Jonas Gaffud, the trainer who has produced a Miss World, a Miss International, and a Miss Universe for the Philippines, shares the secrets to winning beauty pageants and spills inside stories of the most celebrated beauty royalties in recent years in The Crown: Your Essential Guide to Becoming a Beauty Queen, his first book published by ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.
With more than 30 certified beauty titlists, Gaffud is undeniably the country’s premier beauty queen maker. Known as “Mama J” in the industry, his assembly of beauty queen wannabes now includes winners in international beauty contests such as Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss International 2016 Kylie Versoza, and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach who are with him on the book cover.
Together with his beauty pageant training squad, Aces & Queens, the new author has become a key player in the Philippines’ pageantry success for 16 years now.
“It’s all about Aces & Queens’ journey, how we trained beautiful ladies all these years (and their stories as well), how we created our group, and how we evolved,” shared Gaffud on what the book is all about.
The book will prove to be essential to both pageant aspirants and keen spectators, with its discussions on competitions’ crucial matters such as dealing with the height problem, question and answer tricks, and sashaying in heels 101. It also provides the Aces and Queens checklist and tons of tips on preparing for the big event.
Gaffud also opened up about his biggest triumphs. He said, “Training beauty queens gave me front row, and most recently, mosh pit, to the exhilarating world of pageants. Seeing the ladies we trained showcase their unique beauty, walk and personality on stage never fails to give me a natural high. A definite milestone in my career is being able to help make Miss Universe happen in the Philippines.”
The handy manual provides inspiration from the stories of his group’s roster of beauty queens who all remained gracious through victory and defeat. The author also revealed other interesting details like his first-ever buena mano candidate, his Aces & Queens team members and their training forte, and the lessons learned when pageants wrap up.
“The best and most fulfilling part of all is being vessels for these young girls to be better individuals, thinking individuals, who reach their dreams and do something that make our nation proud,” wrote the beauty queen trainer who also heads Mercator Artist and Model Management.
Jonas launched the book together with the other Aces & Queens pillars—Arnold “Mama Ruffa” Mercado and Nad Bronce, and their beauty queen alumnae Pia, Miss Universe 2010 4th runner-up Venus Raj, and alumni–now actor Daniel Matsunaga, model Marc Nash, and other special guests at a ceremony held in Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.
Wurtzbach shared her excitement about the beauty queen manual. She said, “The book gives me a lot of flashbacks when I was just starting. They (Aces & Queens) found potential in me at a time when I didn’t see it yet.”
The book is available at newsstands and bookstores nationwide for only P295.