AFTERTHOUGHTS ON THE 2010 MR. WORLD PHILIPPINES (and Bb. Pilipinas)

I actually wrote this right after the Mr. World Philippines competition on February 27, but I never got around to posting it in my multiply and facebook accounts and here in my blogsite. Not until now when the controversy on 2010 Bb. Pilipinas Universe Venus Raj’s dethronement came to the fore. I guess this is a most opportune time to finally post this. Venus’ dethronement brought to light what seems like irregularities within Bb. Pilipinas and Mr. World Philippines.

I used to be a big pageant fan. In fact, I have these albums of different pageants (Bb. Pilipinas, Miss Universe, Mutya ng Pilipinas, Miss International, etc.) from 1972 to the early 90s when my interest somewhat waned. The Bb. Pilipinas and Miss Universe pageants were something I looked forward to every year. I even watched Miss Universe live at the PICC when it was held here in 1994 (I bought a 2nd-row-seat ticket). Now if that doesn’t prove how much of a pageant fan I am, I don’t know what will.

I have always held Bb. Pilipinas in high esteem and considered it the mother of all local pageants. However, with the dethronement of Anjanette Abayari in 1991, Tisha Silang in 1998 and Janelle Bautista in 1999 I came to realize that there must be something wrong with how the organizer, Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI), is running the pageant. The latest controversy involving Venus’ dethronement has further contributed to my suspicion and to the disappointment of hardcore pageant followers. If Facebook messages expressing great disappointment, frustration and anger are anything to go by, then pageant fans seem to have had enough with BPCI. Personally, what seemed to me like irregularities in the recent Mr. World Philippines (MWP) competition only bolstered my mistrust on BPCI.

As a talent agent I look up to the Mr. World Philippines contest as the most prestigious and respectable male pageant in the country and I have always wanted to enter a talent in the contest, which I did in its 2010 edition. I made sure that the talent I was to enter in the competition not only had above-average looks and proportionate physique but also possessed a nice personality and a reasonable degree of intelligence. Since I am aware of BPCI’s aversion towards potential candidates who have less-than-wholesome image, I also made sure that the talent I would enter had unsullied background. And so I entered one who fit the bill, someone that I believed was at par with their supposedly high and clean standard.

Sadly, the Mr. World Philippines 2010 competition was a big frustration, to say the least, in terms of how the pageant was organized, among many other things.

First, there wasn’t much publicity about it. Thus, the lack of interest among agents, potential candidates and male pageant enthusiasts. Methinks it didn’t generate interest because, like I said, it was not promoted well. Secondly, agents were wary to send their talents because of BPCI’s reputation for snobbing agents (except for a favored one or two perhaps). Thirdly, talents themselves shy away from this pageant because of BPCI’s self-righteous view that individuals with dubious background (by their own definition) have no place in this supposedly wholesome, clean and morally upright competition. Fourth, the many requirements (birth certificate, diploma, certificate of good moral character, medical certificate, etc.) asked of them at initial screening discouraged many potential applicants.

The posthaste manner by which MWP 2010 was organized and staged was also a great disappointment.

Regarding BPCI’s treatment of talent agents and managers, whereas at the onset the guy-in-charge was nice, asking us to bring in more candidates, later (when the official line-up was completed) he was the exact opposite. We could feel the hostility. Every time we needed to speak with our talents for some tips and advice he would order them to return inside at once.

The final screening process which took place at the Gateway Suites on February 16 went smoothly. We were told that out of the 30+ applicants 20 official candidates would be announced immediately after the final screening. Honestly, having seen the line-up of applicants I didn’t think they would be able to come up with twenty or even ten. After waiting several minutes we were told that no results would be announced that night and that the final tally sheet would have to be brought to Madame Stella Araneta. That drew suspicion.

One of my two talents luckily made it as one of the seventeen official candidates. Of course we were both ecstatic that he made it. But soon enough I began feeling the opposite.

The night they were asked to sign a contract I instructed my talent to ask for a copy so we can go through it (he had already signed it and as his manager I wanted to see what was in the contract). Knowing how aversed BPCI people are to agents, I told him to tell them that it was his father who wanted to see the contract (which wasn’t necessarily a lie since we really intended to show it to his father). To which the BPCI lawyers said no. Now, it doesn’t take a genius to see a legal flaw here. Anyone who signs a contract has the right to have a copy. And I, being the talent manager, and for that matter, his father, had every right to review it. So why wouldn’t they give a copy? Beats me.

