Miss International 2008 is Miss Spain

 

WINNER: SPAIN, Alejandra Andreu

1st Runner Up: COLOMBIA, Maria Cristina Diaz Granados
2nd Runner Up: POLAND, Anna Tarnowska
3rd Runner Up: CHINA, Chang Wen Liu
4th Runner Up: CZECH REPUBLIC, Zuzana Putnarova

SEMI FINALISTS:

ECUADOR
JAPAN
LEBANON
PHILIPPINES
PUERTO RICO
TURKEY
VENEZUELA

SPECIAL AWARDS:
MISS PHOTOGENIC: Spain
BEST NATIONAL COSTUME: Aruba
MISS NATURAL BEAUTY: Belarus
MISS FRIENDSHIP: El Salvador

National Costume - Miss International 2008

The contestants of the Miss International beauty pageant have presented their national costume in the media. We have seen these over and over again but what we are looking is how the ladies carried them like a true beauty queen. Here are pictures of some of them in their National Costume

Miss International 2008 Update

 

Kyoto: (L-R) Florence Loi of Macau, Tham Zi Wei of Malaysia, Ochgerel Khulangoo of Mongolia, Sai Ma of Hong Kong, Kim Min-Jung of South Korea, Liu Changwen of China, Yu Ting Yen of Taiwan and Ee Tok Wee of Singapore, representatives for the Miss International Beauty Pageant 2008, pose as they visit a Japanese garden at the Nijojo castle. The beauty pageant will be held in Macau on November 8.

Miss International 2008 Officially Started

I have announced here that the 48th Miss International Beauty Pageant will be held on the 8th of November 2008 in Venetian Macau Resort Hotel. Sixty (60) contestants are expected to attend the pageant and the outgoing Miss International is Miss Mexico Priscilla Perales Elizondo.

The different delegates are now embarking from their countries to convene in Macau. I have announced here that Miss Philippines, Patricia Fernandez, flew from Manila to Macau today.

Of the expected 60 delegates from all over the world, Miss Guadeloupe Nancy Karen Fleurival and Miss Canada Elina Semikina are the tallest candidates at 6'2" and 6'1" respectively. Miss Hong Kong Sire Ma is the smallest at 5'3"1/2. There are four ladies who stand 5'5" - the second smallest. They are Miss Sri Lanka Faith Landers,  Miss Singapore Tok Wee Ee, Miss Macau Florence Loi and Miss Hawaii Serena Karnagy.

Another interesting note on this pageant is the participation of Miss Estonia Kardi Nogu - the very first for her country thus this is the debut of Estonia in Miss International pageant. 

Eight countries are returning after years of abscence in the pageant. Italy last competed in 1994, Belgium in 1996, Hawaii in 2004. 2005 is the last time Macau, Bahamas and Sweden competed and 2006 for Martinique and Norway.

In the history of this pageant, Venezuela was the winningest country with 5 winners followed by the Philippines with 4. Venezuela won in 1985, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006. Philippines won in 1964, 1970, 1979 and 2005.

Miss International remains one of the Grand Slam Pageants with no winner resigned or dethroned along with Miss Tourism Queen International. 

In the picture is the tallest delegate Miss Guadeloupe Nancy Karen Fleurival at 6'2"

Patricia Fernandez praying to be RP's 5th Ms. International

Binibining Pilipinas International Patricia Fernandez possesses what a Filipina needs to have to stand out in a crowd of beautiful women from around the world: talent and brains.

Fernandez is off to Macau, China on Saturday to participate in the 48th Miss International Beauty Pageant, which will be held on November 8 at the Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel.

The young Filipina, a graduate of BA Speech Communication from the University of the Philippines, trained for months at the prestigious Dale Carnegie Training, and had to learn three languages, including Mandarin and Nihonggo.

Since winning the Bb. Pilipinas International crown, Fernandez has become more graceful after undergoing training in jazz, latin and belly dancing.

Nervous

Despite her radiant beauty and talent, Fernandez told media people during her send off party at the Mandarin Suites at the Gateway Mall in Cubao, that she is very nervous and needs the Filipinos' support to grab the Miss International crown.

"Please, please pray for me. I badly need your prayers. I hope I will be your fifth Miss International," she said. "I'm nervous, but I hope I will be able to make our country proud."

Fernandez is hoping to follow the steps of Lara Quigaman, who won the 2005 Miss International Beauty Pageant held in Japan.

Quigaman is the fourth Filipina to grab the prestigious crown. The other Filipina beauties that have been crowned Miss International were Melanie Marquez, Aurora Pijuan and Gemma Cruz.

