Philippine Pageant Tribune unveils our new Banner this October. This is one move that we will do in the succeeding months—change our banner to feature notable pageant personalities.
This month, it’s the gorgeous Maria Venus Raj. Her 4th Runner-up placement in the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant says it all. She broke the 11-year drought for the Philippines in Miss Universe. She also has just set a higher bar for the Philippine pageant scene just as Miriam Quiambao did in 1999.
Venus Raj’s journey to Miss Universe was not an easy one. Her life alone had challenges that never ruined her hopes for a better life. There were those years where her family lived an impoverished life. Venus never saw poverty as a hindrance. She looked at her life as a glass half full than a glass half empty. She channeled any negativity to something positive. She graduated college with honors as a scholar.
As a child Venus was often teased for being skinny and for being dark-skinned. But she just ignored everything and looked to it as a challenge. She joined pageants in her native Bicol region and proved to them that you do not need to be the typical Mestiza that pageant pundits would go for.
Venus’s first ticket to fame was in 2008 when she became one of the favored candidates to win the title of Miss Philippines Earth. But it seemed that there were other plans for her. She placed 4th Runner-Up (Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism). Karla Paula Henry won the title and eventually won for the Philippines its first Miss Earth crown.
So what happened to Venus? Her stint in Miss Philippines Earth started to open doors for her. Even during MPE, people thought that she was too raw and could further improve and in the long run, win in Binibining Pilipinas. Who would have thought that it was pretty much a prophesy?
With a 4th Runner-up placing in a national pageant, Venus dabbled in modeling. It was then that people started to notice that she was becoming more refined…like a diamond cut to perfection. What a change it was when she suddenly surfaced as a candidate in the 2010 Bb. Pilipinas Pageant. It was no surprise that she won.
She was now a beacon of light in the somewhat dimming tunnel that has been opened for Filipinas in the Miss Universe Pageant. No other Filipina has entered the semis since 1999. All the accolades that the country has had were the numerous Miss Photogenic awards that we won because of internet voting. It seemed as if the title or at least placing in the pageant would be elusive to a country that was once the powerhouse of Asia.
Many believed Venus could take it all. She could be the third Filipina Miss Universe. But then, walls came tumbling down on her when she was dethroned because of irregularities in her birth documents. It was then that her supporters, now millions, started to take it to the different online networking sites. Many campaigned for her to be reinstated. They would not settle for another beauty queen to send to the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant. They want Venus. Pressure may have been that much that made the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) take a second look on the matter. After all, this was one beauty that they would not want to go to waste because of technicality. Venus was given another chance given the condition that she takes care of her papers. Help came pouring in. In no time, Venus had her passport. She was reinstated and now focused on her dream of capturing the most prestigious beauty title in the world.
That controversy sparked a world-wide interest on Venus. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) may have gotten word about it that it was not surprising that Venus was even invited to fly to the United States ahead of time so that she can join 5 other delegates for a media tour promoting the pageant.
The rest, they say, is now history. Even after her “major major” moment in the pageant, Venus now epitomizes optimism in this day and age where people do not seem to know what is wrong and what is right. She now becomes an icon—not only of beauty, but also of perseverance and faith. Maybe some divine intervention is in her side. But what is definite is that everyone sees themselves in her.
Philippine Pageant Tribune is proud of Venus’s achievements and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors.
Mabuhay ka, Venus!
Text by JP Anonuevo
This month, it’s the gorgeous Maria Venus Raj. Her 4th Runner-up placement in the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant says it all. She broke the 11-year drought for the Philippines in Miss Universe. She also has just set a higher bar for the Philippine pageant scene just as Miriam Quiambao did in 1999.
Venus Raj’s journey to Miss Universe was not an easy one. Her life alone had challenges that never ruined her hopes for a better life. There were those years where her family lived an impoverished life. Venus never saw poverty as a hindrance. She looked at her life as a glass half full than a glass half empty. She channeled any negativity to something positive. She graduated college with honors as a scholar.
As a child Venus was often teased for being skinny and for being dark-skinned. But she just ignored everything and looked to it as a challenge. She joined pageants in her native Bicol region and proved to them that you do not need to be the typical Mestiza that pageant pundits would go for.
Venus’s first ticket to fame was in 2008 when she became one of the favored candidates to win the title of Miss Philippines Earth. But it seemed that there were other plans for her. She placed 4th Runner-Up (Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism). Karla Paula Henry won the title and eventually won for the Philippines its first Miss Earth crown.
So what happened to Venus? Her stint in Miss Philippines Earth started to open doors for her. Even during MPE, people thought that she was too raw and could further improve and in the long run, win in Binibining Pilipinas. Who would have thought that it was pretty much a prophesy?
With a 4th Runner-up placing in a national pageant, Venus dabbled in modeling. It was then that people started to notice that she was becoming more refined…like a diamond cut to perfection. What a change it was when she suddenly surfaced as a candidate in the 2010 Bb. Pilipinas Pageant. It was no surprise that she won.
She was now a beacon of light in the somewhat dimming tunnel that has been opened for Filipinas in the Miss Universe Pageant. No other Filipina has entered the semis since 1999. All the accolades that the country has had were the numerous Miss Photogenic awards that we won because of internet voting. It seemed as if the title or at least placing in the pageant would be elusive to a country that was once the powerhouse of Asia.
Many believed Venus could take it all. She could be the third Filipina Miss Universe. But then, walls came tumbling down on her when she was dethroned because of irregularities in her birth documents. It was then that her supporters, now millions, started to take it to the different online networking sites. Many campaigned for her to be reinstated. They would not settle for another beauty queen to send to the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant. They want Venus. Pressure may have been that much that made the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) take a second look on the matter. After all, this was one beauty that they would not want to go to waste because of technicality. Venus was given another chance given the condition that she takes care of her papers. Help came pouring in. In no time, Venus had her passport. She was reinstated and now focused on her dream of capturing the most prestigious beauty title in the world.
That controversy sparked a world-wide interest on Venus. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) may have gotten word about it that it was not surprising that Venus was even invited to fly to the United States ahead of time so that she can join 5 other delegates for a media tour promoting the pageant.
The rest, they say, is now history. Even after her “major major” moment in the pageant, Venus now epitomizes optimism in this day and age where people do not seem to know what is wrong and what is right. She now becomes an icon—not only of beauty, but also of perseverance and faith. Maybe some divine intervention is in her side. But what is definite is that everyone sees themselves in her.
Philippine Pageant Tribune is proud of Venus’s achievements and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors.
Mabuhay ka, Venus!
Text by JP Anonuevo