Saturday, 30 April 2011

Harvester, O2 Arena

This is the second time I have been to Harvester, the first was at Bromley I think and I liked it, so when I found out there was a new branch at the O2 I thought I'd try it out.

I ordered the Cajun chicken burger with the salsa sauce and mash. I knew the portion sizes were large but it felt enormous this time. Last time I think I had a chicken roast with chips (can't remember clearly because it was more than a year ago). I think a huge mistake was ordering mash, I love mash, I was a bit hesitant with ordering mash with a burger but when a friend ordered the the chicken burger with chips I thought I'd be a bit different. However I didn't like the mash here, it didn't taste that nice, possibly processed and the serving was huge! At least 2 portions of what I'd expect. The burger wasn't great either. The chicken was too thick whilst the bun too thin and soggy at the bottom, the vegetables were also non-existent. I didn't get any taste either to be brutally honest. I also had a salad before, maybe a bad decision but at least I got my greens! The bar was rather small to be honest, well the whole shop was much smaller than the one in Bromley. I only took some sweetcorn, lettuce, peppers and cucumbers - no dressing because I don't see the point. Some of the peppers looked a bit too ripe and the lettuce was definitely not fresh, the sweetcorn was sweet though lol and the cucumbers were ok.

Anyway I didn't enjoy my meal, it was only about £8 though, a bargain considering the portion sizes. I will go to Harvester again but probably not to this branch.

Lotus Floating Restaurant, Crossharbour

I've been a bit lazy, I visited Lotus a few days ago but I couldn't be bothered to review it until now. Actually I've been to Lotus a lot of times, it is one of the many around Greenwich. What always bothers me with Lotus is how difficult it is to find free parking. I don't know if they have a dedicated car park but most of the spaces surrounding it either say private or authorised only. Anyway I do like its location, on the River Thames in quite an attractive urban setting. We ordered Siu Mai (I'm literally obsessed), Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Scallop Dumplings, Vietnamese Cheung Fun and Prawn and Egg Ho Fun (I can't find the actual name).

To be honest the food wasn't great, the service was ok. Beforehand I was just attracted to it because it was on the Thames but now when I think about it the best around the area are definitely The Peninsula and Yi-Ban, honestly there's no point going anywhere else because they are so close anyway. Anyway the Siu Mai was average, I've become a Siu Mai monster this past year and I can say I know what I like and I didn't like these. They sneakily took back the first batch that were made for us because they weren't good enough but the second batch didn't seem any better. The skin was soggy and ripped easily and the meat was very plain. The Vietnamese Spring Rolls were crispy but the meat yet again was very plain. I'm not actually a fan of scallop dumplings but because we couldn't think of anything else to order we picked this because we sacrificed scallop cheung fun for something a tad different. The scallop dumplings tasted ok but I didn't find any scallops! The Vietnamese Cheung Fun was quite nice, though I had nothing to compare it with as most restaurants don't serve this (the reason why we picked it). The portion size was huge though! And it was basically all dough, a little bit of soya sauce would have been nice. Finally the ho fun was a bit too soggy for me, it's supposed to be soggy, I just don't like ho fun smothered in sauce.

Anyway the food was average, I think I've had better here. It's not a disaster, I wouldn't mind going again but then I'd rather go to the Peninsula or Yi-Ban.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Review

I know it has been two weeks since the final but I loved Binibining Pilipinas 2011 so much that I had to produce a full review rather than my live one. I loved the production, the energy, the girls, the music! I just wanted to put my views into one post so I could read it in the future and maybe some of you who are interested would read it as well. Anyway here I go, remember all rankings are subjective.

Swimsuit and Evening Gown Review

01. Zephorah Mayon

Zephorah Mayon was a strong candidate however she wasn't one of the most memorable out of the pack. She walked beautifully in both rounds, if not a bit too quickly in the evening gown, however her gown suited her well. I think she was a well rounded candidate but she didn't excel in any area.

