Last night marked the 25th year of Miss Cebu, the pageant, in consistently producing national and international beauty queens, world-class models, and individuals who excel and standout in different fields. The silver anniversary celebration was the first time all the past winners of Miss Cebu from 1984 to last year’s 2008 gathered on stage to honor the very prestigious pageant.
Update: Check out Miss Cebu 2010 Winners with Complete Pictures!
Miss Cebu 2009 Winners
4th Runner Up: Tara Frances L. Oliver – Candidate No. 5
3rd Runner Up: Michelle Iva G. Eguia – Candidate No. 9
2nd Runner Up: Kimberley Therese A. Burden – Candidate No. 8
1st Runner Up: Rizzini Alexis C. Gomez – Candidate No. 11
Miss Cebu 2009: Kris Tiffany M. Janson – Candidate No. 12
Acting Mayor Mike Rama and Miss Tweetie De Leon crowns Tiffany Janson
Tara, Kimberly, Kris Tiffany, Rizzini and Michelle Respectively
Hosts David Celdran & Menchu Antigua
Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry with Acting Mayor Mike Rama
Richard Poon serenades the queens (Right)
Miss Cebu 2008 Sian Elizabeth Maynard (Left)
Richard Poon serenades all the past winners from the very first Miss Cebu to present. It was great. I’ve been to one of his concert with Sitti and I’m a big fan of standards! 😀
Oj Hofer was awarded as the Best Designer of the Evening Gown. Congratulations Oj! Your gown was indeed fabulous!
Hosts Jude Bacalso, Menchu Antigua, Kat Ross & David Celdran
Past winners batch 2008 with Miss Cebu 2008 Sian Elizabeth Maynard and Prescilla Mae Honorio
Miss Earth Karla Henry (Left) Me with Ray Kuan (Right) Thanks for the pic Ray!
All other pictures were taken by Benjie Ordonez. Thanks Benj!
Final Thoughts:
The pageant was everything I expected and more. I enjoyed it a lot. A big congratulations to Sir Philip Rodriguez and the organizing committee. And to Junjet Primor for directing the show.
Congrats too Jude Bacalso (ABS-CBN Host) for putting on a great show. I loved her remarks and funny one liners. Congrats to all the designers as well. It was a beauty pageant and a fashion show all in one with all the fabulous gowns all through out the show.
Kris Tiffany is really beautiful and did very well. She will serve as Miss Cebu this year for being so well rounded and for being such a role model. Congratulations to all the winners!
What do you guys think? Did you guys enjoy the show? Anyway, I congratulate all the winners. And I’m looking forward to yet another Miss Cebu next year! 😀
wow another successful event sa cebu! sana nakapunta ako dito! nyok nyok 😀
Yeah. It was great. Sana nga maka punta ka na dito Jehz! Especially Sinulog this week here in Cebu! Now is the perfect time to be here in Cebu! 😀
Hindi ka magsisisi! Haha. You’ll fall in love with Cebu! 😛
Great event and great pictures 🙂
hahahahah.. nice shots..
so sad that i miss ms cebu’c
Thanks for the updates, Billy.. As expected di ka talaga nagpapahuli sa mga events jan hehe.. Wish I was there to watch Rizzini, buti nalang adik ka mag post.. At least kahit papano parang anjan na rin ako sa Cebu hehe. BTW, may line up of shows kana ba sa upcoming Sinulog?
i miss the pageant =[
ei billy i watch mr cebu last october..u deserve the people’s choice awardee huh..well, keep it up ^_^
waw. great post. Yay for Kris! A fellow batchmate.
It’s amazing that back then she was this ordinary girl.
And now, she has transformed. Truly beautiful in and out.
I use to take pictures of her in HS now, I don’t think I can na, cannot be reached na. hahahaha.
Kris is a wonderful person. Kahit sikat na siya, very humble, still says hi to her friends.
