THE  20  MOST  BEAUTIFUL  FILIPINA  QUEENS

MANILA, JULY 31, 2006 (STAR) FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo - This piece should have come out last Friday, July 28, in time for The STAR’s 20th anniversary, but it’s better late than never.

Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib, and other beauty-pageant experts and aficionados picked what they thought are "The 20 Most Beautiful Filipina Queens." Let me make it clear that it’s their opinion and readers out there might have their own list.

Here are the 20 (in the order of their reign):

• Chita Zaldarriaga, 1937 Miss Philippines, who married her consort, Antonio Arnaiz. Some of her cousins are beauty titlists as well: Monina Acuña (1930 Miss Philippines) and Teresita Villareal (1951 Miss Philippines), mother of bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno. Chita’s niece, Maricar Zaldarriaga, was 1971 Miss Young-Pilipinas.

• Chuchay Tuason, 1958 Miss Philippines-Universe (unable to join the Miss U Pageant because her parents objected to it), now based in Sweden.

• Lalaine Bennet, 1963 Miss Philippines-Universe (third runner-up), now a widow based in the US. She was first runner-up to Cynthia Ugalde in the Miss Philippines-International search in 1962.

• Gemma Cruz, 1964 Miss Philippines (and that same year’s Miss International, the first Filipina to win the title; she donated her $10,000 cash prize to Boys Town, which sponsored her in the Miss Philippines search).

• Gloria Diaz, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and that same year’s Miss Universe, the first Filipina to win the title), featured in yesterday’s Conversations with Ricky Lo.

• Alice Crisostomo, 1970 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia (and first runner-up in that same year’s Asia-Pacific Quest), separated from husband, action star Tony Ferrer (father of Alice’s daughter Mutya Crisostomo, 1990 Mutya ng Pilipinas, who competed in the Asia-Pacific Quest in 1992, finishing second runner-up).

• Aurora Pijuan, 1970 Bb. Pilipinas-International (and that same year’s Miss International), separated from husband Tommy Manotoc (father of TV host TJ Manotoc), starred with Ariel Ureta in Si Popeye Atbp. and Ramon Revilla in Sunugin ang Samar.

• Margie Moran, 1973 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and that same year’s Miss Universe), granddaughter of 1919 Miss Pangasinan Carnival Queen Nieves Gonzalez-Moran, starred with Cocoy Laurel in Oh, Margie, Oh! and now actively involved in NGOs.

• Evangeline Pascual, 1974 Miss Republic of the Philippines (and first runner-up in the 1973 Miss World contest; her title was "postdated").

• Guada Sanchez, 1974 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and semi-finalist in that same year’s Miss U pageant held in Manila).

• Chiqui Brosas, 1975 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and third runner-up in that same year’s Miss U pageant), now helping pregnant women by providing classes in painless childbirth.

• Peachy Veneracion, 1977 Mutya ng Pilipinas-World, asked by the Philippine government to withdraw from the Miss World contest as protest against apartheid.

• Melanie Marquez, 1979 Bb. Pilipinas-International (and that same year’s Miss International), now a popular TV-movie star.

• Bong Dimayacyac, 1983 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia (and that same year’s Miss Asia-Pacific Quest), one-time sitcom star.

• Ruffa Gutierrez, 1993 Bb. Pilipinas-World (and second runner-up in that same year’s Miss World contest).

• Charlene Gonzalez, 1994 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and finalist in that same year’s Miss U pageant), daughter of actors Bernard Bonnin and Elvie Gonzalez (Bb. Pilipinas second runner-up and fourth runner-up in 1964 and 1965 respectively, and 1966 Miss Philippine Press Photography), married to Aga Muhlach.

• Yedda Marie Mendoza, 1996 Bb. Pilipinas-International (and semi-finalist in that same year’s Miss International contest); a registered nurse from Cebu.

• Miriam Quiambao, 1999 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and first runner-up in that same year’s Miss U pageant), separated from husband, Italian businessman Claudio Rondinelli, and a co-host (of Paolo Bediones) of the GMA 7 show Pinoy Meets World.

• Maricar Balagtas, 2004 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and 2002 Miss Globe.

• Precious Lara Quigaman, 2005 Bb. Pilipinas-International (and that same year’s Miss International), starred with Bong Revilla in the recent comedy Kapag Tumibok ang Puso (Not Once But Twice).