Philippines: Filipinos Abuzz With Miss Universe Results

And third runner up is…Miss Philippines, Shamcey Supsup! This has been the cause for much celebration and cheering in the Philippines at the conclusion of the 2011 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, held on September 13 in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

The title went to Miss Angola – a result which surprised many here back home. In the run-up to the coronation night, many Filipinos believed that Shamcey would either place first runner up or take home the crown, as she had a strong following and was amongst the favorites this year.

But the results are now out and being third runner up is a great improvement over last year's achievement of Venus Raj, who took the fourth runner up position.

Shamcey Supsup

Shamcey Supsup

Filipinos both online and offline are talking about the results, in particular, Shamcey's answer to judge Vivica A. Fox's question:

Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person that you love? Why or why not?

Here's a sample of what Filipino netizens are saying about the answer and the results.

Imagine Life Without X takes the result as it is, thankful that Shamcey was able to improve on Venus Raj's 2010 efforts:

There nothing much to talk about, she got the looks, the height, the brains, and that distinctive beauty of a Filipina it’s just that she only won as 3rd-runner up. Oh c’mon, call me bias, but yes GIVE ME A BREAK! Kidding guys! But who wants to lose right? Well come to think of it, 3rd-runner up is 3rd-runner up, better than nothing. Maybe it’s not yet the right time for the Philippines to get the crown but soon enough we’ll have the leisure of winning such a prestigious pageant once again.

Colegiala Girl writes about how Shamcey Supsup surpassed all her expectations of how the competition would turn out:

Forget all the other details of the pageant, but Miss Supsup has been one of the most popular candidates among the Miss Universe contestants in Brazil. When she landed among the 15 semi-finalist, I said that is good enough. But I was wrong she was picked up among the top 10 finalists and I told myself, well she must be lucky to be one of them. I did not hope for more. To me being on the top 10 is already a good achievement. but I again I was wrong. She landed on the 5 finalists where she was judged and announced later as 3rd finalist.

Focusing more Shamcey's answer to the question, The Black Fedora blog adores her for it:

For me, she is my Miss Universe and most of you agrees on that. As a Catholic, I love her answer and it’s the winning answer. But digging further, the Miss Universe Pageant was a showcase of different nationalities with different views and perspective especially when it comes to religion. Shamcey’s answer may be right for most of us, again because we’re God-fearing, but then again, perhaps it did not impress some of the judges. This is just my two cents worth

Jenny J. Talam was also able to connect profoundly to Shamcey's answer:

Shamcey’s answer may have not made sense to some of the judges’s ears, but to the true and all-powerful Judge, it made sense. A whole lot of sense. Until you accept your place in the world as a reflector of God, your life and your world won’t make any sense.

On the other hand, Cocoy sees something more behind Shamcey's answer, something that brings to focus the state of our society at present and how it is going about in facing current challenges:

Personally? I thought the answer was a bit naive, and incredelous. It is one of those things you do a mental shrug.
—-
Going back to the Shamcey Supsup question, aside from the God question, her response strikes a cord because it goes after that moveable target called, “Love”. The Miss Universe question after all, is a timeless one. Romantics believe that true love is about moving mountains. It is the test of time. Hell, isn’t there a Biblical quote that says you leave your parents to go live with the one you marry? At the heart of the Shamcey question was a timeless question: “Would you move mountains for love?”

He then concludes on the following:

Put in another way, The Miss Universe pageant asked Shamcey if she would defy destiny, causality, the nexus of time itself for a boy. Her answer was, “No”. There is no right or wrong answer. Is it fair then to be injecting own mores, and is it fair to Shamcey to represent all that clashing idea of who is the Filipina in this modern world?

Paolo Mandingiado tackles the issue of using interpreters and how it reflects our collective effort to establish some sort of ‘national identity':

My post-pageant realization is that it was not really about the use of Tagalog or English. For me, it boils down to how we want to be perceived and represented as a nation. To some degree, the candidates we send year in and year out to these international beauty pageants are no different from the intellectuals we fly in to science and math Olympiads worldwide, the athletes we support in international meets, and to the artists and performers we applaud in the global stage.

Aren’t they all simply ambassadors of the Philippines and its people?

All in all, Shamcey Supsup's achievements have given the country another reason to celebrate being a Filipino and a Filipina. In these challenging times, symbols of achievement, success and something positive would do good in keeping a nation working and striving for a better life.

9 comments

  • jason

    She came in 4th place not 3rd place, she was the third runner up to the winner.

