Miss International 2008 Officially Started

I have announced here that the 48th Miss International Beauty Pageant will be held on the 8th of November 2008 in Venetian Macau Resort Hotel. Sixty (60) contestants are expected to attend the pageant and the outgoing Miss International is Miss Mexico Priscilla Perales Elizondo.

The different delegates are now embarking from their countries to convene in Macau. I have announced here that Miss Philippines, Patricia Fernandez, flew from Manila to Macau today.

Of the expected 60 delegates from all over the world, Miss Guadeloupe Nancy Karen Fleurival and Miss Canada Elina Semikina are the tallest candidates at 6'2" and 6'1" respectively. Miss Hong Kong Sire Ma is the smallest at 5'3"1/2. There are four ladies who stand 5'5" - the second smallest. They are Miss Sri Lanka Faith Landers,  Miss Singapore Tok Wee Ee, Miss Macau Florence Loi and Miss Hawaii Serena Karnagy.

Another interesting note on this pageant is the participation of Miss Estonia Kardi Nogu - the very first for her country thus this is the debut of Estonia in Miss International pageant. 

Eight countries are returning after years of abscence in the pageant. Italy last competed in 1994, Belgium in 1996, Hawaii in 2004. 2005 is the last time Macau, Bahamas and Sweden competed and 2006 for Martinique and Norway.

In the history of this pageant, Venezuela was the winningest country with 5 winners followed by the Philippines with 4. Venezuela won in 1985, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006. Philippines won in 1964, 1970, 1979 and 2005.

Miss International remains one of the Grand Slam Pageants with no winner resigned or dethroned along with Miss Tourism Queen International. 

In the picture is the tallest delegate Miss Guadeloupe Nancy Karen Fleurival at 6'2"

Patricia Fernandez praying to be RP's 5th Ms. International

Binibining Pilipinas International Patricia Fernandez possesses what a Filipina needs to have to stand out in a crowd of beautiful women from around the world: talent and brains.

Fernandez is off to Macau, China on Saturday to participate in the 48th Miss International Beauty Pageant, which will be held on November 8 at the Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel.

The young Filipina, a graduate of BA Speech Communication from the University of the Philippines, trained for months at the prestigious Dale Carnegie Training, and had to learn three languages, including Mandarin and Nihonggo.

Since winning the Bb. Pilipinas International crown, Fernandez has become more graceful after undergoing training in jazz, latin and belly dancing.

Nervous

Despite her radiant beauty and talent, Fernandez told media people during her send off party at the Mandarin Suites at the Gateway Mall in Cubao, that she is very nervous and needs the Filipinos' support to grab the Miss International crown.

"Please, please pray for me. I badly need your prayers. I hope I will be your fifth Miss International," she said. "I'm nervous, but I hope I will be able to make our country proud."

Fernandez is hoping to follow the steps of Lara Quigaman, who won the 2005 Miss International Beauty Pageant held in Japan.

Quigaman is the fourth Filipina to grab the prestigious crown. The other Filipina beauties that have been crowned Miss International were Melanie Marquez, Aurora Pijuan and Gemma Cruz.

At the send off, Fernandez gave the media people a taste of her talent playing the piano. She said she has been playing the piano since she was six years old.

She sang a Kundiman (a genre of traditional Filipino love songs), while playing the piano. The Filipina beauty boasts a talent in singing as she trained for two years with the UP Singing Ambassadors.

Patchot is taken

In her brief encounter with the press people at the send off, Fernandez, fondly called "Patchot" by her family and close friends, threw out the bad news: She's taken.

She said her boyfriend, whom she said she had been dating since college, will also fly to Macau to witness the beauty pageant.

Also coming with Fernandez are her mother, her mother's friends and her sister.

Asked if she's willing to have a career in the entertainment business, Fernandez said she is open to it. However, she said she is more focused on the upcoming beauty pageant, and that making movies rarely comes to her mind.

Bringing to Macau the Filipino's warmth

Aside from a winter jacket, which she had been advised to bring because of the cold climate in Macau, Fernandez said she will show the world the Filipino's warmth.

"What I am most proud of about the Philippines is the fact that our people are as warm as our climate," the Filipina beauty said.