Swimsuit: 21st
Evening Gown: 18th
Overall: 24th

02. Elizabeth Clenci

Elizabeth was beautiful but her body is just not working. She's too chubby at the moment to win the points and because of her height she doesn't look as spot on in her evening gown. She needs a bit of toning, once she's got that down she would be a fierce competitor.

Swimsuit: 25th
Evening Gown: 34th
Overall: 28th

03. Carolyn Ty

Carolyn was a sentimental favourite of mine but I was disappointed with her performance up until her evening gown performance. She looked amazing in her gown and I even put her in the Top 10 for evening gown. If she could produce a more well rounded performance she'd be capable of making the Top 15.

Swimsuit: 27th
Evening Gown: 8th
Overall: 13th

04. Gianna Therese Quintos

Gianna has a lovely body and a decent look, which should mean she does well but she needs more confidence, she always seems rather timid when she performs and there's a distinct stiffness in her face whenever she smiles.

Swimsuit: 38th
Evening Gown: 28th
Overall: 39th

05. Jennielyn Natividad

Jennielyn was a dark horse and I put her in the top half in each segment, she was a great performer, that was evident in her swimsuit but I think her styling wasn't great. Her hair did make her more vivacious but it also added years to her look. I saw her styling a different hairstyle during the crowning, maybe that would have helped her advance.

Swimsuit: 12th
Evening Gown: 15th
Overall: 17th

06. Patricia Tumulak

Ok I may be a fan of Patricia but I honestly think she was one of the best on the night. She wasn't the best in either segment but her overall performance made me put her joint No.1. However her walk could do with some improving, she wasn't as sharp as some of the contestants but her beauty and energy pulled her score back up.

Swimsuit: 4th
Evening Gown: 4th
Overall: 1st

07. Angelia Ong

Angelia performed beautifully in both segments, I think if she wanted to improve she needs to provide a more womanly essence because she seemed rather prom queen in her evening gown. However she was indeed beautiful.

Swimsuit: 13th
Evening Gown: 19th
Overall: 16th

08. Kristina Marasigan

I'm a fan of Tina but I couldn't help feeling disappointed with her that night, her performance was strong but then her hair irked me and her hyena smile made her look slightly unattractive. I would like to have seen her with a different hairstyle and maybe a less gummy smile.

Swimsuit: 20th
Evening Gown: 14th
Overall: 21st

09. Bernadette Aguirre

Bernadette is actually very pretty and she does her best in all segments but I think it's her shoulders, they are very square and masculine so whenever she walks she looks slightly like a linebacker. I guess sometimes it's impossible to overcome genes.

Swimsuit: 24th
Evening Gown: 36th
Overall: 33rd

10. Hazelyn Santos

Hazelyn is a nice looking girl but she looks very timid and rather like a deer in the headlights. She did however look beautiful in her evening gown but it was all too little too late.

Swimsuit: 32nd
Evening Gown: 16th
Overall: 34th

11. Diana Arevalo

Something about Diana didn't spark in the finals. She was beautiful but she didn't stand out. She scored lowly for me in her evening gown because she swept by without me noticing her really, however remember I not only scored the girls on Swimsuit and Evening Gown, I also gave them scores on their intro, even though I didn't give it as much weighting as the other two. She did however make my Top 10 of the night.

Swimsuit: 8th
Evening Gown: 27th
Overall: 10th

12. Carla Lacson

Carla Lacson is beautiful, hell everyone is beautiful this year! But she just doesn't stand out, she just doesn't have that it factor because she isn't timid and has a nice smile but amongst the pack she withers away.

Swimsuit: 36th
Evening Gown: 35th
Overall Rank: 38th

13. Queenierich Rehman

I wasn't a huge fan of Queenierich but her swimsuit performance was absolutely seductive and her body beautiful but her evening gown was weak, at least I think so. Her gown didn't work and she looked rather aged.

