Binibining Pilipinas Gold Winners Presented

Binibining Pilipinas Gold presented its newly proclaimed winners at the Gateway Cineplex more than a week after a magnificent coronation night staged at the Smart Araneta Coliseum which was made even more meaningful with the special appearance of almost 70 former Binibining Pilipinas beauty queens.

The winners have been busy in several television guest appearances and are about to indulge in a rigorous training program that will include personality development, beauty sessions, and the like to be conducted by seasoned beauty and television experts. Being the newest celebrities of the country, the new queens’ schedules are also replete with sponsors visits and tourism activities that usually abound during the summer.

On May 18, the Golden Batch as they are called will be the main stars in the traditional Araneta Center Grand Santacruzan that will traverse the roads of the shopping complex.  Other past contestants and queens are expected to grace this glittering event. The ladies will be wearing gowns done by leading Filipino and international designers.

Binibining Pilipinas 2013 is presented by the Araneta Center, ABS-CBN, CreamSilk with major sponsors San Miguel Brewery, Petron Corporation, San Miguel Power, Ginebra San Miguel and San Miguel Food. Other sponsors are Casino Filipino, PAGCOR, Avon, Lactacyd, Philippine Airlines, Jag Jeans, and Manhattan Garden City. Service sponsors are EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Manila Bulletin, Pizza Hut, David’s Salon, Gold’s Gym, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Joylong Van, Picture City, Dale Carnegie Training Center, Entrepreneur School of Asia, Charter, Ping An Insurance Corporation, Raymond Saldana Photography and Rightspot Electronic Media.

Here is the complete roster of the Binibining Pilipinas Gold winners:

Ariella Arida, 24

Miss Universe Philippines 2013, Best in Swimsuit

Alaminos, Laguna native Ariella graduated with a degree in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines – Los Baños. She is a keen sportswoman, having tried swimming, volleyball, and now running. She recently ran a 21K. She also did ramp modeling after graduating from college.

Her beauty queen idol is Venus Raj. She likes watching Venus’s pageant videos because she wants to emulate the way she moves and speaks. 

Apart from bagging the Miss Universe Philippines title, Ariella also won the Best in Swimsuit award. Ariella will be one of the candidates in the 62nd edition of the Miss Universe pageant this year. Miss Universe is one of the biggest and most prestigious beauty pageants held annually. 

Bea Rose Santiago, 23

Binibining Pilipinas-International 2013, Miss Avon

A Communications student majoring in Public Relations at the York University in Toronto, Canada, Bea was born in the Philippines, but she and her family moved to Toronto when she was 14.

Bea moved back to the Philippines to try her luck in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant. She now lives on her own here in the Philippines. She is a Gawad Kalinga Ambassador who plays the banduria and would like to promote her province, Masbate, through joining the pageant. 

Apart from winning the Binibining Pilipinas-International title, Bea also won the Miss Avon special award. Bea will be representing the country in this year’s edition of the Miss International pageant. The Miss International pageant aims to promote world peace, goodwill, and understanding.

Joanna Cindy Miranda, 20

Binibining Pilipinas-Tourism 2013,Miss CreamSilk, Miss Petron

Cindy used to be a noontime show co-host. She decided to resign from the show because she really wanted to join Binibining Pilipinas. She used to be very shy in person even when she was already working as a TV host.

Despite her achievements, Cindy wants to maintain her simplicity. 

Cindy also won the Miss CreamSilk Beyond Beautiful and Miss Petron special awards. She will be the Philippines’ representative in the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant, an annual international beauty pageant held in China. 

Mutya Johanna Datul, 21

Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational 2013, Miss Photogenic, Best in Long Gown

Mutya describes herself as a “simpleng probinsyana na may matayog na pangarap.” As a young girl in Isabela, she helps catch salagubang in the fields, which they make into a delicacy. She says Binibining Pilipinas is her “ultimate dream.” She has watched the pageant since she was a little girl, and has since wanted to be one of the queens.

In her spare time, Mutya likes to listen to music and sing. Her beauty queen idol is Venus Raj, because “nakikita ko ang buhay ko sa kanya, na nabuhay sa hirap, pero nagsikap. Sa kanya ko nakita na hindi imposible na makamit mo yung pangarap mo.” 

Mutya turned 21 a few days after winning one of the crowns. Apart from winning the new Binibining Pilipinas-Supranational title, Mutya also bagged the Best in Long Gown and Miss Photogenic awards. Mutya hopes to do well in this year’s Miss Supranational pageant slated on September 6 at Belarus. The Miss Supranational pageant is a fairly new international pageant established in Poland in 2009. 

Pia Wurtzbach, 23

Binibining Pilipinas 1st Runner Up, Miss San Mig Zero Fit and Sexy Body 

Half-German Pia is from Cagayan de Oro. A former ABS-CBN talent under the screen name Pia Romero, Pia believes being a beauty queen is different from being an actress. She believes being a beauty queen requires one to be herself and presentable at the same time.

One thing that most people don’t know about her is that she’s approachable and can get along with anybody.

Apart from landing the first runner up honors, Pia also won the Miss San Mig Zero Fit and Sexy Body award. 

Sponsors/Special Awards

NICOLE DONESA. Miss Philippine Airlines

A talented singer who used to perform in various Fil-Am events in the United States, eighteen year old Nicole will certainly be busy promoting a good image for the country and its official carrier as Miss Philippine Airlines.

ANNA CARMELA AQUINO. Miss Talent

This twenty-two year old educator from Taytay wowed the audience during the Talent Competition held at the Gateway Suites with her world class dancing skills, a gift that has brought her to performances abroad.

LOURENZ GRACE REMETILLO. Miss Friendship

Despite the pressures and rigors of the competition, this twenty-five year old Iligan City lass has managed to maintain cordial relations with the rest of the candidates, proving that the journey is just as important as the crown.

ELLORE NOELLE PUNZALAN. Manila Bulletin’s Readers Choice

A veritable jill of all trades, Ellore Noelle was named as Manila Bulletin’s Readers Choice for this year. As a person who dabbles in musical theater, painting, taekwondo, basketball and volleyball, she will certainly be very interesting for the readers of Manila Bulletin. 

MA. TERESITA ALAINE BACCAY. Best in National Costume

The grace by which she carried her Filipiniana costume simply took the judges’ breath away. Even as a child, she used to fashion “gowns” out of her curtains and practice her walk, a practice that certainly augured well for her to bag the Best in National Costume award.

IMELDA SCHWEIGHART. Miss Pagcor

Imelda Schweighart from Puerto Princesa will certainly be a good ambassador for PAGCOR’s charitable projects, especially that which espouses more schoolrooms for the country’s poor children.