Justine Mae San Jose: The Mutya ng Pilipinas on my list right from the start

Call it a mix of gut-feel/intuition and a relative certainty brought about by years of pageant affiliation, but I had Justine Mae San Jose pegged as one of the top winners of Mutya ng Pilipinas right from the start. Right off the bat during the Press Presentation at Hotel 101 last month, I even told a few of the organizers that the battles left were for the four (4) remaining spots in the Top 5. And I was even assigning her the Mutya-Tourism International title with unbridled confidence. And I was right. She succeeded her best friend and predecessor Janela Joy Cuaton, along with my correct picks for Ganiel Krishnan (for Asia-Pacific International) and Michelle Thorlund (for Overseas Communities).

There is a consistent flow of beauty and charm in Jaya that was very evident even during the Mutya ng Pilipinas Calabarzon finals which served as her ticket to the nationals. And she delivered without missing a step along the way.

Such is the destiny of a lovely lass who is meant to shine on the pageant stage inspite of getting heavy competition from the other candidates. And it will be a progressive journey for Jaya from this point up until she represents the country abroad.

Congratulations, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International! You are headed for bigger things to come.