Swimsuit: 1st
Evening Gown: 38th
Overall: 15th

14. Marish Marquinez

I loved Marish, she is a sentimental favourite, but take this how you will I thought she looked like a beautiful ladyboy! I think she was gorgeous but then something about her styling made her look rather masculine, maybe it was the extreme eye make up and the very edgy bone structure. However I still loved her don't get me wrong.

Swimsuit: 31st
Evening Gown: 11th
Overall: 25th

15. Arabella Hanesh

I love Arabella's confidence and smile, it's always nice to see a girl that looks as if she's enjoying her time but you can't deny she looked like the candidates auntie in her evening gown. The whole styling was just not working.

Swimsuit: 22nd
Evening Gown: 37th
Overall: 30th

16. Sabrinne Al-Tawill

Sabrinne is amazing but then she wasn't the star of the night, something just didn't totally work out and I hated her head flicks, it looked like she was having neck cramps or something. However she is undeniably exotic and beautiful and her intro performance was the best.

Swimsuit: 18th
Evening Gown 10th
Overall: 9th

17. Gerlie Lero

In every competition there is a weakest link and sadly Gerlie was the weakest imo. I think it is her age combined with her over exertion in each segment. She just needs to calm down a bit and be more natural on stage, her face was also rather stiff.

Swimsuit: 34th
Evening Gown: 40th
Overall: 40th

18. Teresa Pamela Ludovice

Something about Teresa doesn't click with me, though I must say she looked stunning in her evening gown. Comparatively her look isn't as outstanding as some of the other girls and she looks more like a candidate from the early 90s.

Swimsuit: 37th
Evening Gown: 17th
Overall: 35th

19. Wendy Lucas

I love Wendy's eyes, her oriental looks make her look racially ambiguous. She gets bashed a lot but I just love her, her body however is not right for pageantry I think because she has wide hips and a long torso.

Swimsuit: 29th
Evening Gown: 12th
Overall: 20th 

20. Jeanette Noguchi

I was a fan of Jeanette until I saw her catwalk. It's great to feed off from the crowd but her walk is almost a joke, I think she's playing on that a bit but it's just doesn't work especially because she is long and lanky. A huge waste of a decent beauty.

Swimsuit: 40th
Evening Gown: 31st
Overall: 37th

21. Kenneth Dimaapi

Kenneth doesn't know how to look sexy and seductive without smiling, that's her major fault. Her swimsuit was also rather weak and her walk needs improving but she is indeed beautiful as long as she smiles.

Swimsuit: 39th
Evening Gown: 26th
Overall: 29th

22. Paula Camille Figueras

Paula was my unexpected surprise of the night, I knew she had potential but I didn't expect to love her so much! I loved her swimsuit, she was fresh, energetic and beautiful - her smile was dazzling and that little side thing she did was so cute and sexy! Fantastic! And I also loved how she acknowledged the guy taking her down the steps in the evening gown, so classy. LOVE!

Swimsuit: 2nd
Evening Gown: 9th
Overall: 5th

23. Luzelle Felipe

Luzelle is beautiful but she really doesn't stick out to me amongst the sea of beautiful girls. She deserves a Top 15 spot but I don't think she should have won any of the crowns. She has potential though and I wouldn't mind seeing her in another year. I don't get why she was Best in Evening Gown though.

Swimsuit: 26th
Evening Gown: 20th
Overall: 23rd

24. Martha McCulley

Martha is gorgeous but I understand why she wasn't picked for a Top 15 spot because she simply didn't look like a frontrunner. she looked too much like a deer in the headlights and her body still needs some toning. When she gets some abs I would like to her compete again.

Swimsuit: 17th
Evening Gown: 22nd
Overall: 18th

25. Isabella Manjon

I love Isabella and she looked gorgeous throughout the night. She was amazing in her evening gown, she looked stunning and elegant! Her body can still do with some improving but it's not as much of a problem as Elizabeth or Martha's. Love you Isabella!