At the send off, Fernandez gave the media people a taste of her talent playing the piano. She said she has been playing the piano since she was six years old.

She sang a Kundiman (a genre of traditional Filipino love songs), while playing the piano. The Filipina beauty boasts a talent in singing as she trained for two years with the UP Singing Ambassadors.

Patchot is taken

In her brief encounter with the press people at the send off, Fernandez, fondly called "Patchot" by her family and close friends, threw out the bad news: She's taken.

She said her boyfriend, whom she said she had been dating since college, will also fly to Macau to witness the beauty pageant.

Also coming with Fernandez are her mother, her mother's friends and her sister.

Asked if she's willing to have a career in the entertainment business, Fernandez said she is open to it. However, she said she is more focused on the upcoming beauty pageant, and that making movies rarely comes to her mind.

Bringing to Macau the Filipino's warmth

Aside from a winter jacket, which she had been advised to bring because of the cold climate in Macau, Fernandez said she will show the world the Filipino's warmth.

"What I am most proud of about the Philippines is the fact that our people are as warm as our climate," the Filipina beauty said.

Pinay beauties' edge over Latin ladies: Warmth

I have been observing how beauty pageants are being taken for the last 20 years. I have heard lots of backstage stories of most of the contestants. It is countless. One thing I have observed is the diversion of what could be the original purpose of the pageant which is to build friendship and camaraderie among the participating countries. It is supposed to be for fun but things aren't the same nowadays.

Beauty pageants, though this are really contests, has reached a new dimension. This is being taken uber now. Contestants usually bitch other contestants not to mention also the fact that pageants fans insult, bash, and criticize heavily every candidates and even supporters of a particular country. Racist comments are thrown to each and everyone. This is pathetic. The purpose is now defeated.

I don't see something wrong in being so competitive but not to the point of bitching around. A friendly atmosphere should always be observed since this is one of the reasons for the staging of the pageant. Candidates should still learn to befriend each and everyone.

I want to share an interesting article about an interview of the three Binibining Pilipinas winners this year. Miss Philippines-Universe Jennifer Barrientos (who competed in Vietnam last Miss Universe pageant), Miss Philippines-World Danielle Castano (who replaced Janina San Miguel as Philippine representative to the Miss World 2008 pageant in South Africa) and Miss Philippines-International Patricia Fernandez had an interview with a Philippines local television show.

In the interview, Jennifer Barrientos talked about the difference of Filipina beauties to other beauties especially the South Americans. She said her contemporaries are friendlier to their fellow candidates.

Pinay beauties' edge over Latin ladies: Warmth

SOURCE: LINK

For years now Latin ladies have dominated the world of international beauty pageants but Filipino beauties are unfazed.

Reigning Binibining (Bb) Pilipinas Universe Jennifer Barrientos, Bb. Pilipinas World Danielle Castaño and Bb. Pilipinas International Patricia Fernandez said Filipino beauties are unique.

In an interview on “Mornings@ANC,” the three women said Filipinas have their own style.

“We show more warmth and friendliness,” Fernandez said.

It is not easy being a beauty queen though. Before they can represent the country in international competitions, the winners of the prestigious beauty contest are required to undergo rigorous trainings.

Barrientos emphasized the importance of preparing for the competitions.

“The secret is how you prepare and how you keep the power within. It’s how you concentrate, keep your focus,” she said.

Castaño, on the other hand, said: “Just finish school first before you go into something like beauty pageants and then that’s when you focus. If you want something and just keep dreaming, just be strong and you’ll succeed.”

The hard work though pays off even if the country’s representatives fail to bring home the crown.

Barrientos, who represented the country in Miss Universe 2008 held in Vietnam, for instance, said because of the experience she got to meet new friends from other countries.

“The whole experience was very fun. I got to meet new people, new friends from other countries. And I got to experience all of the things that other beauty queens experienced,” she said.

Fernandez and Castaño are set to compete in Macau and South Africa, respectively, in the coming months.

“I really pray that I will be able to bring honor to our country but, of course, I could only prepare,” said Fernandez who is leaving the country next week for the Miss International competition in November.

For Castaño, she said she has been undergoing trainings to prepare her for the Miss World pageant in December.

Ever wondered what’s up with beauty queen hand wave? The three beauties said it is for picture taking.

In the first picture is Miss Philippines-International Patricia Fernandez and in the second picture is Miss Philippines-Universe Jennifer Barrientos. Photo credits to OPMB and Binibining Pilipinas.