Saw the pageant last night and the girls who made it to the top5 were absolutely has something to share in the table. though there were some of my fav girls who doesnt made it to the circle of 5 but honestly im relief knowing that those girls chosen by the judges were deserving also that from the very start i dont see there potentials. nway, if u happend to listend closely to the final question and the answers of the girls considering that its ur first time to be there in the pageant night itsef without being there at the prepageant which was day b4 the actual contest the best answer could have been rizini gomez(current ms mndaue and the recent 1st runner up of ms cebu)… no doubt about their beauties and other factors to be considered knowing there ms.cebu candidates i supposed theyre indeed gorgeous and same way unique. nway, the answer that ms.gomez shared during the final question is diffinitely the exact the same answer she gaved during the prepageant with diffrnt questions yet in a way leading to education. so i guess the judges lead by ms. tweety gonsalez heard it already for theyre the same set of judges from the prepageant to the final night. in short, ms.gomez said the same that not surprises the judges that night there fore she dont desrved the crown if that final question really matters to having and winning the crown.
i dont have anything against ms. gomez or any of the girls to that matter. infact its a toast between rizini, kimberly and kris. its just happend that kris elaborated her answer further that luckily approved the judges…
looking forward for ms.cebu 2010!
thanks mcbilly for the details…
Hey Vanjohnn! So nice to know that Kris is a humble person!
I know Rizzi personally and we’re close friends so I know that she is very well deserving. I’m glad to hear that Kris also is a wonderful person both on stage and off.
Why didn’t you watch Miss Cebu? I thought you’re a big beauty pageant fan? You could have taken their pictures too. Haha
Hey Jhodi! How are you there in Manila? Parang mag aartista ka na jan ah! Haha. 😀
Yeah. I’ve several events na lined up for Sinulog. Not to mention that I’m in charge of the Sinulog website. Hehe. Ikaw? Bakit hindi ka magpunta dito para naman maka jam nanaman tayo ulit? Haha.
Hi Paula! Thank you thank you for the kind words! I enjoyed Mr Cebu and I’m really thankful for the reception I got from people through that pageant.
Sayang. Gusto mo din sana manuod ano? Hehe. This one is a whole lot better because it was the 25th Silver anniversary of Miss Cebu. 😀
Hey Jay! How are you? I thought I would have met you during the Miss Cebu pageant. Pit Senyor! 😀
Thanks Dex! Glad you liked the pictures! How are you there abroad?
hey
o… nag comment talaga ako ha…
i was not able to watch it live…
but as ive seen on tv…
it was nice…
to bad they cut it
before the question and answer portion….
i must add… nice gowns…
kudos to cebu designers 😀
youre truly worlds class
I’m just an island away and I can’t believe I wasn’t able to watch Ms. Cebu. But nonetheless, thanks for sharing this to us! Mura ra sad mi nakalantaw sa pageant. Next time, we’ll watch live na gyud. Hehehe! 😀
Hey billy..How’s Sinulog so far? I’ve been seeking everyone’s advice regarding sinulog and believe it or not none of them told me that you’ll gonna be bored with it. Everyone is so excited to be there , and TOO sad that I cannot come with my friends… They will be there for the Sinulog Festival, it couldve been my first time to Cebu and to my Mom’s place. Ill be there next year so I can bring my mother to her province and be introduced to her relatives.
See you next year billy. =]
Congrats for being Magna Cum Laude, Kudos!!!!
I am disappointed about Miss Cebu since the live telecast on Studio 23 isn’t true. I waited until 11 pm that night on Studio 23, and there was no Miss Cebu.
I am not happy with the results with regards to the winner. I can’t see in her pure Cebuana beauty. I prefer candidate no. 11 instead. Very Filipina, truly Cebuana.
Was there really live telecast of Miss Cebu?
To Erich: What TV station did you see Miss Cebu?
Hmmmm kala ko ikaw yung kumakanta si richarp poon pala hahah. Nice pics kapatid! Ganda ng number 12! Deserving talaga manalo. For sure nakuha mo na number nyan! tsk tsk sumbong kita hahaha
Thanks for the list! I’ve compiled the winners’ profiles as well. 🙂
Wow! She was my crush and she got the crown, nice pics bro..
