Beauty Pageants | The Adobo Chronicles

2013 Mister International, Venezuela's Jose Anmer Paredes — 2013 Mister International, Venezuela’s Jose Anmer Paredes

Jakarta, Indonesia – Ah, the power of social media! Less than a week after the Philippines was disqualified from beauty pageants for the next two years, the Association of Beauty Pageant Franchise Holders (ABPFH), voted today to add Venezuela and Brazil to the list.

Millions of netizens took to the Internet to protest ABPFH’s earlier ruling singling out the Philippines from among many other countries which have also done well in beauty pageants over the years.

Aside from the Philippines, Venezuela and Brazil have also succeeded in winning the crown for the “big four” international beauty pageants, Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth.

Venezuela has won 7 Miss Universe titles, 6 Miss World titles and 6 Miss International titles. It won the Miss Earth title in 2005. The first country to win all four pageants was Brazil when it won Miss Earth in 2004.

The ABPFH, however, denied that it caved in to pressure from netizens. It said its decision was based upon Venezuela’s and Brazil’s recent victories in the 2013 Mister International Contest held last week in Jakarta, Indonesia. Venezuelan Jose Anmer Paredes was crowned the winner, while Jhonatan Marko of Brazil was 2nd runner-up. The Philippines’ Gil Wagas placed 5th.

ABPFH also clarified that the ban will not take effect until after this year’s Miss International Pageant which will take place on December 17 in Tokyo, Japan.

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.”