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Pageant fans are asking: "Where is Samantha Bernardo?" This after Bernardo was absent in two succesive events of the media tour for the winners of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 beauty pageant which started Tuesday, June 11. Bernardo, last year's second runner-up, won the same placement in the Bb. Pilipinas 2019 pageant last June 9. The beauty queen from Palawan did not show up at the exclusive photo shoot for the Philippine Star held at Gateway Araneta Center last June 11. On June 13, Bernardo was also a no-show during the winners appearance in "Umagang Kay Ganda" on ABS CBN. A representative from the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. commented on the absence of Bernardo in the two events. "She is not feeling well," the rep told Pop News Philippines. Unconfirmed reports said that Bernardo was emotional backstage after the grand coronation night of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 pageant. - ROBERT R. REQUINTINA

Swimsuit diva Domz Ramos of DR SWIM admitted that he is not in charge of the swimwear for the finals of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 pageant. But Ramos said that he would always be grateful to Stella Marquez Araneta, chair of Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. for the wonderful opportunity of being part of the most prestigious national pageant. "I am forever grateful to Madam Stella Marquez Araneta," said Ramos in an exclusive interview. Ramos also said that there is no bad blood between DR SWIM and Bb. Pilipinas despite the change of swimwear provider in the finals. To show his support to the pageant, Ramos said that he will attend the grand coronation of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City Sunday, June 9. "Watch out for my outfit!" Ramos laughed. Ramos has been the official swimwear provider of Bb. Pilipinas pageant for four years now. - ROBERT REQUINTINA

The results are in! Thirty of the country's respected and popular members of pageant media have finally revealed their top 3 Binibinis who they believe have the strong chance of winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2019 crown during the grand coronation of Bb. Pilipinas pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on June 9. Miss Universe Philippines represents the country in the Miss Universe pageant. From Day 1, these media personalities from TV, print and blogs have chatted with, swapped opinions on issues ranging from skin care to politics or simply observed these 40 Binibinis in numerous pre-pageant activities. I wrote the article. Thus, I did not include my personal choices in the survey. In my survey, I asked our media friends to name their top 3 Binibinis for the title of MUP 2019. Many of those surveyed gave three names but some only gave two. One of our media friends only shared one name. After more than three months of covering these stunning Bi...

In a dazzling display of Filipino talent and creativity, the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant announced the top 10 finalists for best in national costume special award during a sold-out pre-pageant show held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City May 29. At the same time, the top 3 finalists for best in talent special award were also presented. The winners of both special awards will be announced at the grand coronation of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 beauty pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on June 9. The top 10 finalists for the best in national costume award are:  Leren Mae Bautista, Laguna; Maria Andrea Abesamis, Pasig City; Vickie Rushton, Negros Occidental;  Hannah Arnold, Masbate; Samantha Mae Bernardo, Palawan; Cassandra Chan, Bacolod; Samantha Ashley Lo, Cebu; Jessarie Dumaguing, Puerto Princesa; Resham Saeed, Maguindanao; and   Emma Mary Tiglao, Pampanga. Voting for the winner of best in national costume began M...

Binibini Dia Nicole Magno of CARAGA Region has renewned the campaign for the return of Golden Tara, a 21-karat Majapahit gold image found in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur in the Philippines in 1918. This as Magno will wear a national costume inspired by the iconic pre-historic image at the national costume competition of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.  Magno's national costume is designed by Jearson Demavivas who created the winning national costume of Catriona Gray during Bb. Pilipinas 2018 beauty pageant.  "The Golden Tara is now in the US. I just don't know the authorities will get it back. Hopefully in few years,  it's gonna be back home," Magno said during an interview at Araneta Center. Magno also said that her national costume is quite heavy because it is made up of brass and it's gold-plated.  "It's like carrying the people with me but I'm doing this not only for myself but for t...