Hi Mike! Glad to see you take interest in Miss Cebu! They’re really beautiful both inside and out. 😀
yuck, why man c kriz ang naka award sa radiant skin nga sa color, lau ra kau n miss sheda…..kalagum nmo wui….mas flawless pa c sheda nmo day! dapat c sheda ang maka award ato…..luto daan or blind ang mga judges….!!!!!!!!!!!
ganahan ko sa nakadaog
infairness gwapa cya
great pics, very desrving talaga c kris. hope that the issue will be solved.
from camotes
i was there…but..hahahaha..kris was our bet, and she really made it..nyahahaha
The Glitch and Glamour:
Burdened by ‘the beauty & the best’ of Miss Cebu
By Ariel Allera
Pageant Coach, A.D. Models Philippines
Style Scribe, StyleFirm
Cebu City
This is in reaction to a myriad scuttlebutts around the Miss Cebu 2009 controversy, as though not only pageant fanatics but also the people in general have been feasting on the topic based on what they’ve heard on radio, seen on T.V., let alone read in the papers. It’s quite burdening to note that some came up with reports, both written and spoken, as if they were missologists who knew much about pageants and the ropes.
It stems from just one minor award given out during the selection cum coronation night held last January 14 at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. The award in question is Globe Texters’ Choice, which went to Kris Tiffany Janson. While such must’ve gone to Kimberley Burden, because the latter was in the lead on the survey, it’s not in any way Janson’s fault that her name was called. The spectators present at the venue, not to mention the televiewers who were watching the event live on Studio 23, didn’t have any inkling to whom Globe Texters’ Choice award was supposed to go.
No less than Kris herself was quite taken aback on the spot, because the latest she’d heard about the poll was that it was Kimberley who was leading. Matter of fact, when she was proclaimed the winner, she was hesitant to come forward, until she was completely sure it was her name having been called out by the host. Janson’s supporters were as surprised at the announcement, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her votes had surpassed Burden’s at the eleventh hour.
Kris Tiffany Janson’s bagging the Miss Cebu 2009 crown at the end of the night had nothing to do with the special awards she had garnered prior to the coronation, as well as those she had acquired several nights ago when the candidates were first presented to the public in a fashion show held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. Quite a number of Miss Universe delegates ended up as winners without any special award in the first place. We can only wish that, before anyone dared to write something about this, they should have followed on prestigious pageants like Miss Universe, as religiously as they keep themselves abreast with current issues…so that they would’ve known that Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan didn’t get any special award before her crown was relinquished by Puerto Rico’s Zuleyka Rivera (Miss Universe 2006), who wasn’t awarded with any trophy or whatever prior to her coronation. Canada’s Natalie Glebova won the Miss Universe title in 2005 despite her not getting any minor award. The three successive years had our country’s delegates (2007 Bb Pilipinas Anna Theresa Licaros, 2006 Bb Pilipinas Lia Andrea Ramos, 2005 Bb Pilipinas Gionna Cabrera) winning the Miss Photogenic special awards, respectively; however, they were unplaced in the final slot. In 1999, Miriam Quiambao won as Clairol Herbal Essences Style awardee and Spain’s Diana Noguera got both the Best in Swimsuit and the Best in Gown special awards, but then Mpule Kwelagobe eventually edged them out by wearing the Miss Universe crown on her way back home to Botswana.
For 25 years now, Miss Cebu organizers have maintained their opulent taste in choosing the right people with the trained eyes for beauty, the keen ears for the sensible brains to match. Unfortunately (read: addressed to the ones who pretend to know something), this search doesn’t have a swimsuit competition. The fact that Janson was adjudged Miss Cebu would mean no more than that the judges saw her potentiality to be Cebu’s next official ambassador of goodwill, spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, voice to the world. Kris was indisputably a stand-out amongst everyone’s bet—what with her lovely face, her vibrant personality, her classy style, her regal carriage, her good breeding, let alone her no-nonsense answer to the final question. Any intelligent audience can attest to all of the above.
