With her recent Top 5 finish, the country, thanks to Bea, continues to hold on to its record 12-year placement streak in Miss Universe, which started with Venus Raj in 2010.
By Alex Y. Vergara
Philippine bet Beatrice Luigi Gomez’s Miss Universe journey in Eilat, Israel may have ended with her failing to reach the Top 3, as India’s Harnaaz Sandhu won the beauty pageant’s 70th edition Monday morning in Manila. But Bea’s achievement was a triumph nonetheless for beauty contest-powerhouse Philippines after the country had been consigned to the Top 20 for two years in a row.
Her Top 5 finish also secured for the Philippines a record 12-year placement streak in what is considered by many as the biggest and most prestigious contest of its kind in the world.
Harnaaz, a 21-year-old model and actress from Chandigarh, India, bested 79 of the most beautiful women on the planet, including South Africa’s Lalela Mswane and Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira, who had to settle for second and first runners-up, respectively. Bea shared the honor of landing a spot in the Top 5 with Valeria Ayos of Colombia, another pageant powerhouse country.
Asked during the “final question challenge,” what advice she would give young women on how to deal with the pressures they faced today, a confident and emphatic Harnaaz said: “Well, I think the biggest pressure the youth of today is facing is to believe in themselves. To know that you are unique and that is what makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourself to others and let’s talk about more important things that is happening worldwide. I think this is what you need to understand. Come out and free yourselves because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own. I believe in myself and that’s why I’m standing here today. Thank you!”
It was India’s third Miss Universe crown, which was first won by Sushmita Sen in the pageant’s 1994 edition held in Manila. Hopes were high among beauty pageant-crazy Filipinos all over the world, including many who braved the pandemic by trooping to the Universe Dome in Eilat, for Bea to bring home the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown, which was won previously by Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurztbach and Catriona Gray.
A crowd favorite since the beginning, Bea generated loud cheers and thunderous applause every time her name was called by host Steve Harvey, as the contest advanced with every elimination. From the get-go, it was a nail-biter for many Filipinos, as the Philippines always ended up being called during the last half of the announcement that preceded every round, which consisted of the swimsuit, evening gown and Top 5 question-and-answer portions.
Dressed in a gold, semi-serpentine and tulle-based gown embellished with embroidery and hand-sewn crystals and beads by Francis Libiran, Bea was the last to be called in the Top 5, to the wild cheers of Filipino fans. Earlier, Harvey had to remind them several times to tone down after the Philippines was called. “This is Israel,” he deadpanned, referring to the Filipino audience who acted as if they were back in Manila cheering for their girl.
According to Harry Hartman, Francis’ publicist, the designer “meshed his signature Art Deco details with patterns reminiscent of the tribal tattoos of the Pintados,” a pre-Spanish tribe who hailed from the Visayas.
“Francis designs pieces according to a person’s personality,” he added. “Bea’s character has a bit of ferocity, especially when she’s determined to fulfill her goals. At the same time, she’s down to earth and full of wisdom. Francis’ signature aesthetic has always involved cut-out patterns and details reminiscent of history, culture and scenic destinations, which were all on subtle display in Bea’s gown. He felt that Bea looked absolutely stunning wearing this piece, and that it suited her personality well.”
Apart from spending nearly two months making the gown, Francis, said Hartman, didn’t encounter any major challenges in its conceptualization and construction. It was one of seven gowns he made for the Cebuano-born beauty queen. Bea reportedly ended up bringing five gowns with her to Israel.
Not a few beauty pageant fans agree on the gown’s power to slay the competition. In fact, many think Bea was able to squeeze into the Top 5, to eventually edge out heavy favorites such as Misses USA and Puerto Rico, on the strenght of Francis’ gown and her cool and calm demeanor under intense pressure.
Many, however, also believed that Bea’s unflappable nature proved to be her on weakness. Unlike many of her Top 5 rivals, especially Paraguay, who resorted more to bravado than substance in answering the pre-final question, Bea delivered her answer evenly, albeit with a few minor and forgivable snags.
Apart from the presence of actress Marian Rivera, French influencer and Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere helped boost Bea’s confidence throughout the contest. Iris, who has been very vocal of her love for the Philippines after winning here, asked Bea her pre-final question: “Given the ever-changing COVID situation, what is your opinion of mandating a universal vaccine passport?”
“I believe that public health is everyone’s responsibility, and to mandate a vaccine inoculation is necessary,” Bea said. “And, if, ah, mandating vaccine passports would help us in regulating the rollout of the vaccine and mitigate the situation of the pandemic today, then I would agree on mandating the necessary passport on vaccination. Thank you!”
On a lighter note, Bea and her fellow besties Misses Singapore and Vietnam all made it to the Top 16. And with her Top 5 finish, people behind Miss Universe Philippines (MUP), led by former beauty queen Shamcey Supsup-Lee and Jonas Gaffud, are once more buoyed by the results. This early, MUP is already poised to start scouting for a new batch of contestants, as they reportedly plan to hold next year’s local contest as early as April. This would give Bea’s predecessor more time to prepare for the contest’s 71st edition.
