Tokyo, Japan – The final question has always been the waterloo for the Philippines’ candidates to international beauty pageants like Miss Universe, Miss World (except Megan Young) and Miss International. In recent years, the Filipina candidates have performed extremely well, making it to the top 5 finalists, only to lose the title in the final question in which they all have chosen to answer in English, unlike the Latina candidates who have always answered in their native language with assistance from interpreters.
On December 17, the finals for the 2013 Miss International Pageant will be held in Tokyo, Japan. Miss Philippines Bea Rose Santiago revealed that if she is chosen to be among the top 5 finalists, she will answer the final question in Spanish which will put her on equal footing with the Latina candidates who are expected to make it to the finals.
The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more than three centuries and many Filipinos, including Santiago, speak and understand the Spanish language.
Miss Philippines is among the favorites to win this year’s Miss International title.
Johannesburg, South Africa – Forget the “selfie” that U.S. President Barack Obama took with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron during the memorial celebration for the late Nelson Mandela. The international community was forgiving of that incident, especially because the word “selfie” was just named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.
The politically correct way to greet someone from a Latin country is to “kiss” the hand by bringing it to touch the greeter’s forehead, just like it is done in the Philippines which was once a colony of Spain. Along with this Filipino gesture of greeting and respect, the greeter would say, “Mano, po!” (Please give me your blessing!)
The Adobo Chronicles 
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