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
2nd. 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
