Tough love from a tough chick
“I speak Bisaya!” was Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago’s ice-breaker to us as we settled at a corner of Ayala Center Cebu’s Activity Center for a quick chat.
The disclosure paved the way for a pleasant interview with the model-turned-beauty queen, whose sharp Eurasian features often have people mistaking her for being unapproachable.
“People think I’m maldita. They get intimidated because I look maldita. I really am not. A lot of girls even think that I’m funny,” said Bea of the most common misconception about her.
The five-foot-nine stunner shared she speaks the dialect since she has relatives from Mandaue City. One aunt from Mandaue even helped her craft the winning speech she delivered during her Miss International stint. She’s spent plenty of vacations in Cebu, and had her first diving experience here.
Bea breezed through town one recent weekend to grace the culminating event of Prestige Modeling Agency. Ravishing in a red number and a matching rose crown by designer John-Ablaza, the former Ford model closed the fashion show after aspiring Cebu-based models strutted down the runway in what was their baptism of fire.
She may not be the diva that most who see her from a distance think she is, but expect Bea to show her tough-as-nails persona soon on television.
The Binibini beauty is set to appear as a mentor on the second season of “Pinay Beauty Queen Academy,” a reality program to be aired over GMA News TV. Her comentors will be Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up Shamcey Supsup, Miss Earth 2004 Priscilla Meirelles and Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2000 Nina Ricci Alagao.
The show scouts aspiring beauty queens nationwide, with the mentors forming their team from these screenings. The girls will then compete in various pageant-related activities, with one winner selected in the end who will then be sent to the Miss Global Philippines pageant.
“I like it because it’s reality TV. It’s not scripted, so you can control the content. I said yes because I guess it’s my way to help out girls and for viewers to see the real me,” said Bea.
“Hopefully, there will be a lot of Cebuanas, because I know Bisaya girls are strong, independent women,” she added.
The first season’s winner was under the tutelage of Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman, and Bea hopes this edition’s victor will still come from a Miss International titleholder’s team.
Her game plan? Give her girls tough love! “I’m the type of girl who learns best under strict mentors. So expect me to be strict. I’m a super focused person. Once I want something, I give it my hundred percent. And pageantry for me is serious. Because for me to leave my whole life in Canada, to come here to the Philippines, start new and do pageants – that’s serious.”
“I grew up with a Bisaya lola. So I will be a hard mentor. If they are softhearted, then this is not for them. That’s why the girls who win are the toughest of the toughest.”
Bea said she will provide her team members the same training she received while preparing for Miss International. One thing she will drill into them is that practice really does make one perfect.
“Girls who practice are actually those who win. If you’re sure about yourself that you are well-trained, it means that you are confident. And confident girls always win. It’s never the prettiest girl. It’s always who the most confident girl is.”
The native of Cataingan, Masbate wants to assemble a team of “happy, smart, honest, loyal, and of course, serious girls.”
“I want girls who are focused. If you’re not, why are you even here? Pageantry is not for everyone. Fifty girls might screen for the day, and at the end of the night, only five of those will be picked. And if you’re lucky enough to be part of that five, that means you’re one of the toughest.”
As the Q&A part is many an aspiring beauty queen’s dreaded moment, Bea also dished out tips on how to conquer the fear of public-speaking.
“Practice! Read, read, read,” said the former Communications student who majored in Public Relations at Canada’s York University. “One cannot be really ready. Now that I judge pageants, I don’t like mastered answers. We’re not looking for ‘world peace’ or those other stereotypical answers. I have a book of answers, but when you’re up there on stage, you don’t remember all of those quotations.”
“There are technical girls who have a notebook of quotations. But for me, you have to inhale and live that quote in order for you to say it like you mean it. People can see through your eyes. During the Q&A, the camera is focused entirely on the candidate’s face, so if your eyes are telling lies, it’s very obvious. Plus in pageants like Binibining Pilipinas, the Q&A is only 10% in the score sheet. It’s not as important; it’s for the fans, I guess, for the girls to show the judges that even under a stressful situation of a whole arena waiting for you to say something stupid, that one can still be graceful. It’s never how book-smart your answer is, but how your personality shines through.”
Of reigning Binibining Pilipinas International Janicel Lubina’s chances of snagging the sixth crown for the country, Bea surmised, “Right after Janicel won, she told me, ‘Ate Bea, help me.’ She knows that we’re serious. She’s gonna be trained by the same people who trained me. Miss International has a formula, just like Miss World.You know what kind of look Miss International wants. Janicel has the Miss International look – that soft, gentle, lady-like aura. That’s what the Japanese like: modern, but traditional woman.”
Bea said that while Janicel’s features make her a shoo-in, they will have to further hone her communication skills.
“You have to be totally honest with your speech because when you’re delivering it, it should come from your heart and like you’re saying it for the very first time,” explained Bea. “Behind the speech, it’s actually structured and has gone through a lot of people already, read many times, memorized it, there’s logic behind the speech… Because me, I’m very technical when it comes to the pageant, which is what I’d like to teach Janicel. And she’s very, very interested. In pageants, eagerness will make you win.”
Aside from mentoring the current batch of Binibinis, keeping Bea happily occupied these days are fashion shows, summer-themed shoots and local pageant appearances. Of course, she still allots time for charitable activities.
“For three weeks now, I’ve been travelling. I’ve been invited to cities all over the country for shows, shoots, and pageants. I’m also still collecting books for the library in Masbate. We need more books for students, specifically for elementary kids. We need something to occupy them while it’s summer time. It shouldn’t be all about having fun, they have to be encouraged to read and write. Growing up with a grandma who is a teacher, it has been drilled upon me that education is important.”
Hosting is a future career path Bea is seriously pursuing. “I just finished an intermediate acting and hosting workshop with Viva. I want to get into hosting, and turns out, in order for you to be a good host, you have to be a good actress.”