The Beauty Essay

Not to be outdone, the title holders themselves have won nationally. Vivian Gobaton of Nabua, Camarines Sur, Miss Peñafrancia of 1988, won the Miss Tourism title in the 1991 Mutya ng Pilipinas contest along with Shawnaleh Arevalo. A year before the double victory, Julie Sheila Jovellanos, holder of the Miss Peñafrancia title in 1989, was crowned Mutya ng Plipinas Minadanao, an important title in that year's court of beauties because, unlike the other years before or after, the pageant sent out only one delegate for an international contest that year, the Mutya ng Plipinas who competed in the Miss Asia Pacific Quest. Georgina Sandico of Legazpi, Miss Peñafrancia of 1997, was not among the top three beauties crowned at the finals of the Binibining Pilipinas of 1998, but, as first runner-up, was awarded the Binibining Pilipinas International title when a previously-crowned balikbayan was stripped of the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title due to lack of residency and, therefore, ineligible to compete in the Miss U.  In 2008, the 17-year old half-German Tabetha Jo Frick of Pasacao, Camarines Sur, Miss Bicolandia of 2007, landed in the semi-finals of the Binibining Plilipinas, followed a year later by another Filipino-German beauty, Melody Gersbach of Daraga, Albay, who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International.

Other notable Bicolana beauties, although not products of the pageant in Naga, had made it to the big league. Ping Federis of Naga City, for instance, was crowned Miss Bicolandia in Legazpi, in a regional elimination round of sorts that chose the Bikol representative to the Binibining Pilipinas, making it to the semi-final round of the national pageant that year, and from then on, became a sought-after commercial model in Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Gemma Cruz's predecessor as Miss Philippines is a Bicolana, Monina Yllana who was a finalist in the 1963 Long Beach pageant. Edna Elegado, then barely 16 and who traces her Bikol roots in Camarines Sur, was the Philippine representative to the 1969 International Teen Princess pageant (now defunct) in Chicagao, USA where she was ranked third runner-up. The Philippine candidate to the Miss U in 1999 Miriam Quiambao, who was adjudged first runner in the prestigious pageant, has roots in Albay.

[vi] Carmen Navarro Pedrosa ,"The Rise and Fall of Imelda  Marcos", 1987, Bookmark