Meet a new face in pageant world. She's none other Resham Ramirez Saeed, a morena beauty with Filipino and Pakistani decent. This 25-year-old young will represent Maguindanao when she joins the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 beauty pageant in June. Born in the Philippines, Saeed has fierce features that balance well with her witty and bubbly personality. The future beauty queen was raised in six different countries until she decided to return to the Philippines to reconnect with her roots. Saeed visits the Philippines every other year but she realizes that her core strength lies in being a Filipina. Determination and passionate in being a beauty queen, Saeed hopes that everyone will get the chance to know her more when he joins the pageant world. - ROBERT REQUINTINA

The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. led by its chair Stella Marquez Araneta feted newly crowned Miss Intercontinental Karen Gallman after she won the international crown which has been elusive for the Philippines for 47 years. Gallman's victory now joins the league of Filipino beauty queens for the longest gap of winning an international pageant crown. Aside from the Miss Intercontinental title, it took 42 year for the Philippines to capture the Miss Universe title the third time after Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach won in 2015. Megan Lynne Young won the Miss World crown for Philippines after 61 years in 2013. "To my Binibining Pilipinas family, thank you everyone for the love and support that you poured out for me. And to my supporters , I love you guys and I really appreciate all that you have done for me. I love you all," said Gallman during an exclusive interview at Thanksgiving Dinner at Bahay Na Puti (White House) mansion in Cubao, Quezon City recently. THAN...

The pageant season in the Philippines will kick off with the staging of the 47th Miss Intercontinental beauty pageant which will be held at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Jan. 26. To be held in the Philippines for the first time, more than 70 contestants from around the world are expected to arrive here beginning Jan. 8. Filipino-Australian Karen Gallman will represent the Philippines in one of the longest-running pageants in history. She said that she was surprised when she learned that the pageant would be held in the Philippines. “I was so surprised because it never happened before. I was expecting that it’s overseas and I was looking forward to that, traveling. Who wouldn’t? And then, it became Philippines. I was like, 'Oh, okay. But at the end of the end of the day, I was happy because it’s an advantage," the beauty queen said. Gallman who was born and raised in Bohol earned the right to represent the Philippines in the competition when she won Bb. Pilip...

A student of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City was crowned Dream Girl of the Year International 2018 during the Miss Tourism International 2018 pageant held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia recently. Julieane Aya Fernandez was one of the five major winners in the beauty contest dubbed the "holiday pageant" because the Miss Tourism International contest is usually staged around the holiday season. Other winners were: Astari Vernideani of Indonesia, Miss Tourism International; Sarah Pkyach of Kenya; Miss Tourism Metropolitan International; Sandra Callahan, Australia, Miss Tourism Global; and Laura Skutane, Latvia, Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International. Host delegate Caenne Ng of Malaysia won the special title of Miss Southeast Asia Tourism Ambassadress. Aya is a broadcast communication student from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. She is also a recipient of the Most Promising Youth Social Enterprise for the year 2017...

Swimsuit Diva Domz Ramos, official swimwear designer of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant, continues to spread cheers to the poor this holiday season! Now on its third year, Ramos and his team will lead the "Ma-Barbie Doll ang Pasko Caravan" which will kick off in Lipa City, Batangas on Dec. 18. Helping him in his advocacy is former Mr. Gay World finalist-entrepreneur Wilbert Tolentino, also of WEMSAP. "We will be giving away dolls and toys to all the street kids in some parts of Metro Manila and in the provinces. It's our humble way of giving happiness to the street children this holiday season," says Ramos, during an exclusive interview. Other schedules of the gift-giving activity are: Barangay Canlalay, Binan, Laguna, Dec. 19; Dasmarinas, Cavite, Dec. 20; Lobo, Batangas, Dec. 22; Barangay San Andres, Malate, Manila, Dec. 23; Barangay Bagumbayan, Taguig City, Dec. 26; and Ilocos Sur, Dec. 28. At the event, the children will also be treated t...

Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, who finished second in the Miss International 2018 beauty pageant held in Tokyo, Japan last Nov. 9, says that she is dedicating her pageant victory to the Filipinos around the world. "Pilipinas Kong Mahal, binigay ko lahat para sa iyo, lahat lahat. Philippines, you were my motivation every step of the way, " Manalo says on Instagram on Nov. 11. She adds: " My crown and my wholehearted thanks goes to: The Filipinos, all over the world, for the love and support. Quezonians for cheering me on ever since.  The Miss International Organization, for giving me a new set of family and a great stay in Japan. Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. headed by Mrs Araneta, for giving me the honor of representing the Philippines. Also to Miss Liliana and Sir Gines for taking care of us queens." This is the first time that the Philippines won first runner-up in the 58-year history of the prestigious beauty contest. Mariem Velazco of Venezuela was crow...