How could they question the credibility of judges Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales and Katrina Holigores? Now, some people are making insinuations that both judges must’ve accounted a lot for Kris’s victory because she had been in one of Tweetie’s and Katrina’s modelling workshops in FTV-Philippines. Dear friends, Metro Magazine’s Katrina Holigores was judging only the Best Fashion Designer (Oj Hofer) as well as the Best in Evening Gown awards (take note: the latter went to Rizzini Alexis Gomez). Isn’t it shallow?
The pageant is not just for anybody who comes in the Cebu City Tourism Commission Office and goes through the process with at least a five-feet-four stature, a beautiful face, a well-curved body, a fair-complected skin, a mind that contains her canned answers to hackneyed questions. The commissioners aren’t a dumb bunch of organizers who will give the last slot to whoever can fill in the blank. Which is why a string of screenings are completed before the list of official candidates is finalized. It is downright ridiculous that, after all, it seems easy for some to say that Kris Tiffany Janson had not undergone the screening process before she was enlisted as one of the 12 official candidates to the 2009 Miss Cebu Search.
It was about 2:00PM on January 29 (Thursday) when Kris and I were together in Ayala Center, en route to Starbucks, where we were supposed to sit down on our interview for my entertainment article, when we received a text message from Dexter Alazas (her mentor, managing director of A.D. Models Philippines and StyleFirm) saying that there was a formal complaint to be filed against them for violating a pageant rule that prohibits the candidates’ parents, handlers, and agents from being present in any official pageant activity. It was later stressed that Dexter attended the press conference at the Cebu City Hall and also the Miss Cebu pre-pageant night at the Fuente Osmena Circle.
Dexter had just arrived from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, together with Jam Charish Libatog, fresh from her victory at the Mutya Ng Pilipinas pageant the night prior. Being last year’s Miss Cebu 2nd runner-up and another Cebuana who just did Cebu proud, Jam was brought straight to the Cebu City Hall where a press conference was being held for the Miss Cebu 2009 candidates, hosted by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard, attended by Libatog’s fellow runners-up from the previous year and, of course, members of the press. Dexter’s presence that evening was highly regarded because, for one, he’s the manager of Jam’s and, on the other hand, he’s a fashion columnist of The Freeman newspaper and so he had every reason to participate in the so-called question-and-answer taking place in the room. Was that hard to understand?
True, Dexter was also present at the pre-pageant night held at the Fuente Osmena Circle. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s the one who designed and provided for all the 12 red evening gowns that the candidates were wearing at the finale of the fashion show. Is this harder to understand?
Anyhow, Kris and I then decided to just go straight to CCTC office where Dexter was awaiting. We couldn’t help laughing up our sleeves because, how could Kris have been enlisted as official candidate if she hadn’t passed through the screening? We were all just watching the video that contains the file of that said screening where Kris’s first runner-up Rizzini Alexis Gomez was with her, standing before a panel of commissioners who were interviewing them. It wasn’t in any way intended as a special screening for Kris and Rizzini, because there were two other girls scheduled to undergo such but didn’t show up for school reasons, because the list of official candidates was not finalized yet, because the last two applicants (Kris and Rizzini) were not difficult to fill in the blank. And what do they mean Kris failed to submit her curriculum vitae? There was the official Miss Cebu application form which every aspiring candidate filled out as a prerequisite for the screening. If that’s what they mean, maybe it’s time they knew its definition and the difference between the two.
Somehow, when thoughts are clouded with sour grapes, the mind becomes restless over nothing more or less than false accusations, a by-product of sheer envy and pure jealousy. Please bear in mind, this is not addressed to the Burdens. It doesn’t carry a wisp of insinuation for anybody following on the controversy, for we believe that hate is too great a burden to bear it injures the hater more than it injures the hated. William Shakespeare wrote, “A wretched soul, bruised with adversity, We bid be quiet when we hear it cry; But were we burdened with like weight of pain, As much or more we should ourselves complain…”
Instead that we keep pulling the strings of Kris Tiffany Janson or try to lift the precious 25th Miss Cebu crown from her head, why don’t we support the lovely Cebuana in her cause so that, together, we make Cebu go over with a bang in the next 25 years… and beyond? (ariel_allera@yahoo.com)