QUEZON CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – By now, everybody knows about the controversy involving the Colombian designer responsible for the much-maligned national costume of Miss Philippines MJ Lastimosa at last month’s Miss Universe Pageant held in Florida.

Many believe that Lastimosa’s wedding cake-like national costume cost her the crown. Binibining Pilipinas Charities head Stella Marquez Araneta, a former Colombian beauty queen who married a Filipino, received flak for choosing a Colombian designer. The Charities is the franchise holder of several Philippine beauty pageants.

Today, Araneta announced that she has chosen a new Filipino designer for the succeeding Miss Philippines title holders who will represent the country in international beauty pageants.

Although unnamed, this new designer is the same individual who designed the national costume of Mr. Philippines Neil Perez, the Manila hot cop who was just named Mr. International in a male beauty pageant held this weekend in Korea.

Araneta was very impressed with Perez’s national costume at the pageant which scored him lots of points to eventually win the crown, the first ever for the Philippines.

Perez dedicated his victory to his colleagues, the Fallen 44 — members of the Philippine National Police who were killed in a recent encounter with rebel forces in southern island of Mindanao.