Binibining Pilipinas beauties: The countdown begins

MANILA, Philippines - The coming year is a big one in the local beauty pageant scene. Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past several months, you know that the Philippines will host the Miss Universe pageant, 23 years after it pulled off the event at the PICC (Philippine International Convention Center).

This early, Bb. Pilipinas candidates are thinking of how best they can lay the welcome mat before their international counterparts. More than 190 candidates from all over the world are expected to make the Philippines their playground weeks before and after the January 30 pageant date.

So how do you show the Filipinos’ famous hospitality to these foreign guests? Definitely not by taking it out on Miss China, just because her country persists in its claim over islands that rightfully belong to the Philippines.

All of this year’s queens – Miss Universe Philippines Maxine Medina, Bb. Pilipinas-International  Kylie Versoza, Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental Jennifer Hammond, Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational Joanna Eden, Bb. Pilipinas Globe Nichole Manalo, and Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Nicole Cordoves – believe one should leave politics behind in the pageant.

One will “say hi and give a big hug” to Miss China. Cordoves, last year’s Miss Chinatown, vows to make Miss China feel at ease by talking to her in Mandarin “so she would give me a friendly beso at the end of the day.”

Words, after all, build bridges and repair those that need fixing. A gentle word – never mind if a first-time visitor to the country has yet to know what it means – can convey warmth and welcome in an instant.

No wonder this year’s queens are banking on the power of words to make new friends among their foreign counterparts.

As expected, they’ll greet their beauty queen-friends mabuhay. They’ll say kamusta, mahal ko kayo and salamat po (emphasis on po as a sign of respect).  They’ll give a quick tutorial about these word and add some more.

The Bb. Pilipinas queens will also add new words to their foreign guests’ vocabulary.

Because mealtimes are fun, even sacred to Filipinos, the local queens will teach their guests how to say kain na, masarap and gutom na ako at the end of the day. And they won’t forget to explain what these words mean, of course.

Another queen will spread good vibes by teaching fellow candidates Filipino words for love, hope and peace, or pag-ibig, pag-asa and kapayapaan, respectively.

Of all the queens, it’s Maxine who’s the most saddled with the responsibility of making fellow candidates feel right at home in the country. Sure, her fellow Binibinis will help her entertain their foreign guests, but it’s our bet to the Miss Universe who’ll rub elbows with them almost 24/7.

The task is peanuts compared to the bigger pressure of following in the footsteps of reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach. Many people will be measuring Maxine’s performance against Pia’s. Many will examine Maxine’s every gesture and dig deeper into her words.

Her fellow queens have assured Maxine they have her back. They’re praying for her. They’re discussing world issues like terrorist attacks and others with her, the better to make Maxine more eloquent, knowledgeable and confident come D-Day. 

But the battle is for Maxine to fight; the crown is for her to win on her own.

She’s prepping up by watching relevant videos, training hard on moving with ease, reading a lot and, focusing on herself, not on the pressure of living up to high expectations.

She’s using the law of attraction to draw all things bright and beautiful – like another victory for the country – to herself.

If Maxine wins the crown, she won’t lose her cool over inevitable suspicions about a “hometown decision.” She’ll retain that beauty queen poise, “ignore criticism, and turn it into a motivation” to prove her detractors wrong.

This early, Maxine is showing she’s got the never-say-die spirit of a Miss Universe. We have reason to aim for the stars again.