Swimsuit: 6th
Evening Gown: 2nd
Overall: 3rd

26. Shamcey Supsup

Shamcey Supsup is a beautiful candidate, in my opinion she was the most well rounded of all the contestants, she performed well in every segment and looked stunning throughout there was no obvious downfall about her and that's why she deserves to win.

Swimsuit: 5th
Evening Gown: 3rd
Overall: 1st

27. Janine Tugonon

Something about Janine didn't work on the night, she has always been one of my sentimental favourites but her look just didn't work, maybe she was too tanned? I don't know - oh and yes her torso looked abnormally short in the swimsuit segment.

Swimsuit: 35th
Evening Gown: 25th
Overall: 31st

28. Joanna Tuazon

Joanna is actually a good candidate but I think her face is slightly too chubby or something, something about her frame just doesn't look lean enough even though she has a very nice body. Her evening gown wasn't good though, I blame the gown.

Swimsuit: 23rd
Evening Gown: 32nd
Overall: 27th

29. Krystle Ann Grant

Krystle was a girl that I knew was gorgeous but didn't really recognise until I saw her VT. Her swimsuit round further solidified her as one to watch but her evening gown dropped her a lot of points, the styling just didn't work with her fresh look and it all came tumbling down.

Swimsuit: 10th
Evening Gown: 23rd
Overall: 11th

30. Kathleen Subijano

I actually like Kathleen but I didn't like her styling and her eyes looked rather scary to me, or was it just me. Something just didn't click on the night so when she was named as a Top 15 I was rather shocked, though she had always been part of my wildcards.

Swimsuit: 30th
Evening Gown: 29th
Overall: 32nd

31. Samantha Purvor

Samantha Purvor is beautiful but she still doesn't beat the shock when I saw her in the prelim swimsuit presentation where she looked gorgeous. However she performed well throughout the night and would have been a great choice for Top 15, I just love her racial ambiguity.

Swimsuit: 19th
Evening Gown: 13th
Overall: 14th

32. Jenn-Roe Gubat

OMG Jenn's legs! When I saw her walking in the swimsuit round where the camera was at floor level looking up I just died, she looked like a sultry amazoness. Her evening gown however was a huge letdown, one of the worst gowns imo.

Swimsuit: 3rd
Evening Gown: 33rd
Overall: 12th

33. Dianne Necio

I love Dianne but I just didn't connect with her in the competition, she never came across as a leading frontrunner to me. She just didn't have that extra Je ne sais quoi. I love Dianne but I just thought she was second best throughout the night, even though she performed well in each segment.

Swimsuit: 9th
Evening Gown: 7th
Overall: 6th

34. Mary Jean Lastimosa

I wasn't a huge fan of MJ before the finals but she converted me on the night. There's a lot to love about MJ from her name, I love how people say Las-tii-moe-saR!!! to her body to her sultry looks to her confidence to her everything! But she was obviously rather under the weather in her swimsuit, she didn't have the same buzz as she did before but her physique was enough to put her amongst the best. She came back strong in her evening gown, she looked divine. She was definitely a standout on the night.

Swimsuit: 7th
Evening Gown: 1st
Overall: 4th

35. Suzette Hernandez

Before the finals Suzette was one of those girls that faded into the background but on the night she was definitely a pleasant surprise, she was confident, beautiful and sexy. Go Suzette!

Swimsuit: 14th
Evening Gown: 21st
Overall: 19th

36. Camille Alexis Baltazar

Camille was beautiful, she looked a bit of Venus Raj at points I think but her evening gown was awful. Her gown was awful her walk lacked energy and she was overwhelmed by the whole situation. A shame.

Swimsuit: 16th
Evening Gown: 39th
Overall: 26th

37. Sarah Clenci

I loved Sarah's fresh vibe and it's great to see a teen with so much confidence, she is definitely ready to take on an international pageant but then she would do better with a few more years of experience. I love Sarah and I think she should be amongst everyones favourites. I loved her flowy gown.

