“I have never seen anything like this before.”
The statement of Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc.’s (BPCI) Stella Marquez-Araneta sums up the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 National Costume parade held Wednesday night at the New Frontier Theater at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.
The crowd, including the panel of judges, was in awe as the entire show, a run-up to the coronation night on June 9 where Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray will crown her successor, showcased hometown-inspired creations that pay tribute to the Philippines’ diverse heritage and rich culture.
“I want to thank all the designers that came out with these beautiful creations. I think we should try to send these to some countries in Asia for them to see what we have in this country,” Marquez-Araneta said of the Filipino designers’ ingenuity.
Forty candidates paraded on the New Frontier Theater stage. The themes for the costumes wore by the candidates were diverse. Some candidates paid homage to the warriors and princesses known to their provinces, others made creative statements to highlight their advocacies like the Ibong Adarna costume with a tail that symbolizes the LGBT flag. There were deities and fairies in sparkling gold costumes, virgins, hacienderas, a modern and female version of Emilio Aguinaldo’s uniform, a Whang-Od inspired costume, a Tausug tribe-inspired ensemble, gowns that resemble rice cake, sugar cane, flowers and corals, modern and traditional Filipiniana made using indigenous fabrics, and a few more cultural references that feature the country’s rich culture.
At the end of the show, 10 Binibinis were chosen to compete for the Best in National Costume award. They were: Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna; Maria Andrea Abesamis of Pasig City;Vickie Marie Rushton of Negros Occidental; Hannah Arnold of Masbate; Samantha Bernardo of Palawan; Cassandra Chan of Bacolod; Samantha Lo of Cebu City; Jessarie Dumaguing of Puerto Princesa; Resham Saeed of Maguindanao; and Emma Tiglao of Pampanga.
According to the organizers, these candidates will be the ones who will compete for the National Costume competition and the winners will be decided by the audience. Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite finalist on the Bb. Pilipinas website.
Meanwhile, Bb. Pilipinas also announced the Top 3 finalists for its talent competition: Samantha Mae Bernardo of Palawan, Cassandra Chan of Bacolod, and Alannis Reign Binoya of Batangas.
The winner of the Best in Talent award will be announced during the Bb. Pilipinas 2019 coronation night at the Araneta Coliseum on June 9.
Images by Sonny Espiritu
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A report came out early this week that operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested a TV network stuntman for illegal recruitment and possession of illegal firearms. The suspect was identified as Ryan Cabañas.
He was arrested via a search warrant operation served at his residence in Pag-ibig Homes Subdivision in Cainta, Rizal on Monday. The report also said that he works as a stuntman for ABS-CBN.
In a statement sent to Manila Standard by Kane Errol Choa, ABS-CBN’s Head of Corporate Communications, the executive clarified that Cabañas is not in a way connected with the network.
“We would like to clarify that the alleged stuntman who was arrested last Monday by the police for illegal possession of firearms and illegal recruitment as cited in some news reports, is not in any way connected with ABS-CBN and has not been part of any of its shows or films,” the statement said.