Because of that, which I thought was a big irregularity, I wanted to pull my talent out of the contest. But since he had already exerted effort attending the workshops and other activities, I decided against it.

Anyway, sad that I was when my talent failed to even make the final five, a part of me was also rejoicing. At least I didn’t get to lose the right (because of certain stipulations in the BPCI contract) to give projects to the talent that I myself discovered, groomed and honed and manage.

At this point I would like to enumerate some general observations about the pageant. I hope the organization and people concerned would have the humility to accept these as constructive criticisms and, hopefully, avoid making these mistakes in the next Mr. World Philippines or even in Bb. Pilipinas for that matter:

As I intimated earlier, BPCI is not agents-friendly. For them the role of agents begins with bringing their talents to apply, and ends there. They don’t want agents to have anything to do with their talents especially when the latter make it as official candidates. Obviously, the BPCI people don’t know anything about dealing with and treating talent agents. They don’t know or downright refuse to accept the fact that agents generally have to be there – maybe not at all times but from time to time – to check on their talents and see to it that they have everything they need and that nothing untoward is happening to them. BPCI should learn how to develop goodwill with talent agents. These agents are a big help. If treated well and fairly, they could bring in the best discoveries around. Properly motivated they would search in every nook and cranny, so to speak, in search of “hidden gems.” This is where Bb. Pilipinas is beaten by Mutya ng Pilipinas (and in a sense also by Miss Earth Philippines) which treats agents and designers justly and in return generate a lot of goodwill.

In toto, the competition was very poorly organized. The haste in producing a winner because of the purported pressure from Miss World Organization (MWO) President Julia Morley to come up with a Philippine representative in time for the March 27 finals in Korea should have never be an excuse for a line-up of candidates where only barely half deserved to be there. What the organizers should have done was an all-out promotion of the screening of potential candidates. The main problem was their lack of goodwill among talent agents and managers who, as I’ve said earlier, shy away from BPCI. They could have also done away with some of the activities (like playing basketball with less fortunate youth just to show some socio-civic relevance or the games at the La Mesa Eco Park just to show some sports-related activities in the AVP during Finals Night). They could have devoted more time looking for quality candidates. They could have also put a little more class by holding the finals in, say, the Gateway Atrium and not on a very-late night show that is kitschy at best.

As to the judging procedure, if I remember right the criteria were 50% (beauty of) face, 30% physique, 10% personality and 10% intelligence. So if comeliness of face accounted for 50%, how come… oh well, forget it. And how did the judges score them on personality and intelligence when the twelve candidates weren’t even interviewed, not on finals night nor in any pre-finals activity?


SELECTIVE DISQUALIFICATION

Regarding the issue on morality, BPCI is so hung up on it, a false sense of morality anyway. Their holier than thou attitude is a total turn-off. A day before the finals five candidates were disqualified on grounds that they have previously joined or won less prestigious male pageants or bikini contests with dubious reputation. It’s funny because while they were disqualified for that reason, at least two others escaped BPCI’s prying eyes. One is the lead star of a gay indie film several photos from which were posted in an unabashedly gay website. The photos showed the contestant in very compromising acts like having another guy (they’re both nude) sitting on him, another photo showed him semi-nude with some pubic hair showing. Now I don’t know about you but that should be more disturbing (to the BPCI people that is) than a bikini contestant romping in skimpy trunks. The other contestant, unknown to BPCI, has several raunchy photos being kept by a photographer. So what gives, really?

I spoke with one of the disqualified candidates - the more intelligent, smart and vocal among them. According to him on the eve of Finals Night while they were rehearsing at GMA 7, the five of them were asked to return to the BPCI office at Araneta Coliseum where they were told that upon checking they found out that the five of them had joined “other” male pageants before. By “other” they meant bikini contests with not-so-wholesome reputation. He argued that every contest they have participated in was enumerated in the application form, so why were they accepted in the first place if BPCI thought those contests were of the dubious kind? Why were they being disqualified on the eve of the competition’s finals? Why only then after taking a leave from work (at least for him) and losing several days’ worth of salary just to be able to attend all the activities? Why only then after exerting effort and spending for transportation?