Swimsuit: 15th
Evening Gown: 5th
Overall: 8th

38. Ladylyn Riva

Ladylyn was a shock, she had that elegance about her that made her stand out, her look isn't as gorgeous as some others but she just had that air about her. However she was still slightly raw in her performance I think.

Swimsuit: 28th
Evening Gown: 24th
Overall: 22nd

39. Glennifer Perido

Glennifer, like Krystle, was another girl I thought was beautiful but had ignored however she just stood out in both segments. She looked amazing in both segments and absolutely fantastic in the evening gown, I want to see Glennifer again and next time as a favourite.

Swimsuit: 11th
Evening Gown: 6th
Overall: 7th

40. Monique Manuel

I think Monique is a good candidate but she just looks very old especially in her evening gown where she looked the age of Margie Moran. The gown didn't help her one bit either and I think the stylists may have tried to make her look queenly elegant rather than fresh elegant.

Swimsuit: 33rd
Evening Gown: 30th
Overall: 36th



So if you missed that...
Swimsuit Segment Top 10
1st. Queenierich Rehman
2nd. Paula Camille Figueras
3rd. Jenn-Roe Gubat
4th. Patricia Tumulak
5th. Shamcey Supsup
6th. Isabella Manjon
7th. Mary Jean Lastimosa
8th. Diana Arevalo
9th. Dianne Necio
10th. Krystle Ann Grant

Evening Gown Top 10
1st. Mary Jean Lastimosa
2nd. Isabella Manjon
3rd. Shamcey Supsup
4th. Patricia Tumulak
5th. Sarah Clenci
6th. Glennifer Perido
7th. Dianne Necio
8th. Carolyn Ty
9th. Paula Camille Figueras
10th. Sabrinne Al-Tawill

So Paula Camille Figueras, Patricia Tumulak, Shamcey Supsup, Isabella Manjon, Mary Jean Lastimosa and Dianne Necio featured in both Top 10s - that's why they were Top 6 of the night!

Overall Ranking Before Top 15

=1st. Patricia Tumulak
=1st. Shamcey Supsup
3rd. Isabella Manjon
4th. Mary Jean Lastimosa
5th. Paula Camille Figueras
6th. Dianne Necio
7th. Glennifer Perido
8th. Sarah Clenci
9th. Sabrinne Al-Tawill
10th. Diana Arevalo
11th. Krystle Ann Grant
12th. Jenn-Roe Gubat
13th. Carolyn Ty
14th. Samantha Purvor
15th. Queenierich Rehman

16th. Angelia Ong
17th. Jennielyn Natividad
18th. Martha McCulley
19th. Suzette Hernandez
20th. Wendy Lucas
21st Kristina Marasigan
22nd. Ladylyn Riva

23rd. Luzelle Felipe
24th. Zephorah Mayon
25th. Marish Marquinez
26th. Camille Alexis Baltazar
27th. Joanna Tuazon
28th Elizabeth Clenci
29th. Kenneth Dimaapi
30th. Arabella Hanesh
31st. Janine Tugonon
32nd. Kathleen Subijano

33rd. Bernadette Aguirre
34th. Hazelyn Santos
35th. Teresa Pamela Ludovice
36th. Monique Manuel
37th. Jeanette Noguchi
38th. Carla Lacson
39th. Gianna Therese Quintos
40th. Gerlie Lero


So if the Top 15 followed my rankings Paula Camille Figueras, Glennifer Perido, Krystle Ann Grant, Carolyn Ty and Samantha Purvor would have got a second look. However I think Wendy Lucas, Kristina Marasigan and Luzelle Felipe were also good choices and Janine Tugonon and Kathleen Subijano earned their place after their good final question segment.


So Final Answer time!
I did my best to write out the questions and answers, without any grammatical corrections, sorry if there are some mistakes.


