Bianca Manalo, Miss Philippines

Philippine Airlines Domestic Flight Attendant Pamela Bianca Manalo recalls a comment from a passenger during one of her flights: "What are you doing here? You should be in a beauty contest." The statesque 5'10" Mass Communications grafuate from Assumption College took the passenger quip as compliment while doing her chores 25, 000 feet in the air. For 22 year old Bianca, getting accepted and finishing third from the top of her class as a PAL flight attendant was one prayer answered, although she still nurtured a childhood dream of becoming a beauty queen like her eldest sister, Katherine Manalo, a Miss World Finalist & aunt Nini Ramos, a Miss International semifinalist. Pamela Bianca Ramos Manalo was crowned as the new Miss Philippines-Universe during the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 coronation night at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila on March 8, 2009. She stands 5'10" tall & measures 36.5-26-36.

PRESENTATION - Rating: 9.00
"Many lessons I learned during our cabin crew training - like how to exude grace under pressure, how to be confident, how to develop good interpersonal relationships and how to maximize my talents – will be very useful to me in the pageant," said Bianca. She always presents herself in a sophisticated & polite manner. She seems to always think before she talks and that's a sign of being a considerate human being. Maybe she can be a little bit conservative in the eyes of a Miss Universe panel. One of the highlights of this girl is her delicate flawless skin, which gives a positive impact when face to face with the judges.

FACE - Rating: 8.65
Face wise? She doesn't have stunning facial features. She looks better as a "whole package." You cannot solely focus your attention to her face. She is very pretty but nothing really stands out from her facial features. She still needs to express herself well and develop a fiercer attitude. A little bit of frowning and a little less smiling can take her a long way!

BODY- Rating: 8.70
I think Bianca does have good & natural body symmetry. I do think she should shed at least five to ten pounds and try to tone her body as much as she can till the final night. Luckily she still has plenty of time to do so, just as long as she initiates the change. With the kind of body that she has right now, her preliminary swimsuit score would be very low.

"Shit... I always hate this part!" (right photo caption)

CATWALK SKILLS - Rating: 8.50
If this was a pageant taking place in the 90's I would say her catwalk skills and stage presence are pretty good. It is a given fact that the Miss Universe Organization is now looking for model-type of girls with powerful attitude & projections. Several fierce delegates might eat her alive onstage. Bianca should analyze which road to take: the demure sophisticated catwalk or the fierce way. Bianca’s elegance is innate and she should capitalize on that during the evening gown competition.

BIANCA MANALO'S SCORES:

1. PRESENTATION: ..........................9.00
2. FACE: ...................................…...…8.65
3. BODY: .....................................……8.70
4. CATWALK SKILLS: ......................8.50

NINA RECOMMENDS
I would recommend her to exaggerate more on everything she does without looking like she's overreacting. Whether she decides to be a fierce diva or a classy, demure and sophisticated lady, she still needs to dramatize & emote more onstage. I still got this girl in my top 15 list but she’s walking on thin ice as it’s only based on gut- feeling! Her fate depends on her transformation. Bianca can enhance her catwalk skills by emulating the legendary Miriam Quiambao. Miss Philippines directors can also enhance her stature by choosing gowns from big house names. Japan had been doing that and Miriam Quiambao used an Oscar de la Renta with positive results. Local yet traditional fashion houses in the country may stroke that nationalistic chord but let’s face the fact that it’s “those were the days” at the moment. Meanwhile, the Colombian fashion used by Philippine delegates during the early years of this decade proved fatal. Either way I wish her the best of luck and hopefully she's gonna make her country proud!

DAYS GONE BY...
I remember the last time I saw a contestant with huge potential to take the crown for the Philippines and possibly be one of the best Miss Universe crown holders was indeed Miss Philippines 1999, Miriam Quiambao. Miriam carried the Philippine flag with flying wings through her aura and presence. She has distilled poise and grace with a high level of sophistication that have set the standards for many girls in her country till these days. I must admit she (and Mpule) was not my top favorite for the title, but she won me over with her aura and warmth of sprit. She was a huge favorite at the beginning and she nailed great points in the swimsuit and evening gown segments of the pageant. I think it was the last question that took her by surprise and made her stumble during the final stage of the pageant. I still remember the expression on her face during the Top 3’s last look to the judges. She seemed devastated, it was like her dreams were slowly getting out from her grasp, and fading into the shadows. She almost made me cry and it was not even my country so I can relate to how the Filipinos must have felt that night! (left pic: Miriam Quiambao suffered from one of the worst nightmares, a beauty contestant can have. A terrible fall! Luckily she recovered gracefully receiving a standing ovation from the crowd that night)

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