Probably sensing trouble and realizing that they were up against someone who knew his rights and would fight for them, they asked the five candidates to leave. They were then advised by someone to go to ABS CBN to air their grievances, which they did. They were interviewed by reporters but the News Department couldn’t air it without getting the side of BPCI. Upon learning about this, BPCI ordered them to return to the Araneta office so that matters could be straightened out. Upon returning there, however, they were driven out of the compound. I understand their names have also been posted at the entrance banning them from entering the BPCI premises.

I heard that on the day of the finals one of the disqualified candidates went to GMA 7 to watch the taping but he was prevented by security from entering the studio. Again, I don’t know about you but isn’t a court order necessary for implementing such ban? Talk about one’s rights being infringed upon.

It will be recalled that in last year’s Bb. Pilipinas finals at Araneta Coliseum, BPCI staff tried very hard to prevent Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1982 Maria Isabel Lopez from attending. This despite the fact that Lopez has been diligently attending the event since 2003 as one of the past winners. Lopez insisted on her right to be there so, the BPCI staff’s unrelenting determination to “drive her out” of Araneta Coliseum notwithstanding, she finished the showed. Read Lopez’ complete account of the incident at http://telebisyon.net/balita/Exbeauty-queen-Isabel-Lopez-airs-side-on-Bb-Pilipinas-snub/source/56032/

Like the disqualification of the five Mr. World Philippines candidates on grounds of having joined other pageants that BPCI found too sexy for (their) comfort while, at the same time, overlooking – deliberately or otherwise – another candidate’s more morally unacceptable background and Lopez’ virtual ban from attending the Bb. Pilipinas finals while Bb. Pilipinas World 2005 Carlene Aguilar who bore a child out of wedlock is allowed in is really something that makes one wonder. How does BPCI gauge a candidate’s morality or lack of it? Do they have a set of standard for some and a different one for others?


QUO VADIS BPCI?

It would do BPCI well if they clean their act in as far as Bb. Pilipinas is concerned. As to Mr. World Philippines, they should ensure that this ugly chapter in the short history of MWP will not be repeated. Otherwise, BPCI will continue losing its credibility. The dethronement of Venus Raj is another blow to their supposedly impeccable reputation. In fact, it might even spell their doom as pageant fans are really going up in arms against them, so to speak, as seen in facebook messages. They are appalled by BPCI’s brazen disregard for the simplest rules of courtesy like doing a very thorough background check on the candidates so that grounds of disqualification are determined even before they start participating in the pageant activities or that dethronements don’t have to happen.

Venus’ interview in The Buzz proved once and for all that there is definitely something wrong with BPCI. Venus emphasized that they knew all along – right from the start, during the screening of potential candidates – that she was born in Qatar. So if they did, and they also had a copy of Venus’ birth certificate the data in which contradicted with Venus’ pronouncements, then why didn’t they question it before accepting Venus as an official candidate? Why expose it after she has been crowned?

Either BPCI is that stupid not to see something which was right there staring at their faces, or they deliberately ignored possible grounds for disqualification which they later revealed if the candidate in question won and she wasn’t exactly to their liking. Maybe, just maybe.

One question that has been lingering on in the minds of pageant fans – is it really Madame Stella Marquez Araneta who has the final say on everything in Bb. Pilipinas (and Mr. World Philippines)? Are the judges there just for the sake of having them? In other words, are they just used as some sort of a front?

Also, isn’t it an affront to Filipinos that the one who chooses the Philippine representatives to pageants abroad is not Filipino but Colombian? Isn’t it an insult to Filipino designers that the evening gowns and even national costumes that Philippine representatives to Miss Universe wear are creations of a Colombian designer? The Philippines is not wanting in world-class fashion designers and I personally don’t see the need to utilize the services of foreign designers, especially when designing our national costume in concerned. As an advocate of anything and everything that has to do with Filipino dignity, pride and honor, I am appalled by this blatant disregard for the creative talent of Filipino designers.

In conclusion, I hope no one among the five young men will think of making a political issue out of this. The Aranetas, after all, are related to the Roxases, as in Mar Roxas. Come to think of it, Mr. Palengke is doing his best to endear himself to the masses and that seemingly trivial MWP incident involving five ordinary young Filipino men being treated unjustly by an organization owned by his mother’s relatives does not bode well for a possible Mar Roxas vice presidency. The small incident could actually be blown out of proportion.