06. Patricia Tumulak

Question
Ms. Charo Santos Concio
What is the best piece of advice you could give to a teenager growing up today?

A nice question, allows the candidate to develop in different directions whilst linking her own experiences.

Answer
The best teen advice that I would give to the teenager today is just to be yourself, especially here in this world who are trying to be someone else that they're not and not allowing yourself to define who you are but be the best advice. Just being yourself. That's it.

I like this answer, it's well considered and to the point and everything develops from this main point - being yourself. She messed up some of her words and phrasing though and the second line didn't amalgamate into anything but the beginning and the end of the answer was well structured. I would like to have heard a bit more depth, maybe Patricia should have developed into why you should be yourself.


08. Kristina Marasigan


Question
Mr Alex Cabagnot
If there was one incident in the world you would change what would it be?

I don't like this question that much because it normally streamlines candidates into saying I would change nothing, or something that could divide viewers. It's a very difficult question to please.

Answer
If there is one incident in this world that I can change I wouldn't change anything because I know with our experience we learn and we become better persons.

A short and concise answer that was pretty textbook but answered well. I think Tina should have fleshed the answer out a bit because the first phrase wasn't necessary. It's a difficult question to get right but maybe adding your own experience would have worked. I would actually like somebody to  answer this question differently for once but it would take a great orator and intellect to get it right.


11. Diana Arevalo


Question
Mr David Charlton

When you were a child what was your dream for the future and has it changed, if it's changed at all?

A very simple question that I'm not very keen on because it doesn't make the candidate think, it's not a question that requires the candidate to consider things but just blurt out facts and normally it's about wanting to be a beauty queen when in fact saying something different would make a more interesting answer.

Answer
When I was a child I really dreamed of being a beauty queen and right now I am following my dreams and I'm following my hearts desire and I just hope whatever my hearts desire is also god's will for me. Thank you.

Maybe it's just me but when I hear contestants going "I wanted to be a beauty queen since I was a child" I just feel negative towards them. It shows their dedication and maybe the judges like this ass licking but I would like to hear dreams outside or related to pageantry not simply winning a pageant. Maybe she could of said how pageantry will help her in representing her country or in charity. Just simply stating she wants to be a beauty queen seems a bit vain and just not good enough for me, though I liked the hearts desire bit.


13. Queenierich Rehman

Question
His Excellency Hans Danenberg

Aside from the members of your family who's your personal hero and why

This is an obvious question most candidates would have considered an answer for this I think.

Answer
Aside from my family my personal hero is god himself because I know he is always there for me whatever happens and I know he'll always be there for me and always be inside me for whatever reasons it might be.

God answers are ok with me but I'd like a bit more originality. This answer was sweet but underdeveloped as she repeated the same point. All the contestants did well but I'd like to have heard something more original and out of the box.


16. Sabrinne Al-Tawill

Question
Hon. Cristino "Bong" Naguiat Jr.

What do you think Filipinas need nowadays in order to win an international competition?

I like this question because it's not a question you'd expect but still something related. But then I don't like it because it's too pageant related.

Answer
I think Filipinos can really do excel at international competition if they would show their confidence, their support to their country and at the same time the intelligence that we Filipinos have and that we should show it to the other countries how we area and what can we bring to the different countries. Thank you.

The answer itself had a lot of good points such as supporting your own country and intelligence but it was worded rather confusingly and grammatically it wasn't strong. It wasn't well structured and I would have liked to have heard how these traits would allow Filipinos to win pageants because supporting your country is a very vague concept to link with winning pageants.



19. Wendy Lucas

Question
Mr Gilbert Simpao

What is that one experience in your life that moulded your personality or changed your perspective on life?

Quite a generic question really that most candidates should have an answer to.

