Ms. Earth Candidates face meanest critics in Batangas

Ms. Earth Resort Wear Ms. Cebu City Jamie Herrel 

flanked by Second Runner Up Ms. Sta. Rita 

Pampanga Angelie Crizelle Ocampo and First 

Runner Up Ms. Zamboanga City  Margie Alatan. 

Batangas City--There’s a new trend in beauty pageants now that requires the candidates to be more than perfect. Or else they get below the belt comments from pageant seasoned judges who would stop at nothing to tell the candidate what’s wrong with her.  Or how they simply love her!  An extreme criticism on both ends, of which half the responsibility admitted lies with the candidate who found it hard to go on a diet.

  At the Ms. Earth 2014 Resort Wear Competition held at the Pontefino Hotel Friday night, two out of the nine judges for the resort wear competition have become the candidates worst and best critics. 

 Topnotch international fashion designer Ito Curata and Inquirer Libre Desk Editor Armin Adina made sure their message was sent.  No matter how it hurts.  Or how the audience compared the two to American Idol’s most hated judge Simon Cowell.

  Adina was too mean frank when he told Ms. Tigbao Zamboanga Del Sur Jennifer Kaye Allego that her resort wear looked like a costume from a comedy show.

  As if it wasn’t enough, Curata got the microphone and added that he definitely agrees.

“This (resort wear) is for Voltes 5, something like that. Sorry, you’re beautiful, but too bad,” Curata said.

When the next contestant, Ms. Tungawan Zamboanga Sibugay Cesdianne Daung came, Adina hasn’t yet recovered from Ms. Tigbao, and blamed Daung for coming next. 

Video: Ms. Tungawan Zamboanga Sibugay

 “Ok, I’ve already recovered from what I saw. (Laughs)  Well, that was a very refreshing take on a resort wear really. You don’t have to compare with the others, you’re beautiful, your clothes are beautiful, your walk is also beautiful.  It’s just that you came after her. Thank you. You had me rebooted,” Adina said in Tagalog.   

  In an interview with Allego, she said she was hurt with the comments of the two critics. But “just a little,” adding that though she got the meanest comment, she wasn’t the only one critiqued. She also admitted that she felt bad but just smiled, thanked the critics, and walked with silent dignity.  Allego’s resort wear was designed by famous fashion designer Michael Sinco.

  Asked what  she’d advise to upcoming beauty queens, she said “You should be perfect. That way, you won’t get embarassed.

  But it wasn’t only Ms. Tigbao who got a mean critique. Ms Goldcoast Australia Jennifer Hunt’s old fashioned hairstyle  was mocked as it made her look matured. 

Ms. Las Pinas Mary Laveryn Naluz  and Ms. Duenas Iloilo Ma. Bencelle Bianzon were criticized for the wrong closed shoes they wore with the resort wear.

If there were mean critiques, there were also good ones.Video: Ms. Sydney Australia

Adina said Ms Sydney Australia Melanie Cristine Balagtas’ resort wear was “Sexy with a capital S!”

Curata also praised Ms. Zamboanga City Margie Alatan’s resort wear  as very classy and chic.

Curata, in an interview said he was just telling the contestants the truth, in a way to help them improve themselves and prepare for the Ms. Earth Coronation night on May 11.“I know what I said was not good, but sometimes you have to tell them that to make them understand that what they’re doing is not enough,” Curata said.

According to Peachy Veneracion, Vice President of Carousel Productions that handle the Ms. Earth pageant, those critics from the two out of nine judges have been a common practice in low-level part of the pageants. 

“We do that to help the contestants improve and in a way make sure that they discipline themselves. Some of them eat a lot during the pageant tours and forget to work out.  They know what they got themselves into when they joined the pageant. And beauty is also something that they really have to work hard on,” Veneracion said.

She said they have incorporated the American Idol-like reality style in the pageants low level parts to make a difference.

But is it really fair to do that in the Philippine setting knowing that wide cultural gap?  Veneracion said it has been effective so far.

“That’s why during the coronation night, you’ll see them as perfectly aware of what they have to do and you’ll see them bloom into real beauty queens,” Veneracion added.

This year’s Ms. Earth theme,” Promoting Eco Tourism to alleviate poverty not just in the Philippines but around the world, has 49 candidates from all over the country, United States, Europe, and Australia.

Ms. Cebu City Jamie Herrel got the crown for Ms. Resort Wear, while Ms. Zamboanga City Margie Alatan was first runner up, and  Ms. Sta. Rita Pampanga Angelie Crizelle Ocampo, second runner up.

Minor prizes went to Ms. Tanauan City Dianne Carmela Querrer as Ms Pontefino Hotel, Ms. Liloan Cebu Crystal Star Aberasturi as Ms. Pontefino Residences, and Ms. Dinalupihan Bataan  Monique Teruelle Manuel as Ms. Kia Motors. (Mei Magsino)