Two Binibining Pilipinas beauty queens are competing at the 10th Miss Supranational beauty pageant which will be held in Poland on December 7. The Filipino beauty queens are Jehza Huelar, of Davao City, who will wear the Philippines; and Katrina Jayne Dimaranan, who will represent USA. Huelar, 23, of Davao City, earned the right to represent the country in the international pageant after she won Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 2018 in March.                                                                     Katrina Dimaranan This is the third time Huelar joined Binibining Pilipinas. In 2016, she won second runner-up and in 2017, she landed in the top 15. "It's an honor to represent the country in Miss Supranational pageant. Please support me in my journey to the pageant. This is for the Philippines," say...

Wow! You just won P1.2 billion! Good for you! Imagine having that amount in your bank account! You can buy or do almost everything your heart desires:  go around the world, purchase house, splurge on designers clothes, cars, eat in fancy restaurants, and much more! Reigning Miss Philippines Catriona Gray and Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar join the growing list of people who give their reactions if they win that dream money. Catriona Gray "With that money, I will buy my parents a new house because they are both retired.  Two, I would put up my own business. I don't know what I would be in but I have fallen in love with our indigenous fashion like fabrics, beads and everything like that. I would love to share that with the world either through fashion or materials and also provide a livelihood program for indigenous peoples, to have a livelihood out of their traditional art. I think that would be amazing; "Three, I have an organization called Young ...

Athlete-turned-beauty queen Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2018 Michele Gumabao describes herself as a fun person who loves to interact with others. "I'm a fun girl! I love people. I love interacting with others. I love myself and what I have been through. I will always be that happy girl who is very loud because I love talking to everyone," says Gumabao during an exclusive interview at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City recently. Gumabao is the country's representative to the Miss Globe beauty contest which will be held in Albania on Oct. 30. Help her win the international beauty pageant! Here's how: Get to know more about Gumabao as Pop News Philippines sat with her few days before she leaves for the competition. - ROBERT REQUINTINA 1) If you could turn back the time, where would you be and why? "I would be on the beach! I want to get a tan. I want to relax. Life has been very hectic so I can turn back time, I'd be sitting...

Inamin ni Catriona Gray, ang pambato ng Pilipinas sa darating na 2018 Miss Universe beauty pageant, na isa pa rin syang labandera dito sa Pilipinas. "Ever since I've been totally self-sufficient. I'm very proud about that. Until now I still do my own laundry," ayon kay Catriona, sa panayam sa "Tonight With Boy Abunda" sa ABS CBN kamakailan. Bata pa lamang si Catriona ay naging independent na sya kahit na wala naman silang alitan ng kanyang mga magulang. Dagdag pa nya, s'ya ay isang Filipino-Australian. "I would say Filipino-Australian because even though I was born in Australia, it's not my choice but it was my parents choice. But it was my decision to come to the Philippines at age 18 just after I graduated from high school; "It was like a self-discovery journey for me, my first step into figuring out who am I, what do I want to do with my life and just pushing myself out of the comfort zone and I chose to come here; ...

Is former Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2017 Nelda Ibe, who won 1st runner-up in the Miss Globe 2017 beauty contest in Albania, really giving Miss World Philippines pageant another shot? This after Ibe announced on Instagram that many people were encouraging her to compete again in Miss World Philippines contest this year. "Many are encouraging me to give it a try for the second time around and I don’t want to regret anything in my life," Ibe said on Instagram. "I’m more than ready for another challenge. Yes I conquered the globe but my heart, my purpose and my story is worth sharing back to my first love, Miss World. Yes to Miss World Philippines," she added. Supporters of Ibe appeared excited on her planned journey to the national pageant based on comments on social media. But some supporters cast doubt on the news because it was shared on IG on April Fool's Day. Just one day after Ibe made the announcement, the beauty queen closed the comments sectio...