Answer
Well that's a very nice question. The experience that truly mould me was when I joined the Miss Tourism Intercontinental last May since I was able to be with other candidates internationally and it's where I've seen in diversity there could be unity. Thank you

The answer was near train wreck to me until she said "in diversity there could be unity". That was a very good little point to make at the end even though it may have been rehearsed but she needed to say it with more conviction. I don't like how she talked about another pageant especially being her most important life experience and to be honest she didn't answer the question in that she stated the experience but didn't then say how it changed her perspective on life.


23. Luzelle Felipe

Question
Mr Anthony Charlemagne Yu

If you are to write a letter to the president of the Philippines what would you tell him and why?

Luzelle got one of the best questions of the night I think because it's easy to associate yourself with intellect and also please the crowd because politics usually does.

Answer
If I will write a letter to the government of the Philippines I will write to him to listen to his people because I believe that the people is the government so the government is the people. Thank you so much.

...and Luzelle laps it up. She gave the most crowd pleasing answer of the night simply because she empowered them. It was a very simple answer and very easy to consider but she said it and it worked, it was short and sweet and made her look clever and thoughtful - good job Luzelle (even though it was relatively easy to do a good job).




25. Isabella Manjon

Question
Mr Ernie Lopez

Are fathers capable of carrying out the duties of a mother and vice versa?

Whilst this question is definitely more interesting than life goals because it talks about something current I don't like the fact that this is a yes or no question. Simple starting with "Are" means the answer is normally yes/no.

Answer
For me I believe a man can also do a job of a woman because I believe that god made us all equally and if we are all equal we could also do anything with god's grace. Thank you.

A good answer, well structured and considered however yet again I would have loved to hear something a bit different that would automatically make the candidate stand out, maybe be more specific to a father's role rather than a male.


26. Shamcey Supsup

Question
Mr Hugh Wilson

With what worthy cause do you identify yourself with and why?

A slightly different question which is good but rather dull.

Answer
I think one worthy cause I can identify myself is valuing education cause I believe that education is something that cannot be taken away from you. You can have money, you can have fame but in the end it could be taken from you but education will always be there to help you in your life. Thank you.

Honestly at first I thought this question was about charity and how the candidate is associated with it but I like how Shamcey interpreted it because it definitely answers the question. I think Shamcey answered this very well, it was well structured and well said. However I would like to have heard an answer more specific to the candidate.


27. Janine Tugonon

Question
Ms Margie Moran Floirendo

What is a major major lesson that men can learn from women?

A good question, very wide scope but a bit too similar to past questions and therefore makes people compare her to somebody else (cough cough Dayana Mendoza).

Answer
Thank you, I think the major lesson that men can learn from woman is to love unconditionally. Woman are able to touch the lives and be of service to others. Men can realise that at the end of this journey what matters is that our own happiness but how we are able to serve others is our years of existence will be worthless if we haven't done anything for humanity. Thank you.

I think this is a strong answer despite what others say. She also said it with conviction. Yes there are areas which could be improved but on the whole this is the best answer out of the bunch because it is well considered and her use of language makes it work. What makes a good answer is one that makes you think for a second and that definitely did. I also think it makes sense, unlike others who don't. Her main point is loving unconditionally, she needed to link serving others to loving unconditionally though, but everything else works. Some people say she is overgeneralising men's and women's traits but with a question like this you need to use stereotypes or you could just argue down anything - think about Dayana Mendoza's answer and she used stereotypes as well but everybody though she was clever.


30. Kathleen Subijano

Question
Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr.

What gives you peace of mind?

A short and simple question, I don't like it because it's too fact based - a direct question about the candidate.

Answer
What gives me peace of mind is when I meditate because I've been told that god speaks to you when you meditate and when we pray we speak to god and we listen to him when we meditate and listening to god gives me peace. Thank you

This is a very strong answer because it flows well (well structured) and had an impact. However it doesn't make her stand out because she needed to push the question a bit as it's a very dull question.


32. Jenn-Roe Gubat

Question
Hon. Secretary Edwin Lacierda

In the wake of worldwide conflict and calamities how is winning a beauty title important and relevant.

