Ni LITO T. MAÑAGO
NAGSIMULA na ang beauty pageant season. Katatapos lang ng grand coronation night ng Miss Grand International (MGI) 2017 sa Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam nitong Miyerkules na si Elizabeth Clenci ang nag-uwi ng karangalan bilang 2nd runner-up.
Nag-iisang Asian beauty si Clenci na pumasok sa Magic 5 ng Miss Grand International 2017.
Ang iba pang finalists ay sina Misses Peru (Maria Jose Lora, who was proclaimed this year’s winner), Venezuela (1st runner-up), Puerto Rico (3rd runner-up) at Czech Republic (4th runner-up).
Jude Bacalso, nanindigang valid complaint pagtawag ng 'Sir' sa kaniya ng waiter
Umingay ang pangalan ng ating kinatawan dahil sa kanyang National Costume (Muslim-inspired), pagsagot sa pre-pageant Q&A, at swimwear competition na rumampa ang mga kandidata sa kanilang 2-piece yellow bikini.
Ang theme ng MGI ay ‘peace accross the world.’
Nabanggit ni Elizabeth sa kanyang initial speech na responsibilidad niya, “to fight and strive for peace through love, compassion, understanding and education.”
Sa final Q&A para sa Top 5 finalists, iisa lang ang naging katanungan: “If you have to issue a law to punish criminals of war and violence, how would you punish these people and why?”
Sagot ni Elizabeth, “They say a nation is judged not by the criminals and the crimes that they commit, but how the nation punishes them.
“If I were to create a law, it would be in line with jailment (sic) is to implement rehabilitation and mental rehabilitation.
“Because character is such a complex phenomenon, but we cannot judge someone’s character based on the crimes that they commit.”
“If we punish somebody just as equally as the crimes that they have committed, then what does that say about us? I would implement better rehabilitation. Thank you.”
Si Elizabeth Clenci ay half-Pinay, half-Romanian na lumaki sa Australia.
Noong isang taon, si Nicole Cordoves (nag-host ng MGI coronation event kasama si Xian Lim) ang naging 1st runner-up to eventual winner, Miss Grand Indonesia Ariska Putri Pertiwi.
Samantala, kasalukuyan namang lumalaban ang iba pang Pinay beauty delegates sa iba’t ibang international pageants.
Nasa Santa Cruz de Sierra, Bolivia ngayon si Winwyn Marquez para sa Reina Hispanoamericana 2017. Gaganapin ito sa November 4.
Gaganapin naman ang 67th edition ng Miss World sa November 18 sa Sanya City Arena, Sanya, China PR. On-going na rin ang pre-pageants activities ng beauty delegates kasama na roon ang bet ng ‘Pinas na si Laura Lehmann.
Kalilipad lang nitong Martes ng gabi ng PH bet na si Mariel de Leon para sa 2017 Miss International sa Tokyo, Japan.
PH’s Kylie Versoza will crown her successor.
Ang 66th edition naman ng Miss Universe, na kinikilala as the most prestigious beauty contest, ay gaganapin sa The Axis, Las Vegas, Nevada sa November 26.
Ang CamSur beauty mula sa Bicol region na si Rachel Peters ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas. Si Iris Mittenaere ng France and reigning Miss U after she was crowned by Pia Wurtzbach in Manila.
Good luck, girls!
