32.10 KAPAMPANGAN BEAUTIES WHO COMPETED AT THE MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT

Beauty pageants, like basketball, are a national obsession. Our hosting of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant for the third time this January 2017, brings to mind the achievements of ten Kapampangan ladies, who, with their beauty, character and intelligence, were once crowned queens and selected to represent the country in the premiere beauty quest of the world. 

1955. YVONNE BERENGUER DE LOS REYES,  Arayat

The first known beauty with Kapampangan blood to represent the country at the Miss Universe 1955 was the gamin-faced Yvonne de los Reyes. She was crowned on March 12, 1955 at the Cavalcade Hall Auditorium of United Nations Plaza, by outgoing queen Blesilda Ocampo—who happened to be her cousin (their common great-grandparents were Crisanto de los Reyes y Mendoza, married to Dorotea Silverio). Yvonne parents were Crisanto de los Reyes and Marietta Linares Berenguer.  Marietta was one of the daughters of Jose Flores Berenguer  and Simona Reyes Linares, who are both from Arayat. After her beauty pageant years were over, Yvonne got married and established a successful ballet outfit and accessories business “Yvonne’s” . In 1970, fifteen years after her coronation, younger sister Simonette won Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, succeeding Gloria Diaz.

1964. MARIA MYRNA SESE PANLILIO, San Fernando

The honor of becoming the first ever Binibining Pilipinas belongs to then-21 year old Ma. Myrna Panlilio of San Fernando, eldest of 4 children of Enrique M. Panlilio and Jaina Sese. She was crowned on 5 July 1964 at the Araneta Coliseum. Myrna, a St. Scholastica  and Maryknoll graduate, was already working as a teller for Merchants Bank when she joined and won the crown over 15 candidates. Two nights before the binibini finals, she had also participated in the 1964 Maid of Cotton search but lost. Myrna had better luck in the pioneer pageant, succeeding Lalaine Bennett, 4th placer to Miss Universe 1963. One of Myrna’s runner-up was Elvira Gonzales (mother of another future binibini, Charlene Gonzales). Myrna won a cash prize of P2,000, gold trophy from the Lions Club, wardrobe from the Philippine Couturiers’ Association, Helene Curtis products and a Regal sewing machine. She went to Miami, Florida to compete at the 1964  Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, with the title going to Miss Greece, Korinna Tsopei. Married to Dr. Ramon Borromeo (+), whose mother is Amparo Noel, herself a Carnival beauty winner (Visayan Queen 1912) from Cebu. Children: Ramon Jose, Patricia (+) , Mitzi. Former Executive Director, Nayong Pilipino. Sadly, Myrna passed away at the age of 65 on 16 July 2009, from a gall bladder disease.

1968. ROSARIO CHARINA ROSELLO ZARAGOZA, Guagua

Charina, a 19 year old Interior Design graduate from Madrid, won one of the two Bb. Pilipinas crowns at stake on July 1968 at the Araneta Coliseum (her co-winner was Nini Ramos, who went to the Miss International Contest). Her father was the renown architect and National Artist Jose Ma. V. Zaragoza (married to Pilar Rosello), who had designed buildings like Meralco, Don Bosco, and Sto. Domingo Church in 1954. Her paternal grandmother was Rosario Infante Velez of Guagua,  making Charina a quarter Kapampangan. Rosario married Elias Zaragoza, son of Jose Aranquizna Zaragoza, publisher of “La Ilustracion Filipina’. The Velez Family were of Spanish descent, and had vast landholdings in Guagua, Lubao and Floridablanca. Proof of their standing in Kapampangan society is their ownership of the magnificent Sto. Entierro and its calandra, which is processioned during Lent in Guagua to this day. A trained flamenco dancer and guitarist, Charina went to Miami Beach, Florida to compete in the Miss Universe contest, won by Brazil’s Martha Vasconcellos. She married civil engineer Lucas Sainz in 1978, had a son Mark Lucas,  and settled in Madrid. She pursued her music career and recorded a number of successful compositions in Spanish.

1970. SIMONETTE BERENGUER DE LOS REYES, Arayat

Simonette de los Reyes accomplished a historic feat when she was crowned Binibining Pilipinas for the Miss Universe Pageant of 1970. Fifteen years earlier, big sister Yvonne had won the same title. Monette is half-Kapampangan; her mother, Marietta comes from the prominent Reyes-Linares-Berenguer family of Arayat. She counts a number of beauties in the family:  Tingting delos Reyes, 1954 Miss Philippines Bessie Ocampo and 1929 Carnival Queen Pacita de los Reyes.  She reigned alongside Aurora Pijuan (who would become the 1970 Miss International) in the first ever-televised Bb. Pilipinas Beauty Pageant. She went to Miami where her roommate, Puerto Rico’s Marisol Malaret, became the eventual winner. After her reign, she continued her commerce studies at Assumption. In 1972, she became the first Baron Travel Girl . In 1977, she married football ace Butch Ferraren, had children and pursued a successful baked goods business. Monette regularly visits Pampanga, her mother’s hometown Arayat and the Caryana Monastery in Magalang for her spiritual retreats.

1986. VIOLETA ASELA ENRIQUEZ NALUZ, Apalit

Violeta Naluz,  a University of Santo Tomas campus stunner, surprised the audience at the 1986 Bb. Pilipinas when she copped the top title of Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, over favorites Alice Dixson (International) and Maria Cristina Ramos Recto (Maja). She represented the Philippines’ “people power” in Panama, in the contest that was won by Barbara Palacios Teyde of Venezuela. Naluz was reported to be Hongkong-based, working  for Cathay Pacific as part of the cabin crew.