I like this question, different but related whilst also evoking some murmurs from the crowd - that's what makes a good question I think.

Answer
For me, if I win any of the crown tonight I won't be just the symbol of beauty but love, respect and compassion for others and showing how I value time, god and my family. Thank you

She started off well but then if sort of went off track. I don't see how winning the crown would show how she values time, god and family, these points needed more development. However she did answer it with conviction and obviously using key words such as god and family would score her points.


33. Dianne Necio

Question
Mrs Silvana Fornari

What is your biggest accomplishment to date and what is your biggest goal in the next 12 months?

Yet again too fact based, doesn't really make you think.

Answer
My greatest achievement was winning last year in Binibining Pilipinas as first runner up and my goal is to win in this competition, one of the crowns, and hopefully bring home the crown from the international pageant. Thank you.

If I was to be brutally honest I hated this answer simply because every facet of it was about pageantry whilst at least Diana brought her "heart's desire" into it Dianne just talked about pageantry, pageantry and more pageantry. This would probably work with judges but for me I just don't like it when candidates are obsessed with winning and pageantry, show it in some other means.


34. Mary Jean Lastimosa

Question
Ms Charo Santos Concio

Can you please name at least three things that make you smile and why?

A decent question though I think it shouldn't be three, either don't limit it or say one thing so that the contestant doesn't start going into a list but develops the reason for why that thing makes her smile.

Answer
The three things that made me smile is one the love of my family, they have been always there to support me in everything that I do. Second, the love of the people that I don't even know that are here supporting and cheering for me that even my family is not here they are here. They are making me strong and number three the love of these candidates. Thank you

I didn't like how she flirted with Derek Ramsey anyway a decent answer, well structured and well developed however I would have liked to hear something different and specific to her.


37. Sarah Clenci

Question
Mr Anthony Charlemagne Yu

It is said that nobody is perfect, what trait of yours would you want to change?

Yet again like Tina's question this normally streamlines the candidate into saying no and is difficult to please.

Answer
There is nothing I would want to change about myself because there is a reason the way I am and god has created me the way I am and I am so glad to say that I am here standing today, tonight and being who I am has brought me here. Thank you.

I am, I am, I am... just kidding. It was a decent answer, very good that she linked it back to the present. However this type of question would have lent well to something out of the box and specific to the candidate but Sarah didn't take that chance.






So after the Q&A my rankings were

15th. Kathleen Subijano

she was too far behind to make an impact with her Q&A

14th. Janine Tugonon

same for Janine, a strong candidate but her two previous performances put her in a bad position.

13th. Kristina Marasigan

She looked less and less attractive through the night, sorry but I love you Tina

12th. Wendy Lucas

A bit too timid throughout the night

11th. Queenierich Rehman

She withered after the swimsuit

10th. Jenn-Roe Gubat

Same as Queenierich, she withered after the swimsuit

9th. Diana Arevalo

She seemed to always be second best, she didn't stand out as a front runner - though she looked beautiful.

8th. Luzelle Felipe

Her Q&A pushed her high, above Diana who was ranked at 10th for me before Q&A whilst Luzelle was 23rd.

7th. Sabrinne Al-Tawill

She's gorgeous but needs more training

6th. Dianne Necio

Second best throughout the night. Whilst I was happy that she won a crown I don't think she deserved it - ooh!

5th. Sarah Clenci

She was a strong candidate throughout but may have been overlooked because there were a lot of strong candidates and she wasn't considered a favourite.

4th. Mary Jean Lastimosa

MJ pulled all the stops and deserved a top spot, even a crown but she seemed rather disheartened throughout the night so that's why she only ranks 4th.

3rd. Isabella Manjon

She deserved her title, she was beautiful.

and JOINT 1st!

Shamcey Supup and Patricia Tumulak

For me they were head to head throughout the night so either one of them winning was good for me.

So that ends my review, it was tough typing all that out but this years Binibining deserved a thorough analysis. I hope next year will be just as good.