Richelle Singson-Michael: The silent force behind Miss Universe 2016
It’s 22 days to the 65th Miss Universe coronation night and already the excitement is palpable among aficionados who look forward to seeing 96 beautiful women “from all over the world, the universe, rather,” parade before their eyes either live at SM Mall of Asia Arena or on their TV screens at home. About 500 million people (from 190 countries and territories) are expected to watch the live telecast of Miss Universe on Jan. 30.
In the frontline of this excitement is Miss Universe Host Committee chairperson and LCS Group’s vice chair, architect Richelle Louise Singson-Michael. Perhaps more excited than Richelle is her father, former Ilocos Sur Gov. now councilor Luis “Chavit” Singson, who, according to her, “does 300 crunches every morning, no fail, because he has to be extra handsome on coronation night.”
“My dad tries to copy my diet now,” Richelle reveals. “A lot of vegetables, a lot of fruits, no carbs, no sugar, everything organic. Sometimes he calls me because he, too, is on a diet for the Miss U. He asks me how many calories are in the catsup. When he gets the answer, he skips it. He follows my diet.”
Part of the excitement that Richelle feels is the pressure in mounting the more than $12-million project that is Miss Universe. “Half of that is payment for the franchise fee,” she says. The other half, of course, is earmarked for the contestants’ hotel accommodation, plane fare, food, security, logistics among others.
This early, the excitement builds up as pre-pageant events are underway. One of the most exclusive events will be the Governor’s Ball, named after Chavit Singson, slated on Jan. 16 at the SMX Convention Center.
The annual by-invitation-only Miss Universe National Gift Auction Night will take place on Jan. 23 at the Conrad Hotel.
The 65th Miss Universe competition will also be holding a pre-pageant event that has never been done before, the “Women on the Move” designers’ showcase and charity ball on Jan. 23 at the SMX Convention Center.
“The story behind (why we are producing the show) was Miss U executives would come to Manila with Pia (Wurtzbach) whenever she had shoots or promotions here. At that time, they were shopping around for a possible person to mount the event. It was election time and no one wanted to bet on hosting the event because of the high cost, because of factors like we don’t know who the next president will be, they don’t know what kind of support they will get. So they approached a lot of big groups but it was only my father who decided to go for the kill. The idea was pitched to the Luis Chavit Singson Group of Companies in March but it was only in August last year that we started working on the project every day,” recalls Richelle, who also has her own architecture firm that does a lot of residential projects and commercial and real estate developments. She is also in the aviation industry with Platinum Skies Aviation Inc., which does VIP charter service within the Asia-Pacific region.
Why did Chavit decide to support the Philippine staging of Miss Universe? “He said this is going to be something for the country and there’s no better time to do this than now when Pia will be turning over her crown. We want the contestants to visit other parts of the country like Cebu, Baguio, Abra, Iloilo, Albay, Vigan and Davao,” says Richelle, who combats pressure by having a massage every night. Despite her hectic schedule, she makes sure to have quality time with her Filipino-Australian husband Richard Peter Michael and their four-year-old son Lucas.
The beauty that she is, Richelle is happy and content to be working backstage, so to speak. Not even her father is sitting as a judge at the Miss Universe coronation night. Richelle is happy to be the silent force behind this year’s staging of Miss Universe. Her mandate is to deliver a show that will be enjoyed by 500 million people from 190 countries and territories.
And if only for that, Richelle is her own Miss Universe.
Confessions of a beauty queen connoisseur
His name is Pamboy Pastor, a self-confessed beauty queen connoisseur. He rattles off names of beauty queens, the year they won the title, from what countries they came from, in what countries they competed, even their answers to the dreaded Q&A. He even knows, to some extent, who were the roommates in this and that hotel when the competition was held. He also knows where these beauty queens are now, how many marriages they have had. He keeps a record of how many have passed away and even goes to the extent of getting in touch with some of the past winners and contestants.
Pamboy, who took up Political Science at UP Diliman, confesses his adulation for beauty queens (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International among other local and international beauty tilts including Maid of Cotton) began when he was eight years old.
Here, he shares some trivia about Miss Universe, particularly concerning the participation of the Philippines in the pageant.
Are there Miss Universe contestants who won in their own country?
Yes. In 1954, Miriam Jacqueline Stevenson from South Carolina, won Miss Universe when it was held in Long Beach, California; 1956, Carol Morris from Iowa won in Long Beach, California; 1960, Linda Bement of Utah won in Miami Beach, Florida; 1967, Sylvia Louise Hitchcock from Alabama won in Miami Beach, Florida; 1997, Brook Mahealani Lee from Hawaii won in Miami Beach, Florida; 2001, Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico won in Bayamón, Puerto Rico; and 2012, Olivia Culpo from New Jersey won in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Was there also a time when a contestant won in her own country while the reigning Miss Universe is from the same country?
No. It has not happened yet. Hopefully it happens to Maxine Medina. The Miss U is in the Philippines and the reigning queen is Pia Wurtzbach, also from the Philippines. Let’s pray.
Who are the back-to-back winners of Miss Universe?
In 2008 and 2009, Venezuela produced the back-to-back winners in Miss U. They are Dayana Mendoza Moncada (crowned in Nha Trang, Vietnam) and Stefanía Fernández (in Nassau, the Bahamas), respectively.
Before Gloria Diaz won Miss Universe in 1969, what were the highest standing won by the Philippine representative to the Miss Universe?
In 1954, Blesilda Mueller Ocampo was one the 16 semi-finalists in Long Beach, California. In 1963, Lalaine Betia Bennett placed third runner-up in Miami Beach, Florida. In 1965, Louise Aurelio Vail entered in the 15 semi-finalists in Miami Beach, Florida. In 1966, Ma. Clarinda Garces Soriano was chosen as one of the 15 semi-finalists in Miami Beach, Florida.
In the very first edition of Miss Universe in 1952, who was the candidate that represented the Philippines? Tell me more about the first Miss Universe?
The first ever Miss Universe in 1952 was held in the Municipal Auditorium of Long Beach, California. Armi Helena Kyro Kuusela of Muhos, Finland was the winner versus 29 other contestants.
Teresita Torralba Sanchez was the Philippine delegate. She won Miss Philippines on 26 April 1952 versus Carmen Ortega (Miss Luzon), Jean Arquiza (Miss Visayas), Emma Nepomuceno (Miss Mindanao and mother of Sen. Francis Pangilinan) and Carmencita Fernandez (Miss Manila and aunt of Pops Fernandez).
The late comedy and drama actress Dorothy Guinto Jones a.k.a. Nida Blanca was one of the semi-finalists in the 1952 Miss Philippines.
(E-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)