1994. CHARLENE MAE BONNIN GONZALES, Angeles City

Daughter of half-Kapampangan Elvira Pamintuan Gonzales and movie actor Bernard Bonnin, Charlene was elected Philippine delegate to to the 1994 Miss Universe Contest. Co-winners were Caroline Subijano (World), Alma Concepcion (International), Sheila Marie Dizon (Tourism). At the pageant held for the second time in Manila, she won the Best National Costume Award, and advanced to become one of the Top 6 Finalists. She produced one of the most famous answers in an international beauty competition. When asked by the host about the number of islands in the Philippines, she asked back, "High tide or low tide?" . That year, however, the title went to India’s Sushmita Sen. Married to actor Aga Muhlach, she is the mother of  twins,  Atasha and Andres. She continues to appear on  TV and Movies as performer or host and is also a  sought after commercial model.

1995. JOANNE ZAPANTA SANTOS, San Fernando

Joanne, a  willowy University of Santo Tomas coed was already doing films (screen name: Joanne Quintas) when the pageants beckoned, Among her early film credits are: “Marikina Files”, “Sa Ngalan ng Pag-ibig”, “Best Friends”, etc.). In 1995, she signed up for the Bb. Pilipinas Pageant in 1995, and wenthome with the top plum.  Co-winners were Gladys Dueñas and Snow Reham Tago for Miss International and Miss World, respectively. Joanne flew to  Namibia as the Philippine delegate to the Miss Universe pageant where she placed 16th out of 82 contestants. The crown went to USA’s Chelsi Smith.  Two years after, she was sent to Macau for the 1997 Miss Tourism International and this time, captured the title. She later married former model and businessman Domini Primero and again, was sent to the Mrs. World 2003 pageant. She is semi-retired from the entertainment scene. The Santoses trace their roots to San Fernando.

1997. ABBYGALE WILLIAMSON ARENAS, Angeles City

Abbygale Arenas was a physical therapy student and a campus beauty of Angeles University Foundation. She first gained notice when, in 1992, she won Supermodel of the World-Philippines. In 1994, she participated in the Bb. Pilipinas and placed 2^nd. Three years after, she  joined again, and this time, garnered the top title. Her co-winners included Kristine Florendo (World)  and Susan James Ritter (International). Her runners-up were also Kapampangans: Abiele Arianne del Moral and Marivic Galang. Abbygale placed 11th overall at the Miss Universe contest held in Miami Beach , missing the Top 10 semifinals slot by a mere .016 of a point. The title was won by USA's Brooke Lee. But she did go home with a special award—Miss Photogenic. Upon her return, she became an image consultant and ran a finishing school. Married to ace photographer Jun de Leon.

2003. CARLA GAY SUNGA BALINGIT, Mexico

Born in San Fernando on 25 Sep. 1983, Carla went to Holy Angel University where she was an active member of the school dance troupe. She competed and won 8 local and regional contests before winning a national title, including Mutya ning Mexico, Mutya ning Kapampangan 2002, Miss Holy Angel University, Mutya ning Sinukuan. She was a surprise winner in the 2003 Bb. Pilipinas edging front-runners in the final round.  She clinched the title when she punctuated her answer with  a few lines from Mother Teresa’s prayer: “The fruit of prayer is silence, the fruit of silence is faith, the fruit of faith is hope, and the fruit of hope is love..”. The homegrown beauty flew to Panama for the Miss Universe Pageant won by Amelia Vega of Dominican Republic. Once back in the Philippines, she became  a signature model for the North Luzon Expressway billboard project.

2009. PAMELA BIANCA RAMOS MANALO, Bacolor

When Pamela won the 2009 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe crown, she continued a beauty tradition  for the family—her elder sister, Katherine had been Bb. Pilipinas-World seven years before, and an aunt, Nini Ramos was Bb. Pilipinas-International in 1968. The statuesque 5’10”, 22 year old beauty was a flight stewardess at the time of the pageant.  She is an Advertising graduate from the Assumption. Pamela  competed  in Miss Universe pageant at The Fantasy Islands in The Bahamas won by Venezuela’s Stefania Fernandez.. After her reign, she joined showbiz, did a few movies and starred in the TV sitcom Juanita Banana (2010), and most recently, My Super D (2016). Pamela’s father, Rodrigo Manalo (+), married to Norma, is from Bacolor. Pamela’s younger sister, Nichole Manalo won 2016 Bb. Pilipinas Globe and placed 4^th in the international competition,. Thus the Manalos hold the unique record for having the most number of Miss Philippines in the family—three winners, all sisters!

PHOTO CREDITS:
Yvonne delos Reyes, Violeta Naluz: veerstarz, c/o Mr. Tony Paat
Joanne Santos: Bb. Pilipinas website, www.bbpilipinas.com
Abbygale Arenas: normannorman.com
Carla Balingit: Miss Universe website, 2003
Bianca Manalo: ecurb, opmb worldwide
youtube screengrabs, various Miss Universe editions: Yvonne delos Reyes, Simonette delos Reyes, Violeta Naluz, Charlene Gonzales, Joanne Santos, Abbygale Arenas, Carla Balingit, Pamela Manalo,
Charinza Zaragoza, Myrna Panlilio, Simonette delos Reyes: Alex R. Castro Collection