Friday throwback: The first Miss Asia Quest

The Miss Asia Quest is celebrating its golden anniversary with MAPI (Miss Asia Pacific, Inc.) president Jacqueline Tan-Sainz at the helm. Fifty beauties are vying for the title at the grand finals on Oct. 4 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila, one of them Mutya ng Pilipinas Sharifa Areef Mohammad Akeel. The reigning titlist is Francielly Ouriques of Brazil.

Here’s a misty-eyed look at the first-ever Miss Asia Quest search by Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso De Guzman Caparas:

  From left: Miss Brazil Gabriela Dellavechia Palma, Miss Philippines Sharifa Areef Mohammad Akeel (Darling of the Press) and Miss Germany Madeline Andrea Ferrara and

Organized by Miss Asia Quest, Inc. headed by its president, Dr. Vicente Ocampo, Jr., the Miss Asia Quest debuted in 1968 making it as the first international beauty pageant in Asia whose main tenet is to promote tourism, peace, beauty, credit and trading to the participating countries.

The coronation night was held on Dec. 8 at the Araneta Coliseum with Macy Shih of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as winner, with runners-up Cassandra Stiles of Australia (also named Miss Photogenic), Atsumi Ikeno of Japan, Jane de Joya of the Philippines and Valisra Trungvachirachi of Thailand. Shih received P10,000 cash prize, a complete wardrobe, Asian cities tour, gifts ranging from camera to toothpaste. Her court each received P1,000 and prizes in kind.  

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges headed by Guam Senator Earl Conway with members Andrew Gruber, Alberto de Joya, Israel Consul Benjamin Abileah, R. A. Fairweather of the Canadian Embassay, Kimiko Kuma of the Japanese Embassy, Bertrand Rault of the French Embassy, T. E. Colbrook of Australia, Juan Quintos, Mrs. Trinidad Enriquez and Joe Quirino. 

Entertainment numbers were performed by Pilita Corrales, Maurice Sta. Lucia, The Clubmen, The Ateneo Glee Club and Danny Holmsen and His Orchestra. 

  Miss Philippines, Miss Brazil (Best in Swimsuit) and Miss Uruguay Natalia Gurgel de Oliviera.

The pageant was renamed Miss Asia Pacific Quest in 1984 after accepting participants from the Americas within Pacific Ocean shores. It was renamed anew in 2005 as Miss Asia Pacific International. The pageant was not held in 1990 due to Luzon earthquake and in 1991 due to Mt. Pinatubo eruption; and was not held in 2004, 2006 to 2015.

So far, four Filipinas have won the crown: Carines Zaragoza in 1982; Bong Dimayacyac in 1983; Lorna Legaspi in 1989; and Michelle Aldana in 1993. 

Meanwhile, here are the early winners in the 2018 search, chosen when the 50 candidates were presented to the media on Sept. 20 (for the Darling of the Press and Best in National Costume) at the Conrad Luxury Hotel and on Sept. 23 (for Best in Swimsuit) at Safari Hotel & Villas in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur:

• Darling of the Press: Miss Philippines Sharifa Areef Mohammad Akeel, with runners-up Miss Germany Madeline Andrea Ferrara and Miss Brazil Gabriela Dellavechia Palma;

  Miss Vietnam Huynh Thuy Vi, Miss Panama Kimara Nayubel  Carvajal Salcedo (Best in National Costume) and Miss Philippines.

• Best in National Costume: Miss Panama Kimara Nayubel Carvajal Salcedo, with runners-up Miss Vietnam Huynh Thuy Vi and Miss Philippines; and

• Best in Swimsuit: Miss Brazil, with Miss Philippines (first runner-up) and Miss Uruguay Natalia Gurgel de Oliviera (second runner-up).

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