foreign correspondent. He started his career as editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, the student newspaper of the University of the Philippines.

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