Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago of the Philippines
In Miss International history, five years were dominated by the Philippines, only one less than the strong Venezuelans. And it is for this reason that Bea Rose Santiago’s victory last Tuesday night is not just a mere addition to the collection, but an indelible seal of approval in the continued success of Filipinas in the international pageant arena. She is the latest inductee to the illustrious group of Gemma Cruz (1964), Aurora Pijuan (1970), Melanie Marquez (1979) and Precious Lara Quigaman (2005) and will go down memory lane as the lady who made the Christmas of 2013 merrier for the Philippines.
Truth be asked, what more can we ask for? This year has been a most spectacular period for all our beauty queens. We are basking in the glowing reputation of being not only an Asian powerhouse but a World force to reckon with in beauty competitions. Should we start upping the ante of expectations? Or is it better to get back to the drawing boards to see how longer we can sustain the momentum? Or before doing that, do we need to look first at how we can re-educate some Filipinos who bash their own representatives while competing instead of giving even some semblance of constructive support?
I say, let’s do it all. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. Just like the five ladies above who defied odds to bring honor to the country, let us undertake to bring down all the barriers that could possibly spoil the missions of our 2014 representatives. That way, the Philippines will not only be tagged a land of beautiful people, but also a place where the pageant fans and supporters are united behind each of their own. 
