Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Tulabut: Of Beauty and Beauties By Noel G. Tulabut My Palm Notes
WHAT do Melanie Marquez (Miss International 1979), Maricel Morales (Mutya ng Pilipinas 1995; Semi Finalist, Miss Asia Pacific 1995; First Runner-Up Mrs. World 2000); Marilyn Maristela (Mutya ng Pilipinas 1996; First Runner Up, Miss Asia Pacific 1996); and, Juliann Savard (Miss Teen Philippines 2006) have in common?
Answer: These titleholders of prestigious beauty pageants all come from the town of Mabalacat, Pampanga.
I could be biased here but this town of about 204,000 people does have the beauties (and the brain) and Mayor Marino Morales can only have the best smile. Smiling even more with pride tucked in his belt is June Magbalot -- Boking's top aide - who surely can distinguish beauty in and out of a girl's face.
Magbalot, since the mid 1990s, has been the prime mover of the annual Miss Mabalacat pageant. This pageant has produced beauty titleholders and commercial models who have hugged fashion magazines, advertising pages (for beauty products and all) and some TV commercials. A briefer on Magbalot's efforts (read: successes) includes the meteoric rise to fame of Maristela and Savard who were once simply candidates of Miss Mabalacat.
Maristela was under the care of Magbalot who made sure that the lass from Barangay Camachile gets only the best and most decent exposure. The result: coveted plums in Mutya ng Pilipinas and Miss Asia Pacific, which were both bagged in 1996. What pride that victory brought to the town.
Come January 31 this year, a new Miss Mabalacat among the present crop of 18 candidates will be known. The Coronation Night will be held at the new subdivision Xevera Mabalacat while a pre-pageant night is slated to be held at SM City Clark on January 24.
Magbalot has that keen eye on beauty which he defines to include wits, charm, talent and ability to carry one's self. Just like his boss Mayor, he can easily spot of the potentials in a girl and develops them into top-caliber assets.
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Developing potential beauty queens is but one of the many hats that Magbalot has to wear. He makes sure that the municipal government runs 24/7 with all its services to the public. Of course he is a vital cog in Morales's political career and administration. Or to be more apt, I should say that he is indispensable.
I can only fancy a Magbalot-less Morales leadership. It will be like Batman-less Gotham City where self-made jokers (aplenty of them) in the town can goof and mess around. Magbalot, I would say, is a neutralizer against anyone (even in the mayor's core) who can unwittingly make Morales look bad.
Right now some clowns are deducting some of the mayor's pogi points. With only less than three weeks before the Town Fiesta, I still have not heard of activities to bring about a festive celebration except for the Miss Mabalacat pageant. Whatever happened to the Caragan Festival, which was successfully held last year?
Sadly, I heard that the fiesta committee was not even convened yet. I heard too that people are busy preparing for the opening of the new municipal hall which could have been part and parcel of the fiesta celebrations had the event (or committee) packaged it well.
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Another interesting beauty pageant was the recently concluded Mr. and Ms. Clark at Kaboom Kaboom Carnival inside the Freeport.
Stephanie Anne Sanggalang, a 16- year old beauty from Angeles City bagged the crown for the ladies while Olongapo boy Prince Ivan Lee emerged as tops among the boys.
What is good about events like these is the fact that our youths' energy and attention are focused on worthy activities instead of them being snatched by vices like drugs, booze and even sex.
I know the feeling of elation expressed by Kaboom manager Louie Lopez when he said that the pageant and other activities were meant to make the youngsters more productive as I have personally handled a basketball team during the summer.
Lopez spent personal finances too in other activities at Kaboom that include battle of the bands and dance contests. All of these were meant to hone up talents and skills at a young age.