    • I guess the celebration has little to do with finishing 4th.. we are far from the crown. It has something to do with the way she did it. She was simply amazing! And we can’t help but cheer.

      If Leila was our contestant, ( which thankfully she was not) and won, of course we would be happy… but not this jubilant. Because she was a little bit too tame, passive, kind of weak personality.She was not exciting and she didnt come on with fire. But she is very statuesque, voluptuous and has a very beautiful and sweet face.

      Shamcey was not statuesque, nor tall, nor voluptuous, nor a really arresting face, in other words she didn’t have all of those requirements for being miss universe. In fact, she is the smallest from among the other finalists. But she is exciting and a joy to watch..t she shines. She dominates the stage with her presence, her charm and her confidence. Kaya nakakatuwa cya. Others may be prettier, sexier but she is exciting.

  • Let us just admit and accept that our very own shamcey finished 3rd runner up. As Lea and shamcey themselves have said, Ms Angola is truly deserving.
    In my peersonal opinion I believe shamcey might have been procalimed first runner up or even Miss universe had she changed the following:
    1)Her gown. Standing alone, her gown is really beautiful and it absolutely suits her but putting it beside Ms Angola’s gown for comparison, the latters gown was really outstanding and very glamorous!
    2)Her hairdo. If she had pressed her hair down and collected to a bun,she would have looked more regal in bearing just like Angola’s or Venus’.
    3)Her answer. Well its true that she exuded grace under pressure and never blink an eye before answering that question,but her answer did not awestruck the judges nor had any impact to the audience. She should have expressed universality, religion equality, unselfish love and harmony.If one beauty queen had to answer that same question her answer would be:
    Patty Betita, Binibining Pilipinas-International 1991: “Love knows no boundaries. It’s that simple. I just think that difference in religious beliefs should never hinder two people genuinely in love to get married. Love and accept your partner for who they are, and respect their faith. At the end of the day, you worship one God anyway.”
    We should not blame anybody now. It’s just that most beauty contest s really includes lots of luck.

  • […] be our time, but we will hold that title once again! If you would like to read more, read what Julius Rocas had to say and read the many online comments from all Filipinos in the world! =) September […]

  • Cltbarcellano

    I agree that Shamcey’s answer was a bit naive,and no universality appeal especially for people who don’t believe in God or has different belief than most Filipinos. I just know she’s not gonna win when one of the commentators in the pageant said she was totally floored by Ms. Philippines’ answer. We know that the western culture does not give religion a priority when it comes to marriage, it’s the least of their worries.When Shamcey said “if the man I love loves me he would love my God too”, that was her downfall. You don’t force ones religion on your love one, there are other things other than love for one another that makes a marriage work such as trust,compromise,respect etc. that she could have mention. But then I’m happy for her she was a terrific beauty, we should be proud of her rather than …..

  • Eddie Manicad

    Shamcee is a Gift to our Nation!!! She did what she has to do in a competition.
    She is a genuine Gift to our country reflecting a TRUE filipina inside and outside!!!! She was HERSELF.
    Let us be Thankful for that Gift from ABOVE!!!

  • Olson

    I am not a Filipino, but I would like to mention that Shamcey deserved her 3rd runner up poisition. To all those who think her answer was amazing, it was ignorant towards the concept of religion and to God. It was beautiful for her to say that before anyone else God is her first love and that she won’t change her faith because of that, but it was wrong to say that her spouse should love her God. If a person is from a different religion who believes in one God and is then in love with another God as Shamcey wants then this is considered blasphemous. You should love your own God and RESPECT others’ religions but NOT love them. Therefore, if she didn’t mention this part of the answer, she would have ultimately been the 1st runner up.

  • ann gie

    It’s over…better luck next time. One difference here is that, most of us Filipinos expect a lot from countymen to excel in any competition. We want to get the best because for many centuries, we were the underdog of our conquerors. We want to prove that ‘WE CAN’…Shamcy may be better working with other advocates. In Miss Universe, she will only please the sponsors. Perhaps, God wanted to safeguard her. With the title, we just do not know what will happen. She cannot always bring along with her a chaperone. She can help government projects because of her degree in Architecture…

  • ann gie

    One thing I have observed is that, Shamcy said, they were taught to do catwalk or tsunami walk but look what Miss Angola did, she walked slower than others which was considered graceful and the brushed-up look even exposed her sweet face more…watching the Miss Angola competition, one candidate was even taller than her.If Shamcy won, she will be representing a Miss Universe organization with the known Filipino values…

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