•
Geraldine Topsnik: Mutya
sa Tagbi 2014
•
Performers fascinate Saulog crowd
Was
the right woman crowned?
Fifteen
of the city’s loveliest ladies assembled in Tagbilaran City last Monday (April
28) for the come-back of Mutya sa
Tagbilaran (formerly Miss Teen Tagbilaran, Miss Young Tagbilaran and Miss
Tagbilaran) competition of beauty, brains — and, of course, bikinis (provided
by Hanz Coquilla)!
 |
|
Miss
Dampas Geraldine Topsnik wear the Mutya
crown -- er, tiara -- atop her perfectly coiffed head. Courtesy: Ric Obedencio (RO)
|
There
were top five... and then it came down to Miss Poblacion 2 Rizalee Rose Razo (who became first runner-up and Miss Talent and Best in Evening Wear) and
Miss Cabawan Karen Rossana Llorente (who was second-runner-up and Best in
Production Number and Best in Swimsuit) and Miss Dampas Geraldine Topsnik who ended up taking home
the crown!
The
17-year-old Topsnik, a half-German half-Filipino, describes herself as a “full
Filipina and a true Boholana” and aspires to become a successful businesswoman.
 | |||
| Topsnik (wearing another crown) with her runners-up during the Saulog Parade. RO |
In
her Mutya official video on Youtube,
Topsnick said she loves pansit. “My
favorite food is pansit. Because I
believe that pansit is one of the simple dishes that is present in every
family. Come to think of it, when you
think of pansit it is very simple. I think it’s complexity and the simplicity
of pansit truly describes Filipina beauty and taste.”
“Success
is having a goal in life,” said Topsnik. “As long as you tried your best to
achieve your goal, and no matter what happen you are contented of what you
have.”
It
was a night of thrills and surprises. Beauty
watchers who watched Topsnik during the pageant night said that it was her
overall aura and stage presence made her a winner.
“She
was also great in her early interview,” said VRS who likes beauty pageant.
Miss
Bohol Sandugo 2005 and Bb. Pilipinas –World 2006 Anna Maris Igpit
(who also trained the ladies how to walk) was on hand to host the big event
with TV host and eventologist Tim Yap.
The
judge's panel included Bohol’s first lady Pureza Chatto, 2014 Miss Tourism
International Angeli Dione Gomez, GMA-7 Network talent center head Ida Henares,
ABS-CBN entertainment anchor, TV host and
fashion/commercial model Phoemela Baranda, actress,
model and music video director Bianca King Bianca King, Mister
International 2013 4th runner-up Gil Wagas, fashion designers Cary
Santiago and Charina Sarte and pageant designer Mark Tenchavez.
Meanwhile,
the roving VRS (who is also a veteran beauty pageant watcher) also shared the
sidelights and highlights of this year’s Mutya
sa Tagbilaran:
It was a star-studded
event with TV personalities. The stage design and decoration was bongga to the
highest level.
The official color of
the night was green, also Mayor Baba Yap’s official party color during the
campaign period. I and other watchers
are not buying the explanation that green was for St. Joseph and the environment.
The ladies were gorgeous
women in bikinis designed by Hanz
Coquilla. Daniel Matsunaga made the girls and pa-girls “kilig” as
he shared his singing skill to the big event serenading the girls.
While the contestant
was walking on the stage, the entire screen projected the face and name of the gown designer. I wonder why fashion designer
Maximiel Tallo didn’t participate to design a gown for a contestant in this
year’s search?
Speaking of the
trophies and awards, the face of the beloved Mayor was plastered on the
plaques. It occupies one-fourth of the green plaque. It would be better if the face of the girl is
on her own plaque to remind her that she was once a Mutya contestant. It’s like
having Donald Trump’s face on the Miss USA and Miss Universe trophies.
And another one, the committee
chairman and Tagbilaran first lady Jane Censoria Cajes-Yap should have
refrained from being the one-woman panel for the closed door interview. She could invite media people or panel of
interviewers to select the darling of the press or the best in interview.
***
For
the second time, the Saulog festival
last Wednesday was a blast. It colored the street as it was smooth--the weather
was cooperative and perfect.
 |
| The Festival King and Queen lead dancers during the Saulog dance parade. -LPU |
Along
with me on the streets were my friend Emerson Pinos and my nephew Jerwin Jala
to witness the performances of the 14 contingents.
Julia
Park, a 30-year-old Korean visitor, said she was amazed to watch the Saulog
because it was vibrant and colorful.
“The
performers beautifully arranged their dance,” she said.
 |
| Dancers paying homage to St. Joseph the Worker.- LPU |
“Saulog Tagbilaran is our artistic expression
of paying homage to our patron saint, Saint Joseph the worker,” said Fiel Angeli
Araoarao-Gabin, the city information officer. “It is
our way as Boholanos and Tagbilaranons to move on despite the calamity that had
struck us in 2013. This is big reason to have a big celebration hence it is
called Saulog Tagbilaran.”
Unlike
last year’s celebration, the contingents didn’t perform a dance ritual in front
of the St. Joseph Cathedral. They just proceeded to perform in two stations
(City Square-BQ and Wregent Hotel).
The
flow of the crowd worsened, particularly at the City Square-BQ Mall, one of the
judging stations of the street dancing. It was the same last year that there was no
crowd control and it didn’t bar people from spilling to the streets where the
contingents performed. Photographers
swarm like locusts in every contingent winding toward the CPG Sports Complex.
My poor Jerwin and other people (including yours truly) could not watch the
performance of the dancers because the photographers barred us from watching
the performances with their SLR cameras and bazooka of lenses. But in the end,
I shrugged off the idea. I’d joined the
other photographers to take pictures. After all, I wasn't really there for the
contest.
 |
| Colorful costumes -LPU |
The
crowd cheered for their favorite contingents. Only two contingents carried an
effigy of San Jose during the street-dancing. There was no float to add
attraction.
This
year, the Saulog committee also introduced
the Festival King and Queen who were lead dancers of the contingents/baragays
they were representing. They were spectacles on the streets plunged in vibrant
costumes meticulously ornamented. There were Poseidon, Batman and mermaids.
Unlike the festival queen in Sinulog in
Cebu, the festival kings and queens (Fiel, I like to call them Rajah ug Hara sa
Saulog), I’d noticed they were not holding a small statue of St. Joseph while
dancing.
I
like this year's Saulog, but
contingents need to draw inspiration from our roots and traditions instead of
from foreign concepts.
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| A Festival Queen candidate during the dance parade. LPU |
Celebrities
from tinseltown added glitz to the Saulog
as GMA talents Mark Herras and Yasemin Kurdi joined the event at the CPG Sports
Complex.
The
event ended with colorful fireworks. After all, the essence of the Saulog is celebrating and thanksgiving
to Señor San Jose.
(Winners: 1st-
Ubujan, 2nd –Taloto, 3rd –Manga. Ubujan also won seven
awards: best colorful group, festival queen first runner-up, best in
musicality, best in choreographer, best in production design, best in costume
and best in field performance. Festival Queen: Poblacion 3; Festival King: Poblacion
2)
***
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at
leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.
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