Category Archives: International

International

PHILIPPINES DISQUALIFIED FROM BEAUTY PAGEANTS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS

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2015 Miss Earth Angela Ong and Miss Globe
2015 Miss Earth Angela Ong, left, and Miss Globe Ann Lorraine Colis — both from the Philippines

UPDATED – The ban on Filipina candidates to International beauty competitions has been extended for another two years, following the recent crowning of two Filipinas as ‘Miss Globe’ (Ann Lorraine Colis)  and ‘Miss Earth’ (Angela Ong).

The following story was from 2013:

Bangkok, Thailand – After today’s fourth-place finish of Annalie Forbes, the Philippines’ representative to the Miss Grand International Beauty Pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, the  Association of Beauty Pageant Franchise Holders (ABPFH) has banned the Philippines from future international beauty competitions, citing “enormous advantage” by Filipina candidates in practically all pageants this year.

The  disqualification will be in effect for two years.

The Philippines holds the distinction of having won the title in all major beauty competitions like Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International.  Additionally, every new international beauty competition has seen a Filipina winning the title or placing in the top 5.  Earlier this year, Mutya Datul won the 2013 Miss Supranational Pageant.

Forbes is the fourth Filipino to make it to the top 5 in competitions this year. Megan Young, of course, bagged the 2013 Miss World title this year, the first-ever for the Philippines.  Before Young, Evangeline Pascual reached the finals and was first runner-up in 1973 while Ruffa Gutierrez was second runner-up in 1993.

Ariella Arida, the country’s bet in the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow, Russia, placed fourth.

Other Filipina beauties who have won international titles include Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran (Miss Universe) and Gemma Cruz, Mimilanie Marquez, Aurora Pijuan, and Precious Lara Quigaman (Miss International). Karla Henry won the Miss Earth title in 2008.

In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Philippines’  Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup and Janine Tugonon were all in the top 5 in the Miss Universe competition.

ABPFH said that it is time for the Philippines to give other countries the chance to win international beauty competitions, adding that “the world already knows how beautiful and talented Filipinas are.”

International, Sports

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS DECLARE WAR ON BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINES

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111813_NFL2Seattle, Washington – The Seattle Seahawks, one of U.S. National Football League teams favored to advance into this season’s Super Bowl, chalked up their 10th win last Sunday as it defeated the Minnesota Vikings. But that was not the headline.

Seahawks  player Doug Baldwin, who is part Filipino, carried the Philippine flag as his team entered the football stadium.  By doing so, the Seahawks all but declared war on behalf of the typhoon-ravaged country. The four-color Philippine flag has a red stripe and a blue stripe.  During peace time, the flag is always carried or displayed with the blue stripe on top.  The red stripe on top signals that the country has declared or is at war.  Baldwin carried the flag with the red stripe on top.

The Seahawks explained that the Philippines is “fighting the devastation of Haiyan which has been worse than many war-torn regions of the world.” Many thought the explanation was lame and undiplomatic.

To make amends, the team signed a pledge that it will send all its players to the Philippines to fight alongside that country’s army should it be involved in any military war now or in the future.  But the ever-forgiving Filipinos suggested instead that the Seahawks send its entire team to Tacloban City to help with relief and reconstruction efforts immediately after the Super Bowl. That is, assuming the team will make it to the Super Bowl.

International, Politics

TYPHOON HAIYAN AFTERMATH: MANY STILL MISSING (IN ACTION)

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gen8bManila, Philippines –  As rescue and relief operations enter its second week, many Filipinos in the remote and ravaged towns and cities in Central Philippines are still unaccounted for.  Filipino expatriates in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East have turned to Facebook and other forms of social media to try to locate and get information about the fate or whereabouts of their relatives in the Philippines.

Cash and in-kind donations from foreign governments and the international community have begun to pour in, even as relief efforts are starting to slowly come together.  Many citizens whose homes were totally destroyed by the typhoon have been flown out of the ravaged areas and into other cities like Manila where they have reunited with their families or are being housed in temporary evacuation centers.

But many Filipinos to date have been unsuccessful in locating missing persons, especially the members of the Philippine  Senate.  Very few of the senators have been heard from since Haiyan made landfall in Leyte.  Just weeks prior to Haiyan,  many of the senators were very vocal and visible  — in the halls of Congress as well as in the media — defending themselves from allegations of their involvement in the pork barrel scandal which saw the diversion of billions of taxpayer money into fake nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or into the personal accounts of top politicians and their cronies.

Filipino netizens with information on the whereabouts of the senators are being urged to post them on their Facebook  or Twitter pages, or on Instagram. They may also report any sightings to Philippine and international media as well as police authorities.