Some highlights and sidelights at the Binibining Pilipinas 2021 coronation night.:
1. This is the first-ever I enjoyed watching Binibining Pilipinas. The production number was well executed and the
girls gyrated and pirouetted synchronously like they were precision dancers. Nobody has succeeded in doing that
in the previous BB Pilipinas opening salvo. They were easy to the eye. I think the production has leveled up knowing
what ABSCBN went through in the last 2 years.
2. I also enjoyed that they focus on the girls this time, and the national costume segment was phenomenal.Even
the gowns were highlighted ( in the same way how the frogs were dissected in our biology class) to the delight of the
fashion designers. When Gabrielle Basiano came out, the camera lingered languidly on the gown, exposing its insides.
It was as though the camera was making love to Gabrielle's body.
3. The hosts made a commendable job, but I was distracted with Catriona ... it looked like she was gaining weight.
Am I right? Sorry guys ... do I need new glasses ... or I still have a perfect 20-20 vision?
4. This is also the first time the Q and A concentrated mostly on Covid, and I was impressed with the girl's answers.
And inspirational messages were raining cats and dogs.
5. Cinderella Faye Obenita was the lucky 13th semi-finalist. I was clapping at her answer in the Q and A. Little did
she know that the winning answer zoomed and catapulted her hold in the top position. And judging from her reaction,
she didn't expect to win, and that makes the scene so precious.
6 I notice Catriona pronounced (Montagne) differently. At the back of my mind I was saying, "Was that the right
pronunciation? Well, I shrug the thought knowing the person saying it ... was Catriona. Maybe she knows better.
But then Nicole Cordoves pronounced it the way I thought it was. So which one was correct. Maureen ... do the
honor to educate us.
7. My Ilonggo friend said Boy Abunda was the reason why Karen Laurie Mendoza lost. I ask her why and she said," he
was playing with words. He was asking a question, why does he have to make it difficult when he can make it simple
for the candidate to understand. Pa-intellectual na pa cute pa. Does he even care she lost? Hell no ... he was doing
to get pogi points. He is doing it for himself. As we all know there are several ways to catch attention. Either you do
good ... or bad.
8. This is a strong group of candidates, Every single girl has so much to bring to the table from day one, and there
were not enough titles for an amazing group of candidates that they have in the competition.
9. Maureen Montagne getting the Miss Globe crown was a little unexpected. She has the potential to go for a much
bigger title. Was it her age that was the culprit? Any other bigger titles that would qualify her age bracket?
10. Samantha Panlileo was brand new to pageantry. She is a neophyte and she can bring like a new perspective or a new
approach to winning. And I am so excited what she going to bring. She has the physique and a body structure of a
Miss Gwand International.
11. For trivia lovers, this is the third Samantha we send to Angkol Nawat's beauty extravaganza. First, there was
Samantha Lo, then followed by a more successful Samantha Bernardo, now its Samantha Panlileo. One thing that
worry me though is her height.
12. Hannah Arnold has a prototype for a Miss International mold. She did great with the interview, and her grand
reveal in her gown segment made a quite a splash, a little dramatic but the judges did not fault her for that.
13. Justine Felizarta was robbed. She did all her best to win the contest, but I guess her best wasn't good enough.
She worked consistently from beginning to end and she was the toast of kibitzers and onlookers but she felt short.
She did have her surgery recently to cap her Binibining Pilipinas journey, but luck was too stingy she was not even
called.
14. Another trivia for you guys. Did you know that Number 17 is the luckiest number for the Miss International title?
In 2018 - Ahtisa Manalo #17 won Bb. Pilipinas International and was duplicated by Patch Magtanong #17 in 2019.
In 2021, Hannah Arnold #17 made it as the third holder of this number to make it to the Miss International finish
line.
15. Catriona again made a faux pas when erroneously pronounced Valenzuela as Venezuela. But fans are forgiving,
nobody has mentioned this in their reviews.
16. Cindy Obenita was the real Cinderella of the night. Her chances of winning was a little close to slim, but after
the Q and A round, there's no stopping her.
18. Gabriel Basiano and Meiji Cruz were ably placed first and second runner up. That is what we called reserved.
Next year expect them to have a crown of their own
19. Everybody was so thrilled about Miss Gwand International, especially after Sam Bernardo's first runner-up finish.
Samantha Panlilio has a checkmark on every category except for HEIGHT. When are we going to do this right?
If we want a Miss Gwand title, the selection committee should have done their assignment right.
20. The absence of Resham Saeed did not escape our radar. I know Miss Supranational was already hijacked by another
pageant, but Miss Universe who was snatched by MUP has Gazini Ganados still on the stage. Is she out of town, or is this
still the after eddects of Covid, or she is not in good terms with BB Pilipinas.