Country Of The Year Award For the Phlippines

Well, what do you know.  Much that we don't encourage our neighbors to get envious or jealous, or their fanatic and patriotic citizenry to sulk in one corner and self-pity ... 2025 is the Philippines' year in pageantry.

We don't actually invoke or implore for more awards, but it is written in the stars ... This early, the Philippines had a good chance of getting the Country of the Year Award by virtue of the wins the country has earned in major Alpha ... top-tier International pageants.

We won this title 2 0r 3 times in the past ... that is why we are being called a Powerhouse, and 2025 cemented it despite the doubting Thomases from our kapitbahays who dismissed it as just some kind of an urban legend and worst a delusional figment of our imagination. Here's the breakdown:

-Miss Universe - Third Runner Up

-Miss World - Top 8 and  Continental Queen of Asia

-Miss International - Fourth Runner Up

-Miss Earth- Top 8 

-Miss Supranational - Third Runner Up

-Miss Grand International- Winner

We did not ask for it, but fate was generous ... and she continue to shower and reward us with all these blessings.

The year is not over ... and we still have the chance to add more titleholders in the minor or lesser-known pageants. As of this count, we have more than 54 titles already tucked in our sleeves. We don't have to brag ... and we are not gloating ... but the year 2025 was just an avalanche.

The milestone is  a testament to the determination and excellence of our Pinay Queens.

Pageant Result: Miss Environment International 2025

The winners of Miss Environment International 2025 from left to right: Trisha Ahwera- Uganda - First Runner Up, Arianna Pantaleon - Philippines - Miss Environment International  2025 - Rebecca Baptiste -Trinidad and Tobago - Second Runner Up. The pageant was held in the City of Dreams in Paranaque, Philippines, last November 24, 2025.

Interesting Homily

The 10 Commandments Have Grown To 13

I attended the mass last Sunday. The priest delivered a very interesting homily, highlighting the current state of moral decay and disarray in the government. Obviously, he was making a snide remark on some clandestine flood control projects and the corruption that is eating the moral fiber of everyone.

Sabi niya ... there are only Ten Commandments ... and if Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations will make a survey of the commandments, sigurado siya na ang commandments na paulit-ulit na nilalabag ng mga tao at ng mga government officials ay Commandment No. 7 - THOU SHALT NOT STEAL ... at No. 8 - THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.

Magkadugtong kasi ang pusod ng dalawang commandment ... kung magnanakaw ka kasi ... sigurado sinungaling ka rin. Nahuli ka nang nagnanakaw ... nagsisinungaling ka pang hindi ah. Gusto mo lang daw masubukan kung ano ang pakiramdam hawakan ang limpak-limpak na salapi.

Nahuli ka nang pinapasok mo ang pera sa maleta ninyo ...nagpapalusot ka pang gusto mo lang matantiya kung gaano kakapal at magkano ba talaga ang laman ng isang luggage ... in millions. Parang kang si Orly Guteza who testified in the Blue Ribbon Committee that one suitcase are worth approximately 48 million pesos. Na tinawanan lang ng lahat.

The seventh commandment, considering the current political system, is evolving and is undergoing drastic and dramatic changes - one can always web lies na may mga kasama ka pang iba - kahit iisang tao lang naman ang makikita sa kuarto. At ikaw yon.

When you start to fib and lie ... posibleng mandamay ka pa ng iba ... nakakahiya nga namang mahuli ka at nagiisa ka lang. Misery loves company - meaning guilty people often find comfort in dragging others down and sharing their suffering. A miserable person wants others to be unhappy as well, so they don't feel alone. Diyan na pumapasok ang 8th Commandment - "bearing false witness against thy neighbor."

I was really holding my laughter the way the priest said it: Sampu lang naman ang commandments hindi pa matupad ... pero gusto pa yatang nilang dagdagan.

Ang commandment No 11 daw ay THOU SHALT NOT GET CAUGHT. Huwag daw magpahuli. I don't know kung ang ibig sabihin niya ay hindi magpahuli sa mga police or ng mga tracking device - GPS, law enforcement monitors or any electronic surveillance.

Kung hinahabol ka ng batas sa pagnanakaw ... or sa pagsinungaling ... or sa paggawa ng kuwento sa iba ... automatic na yong magtago ka na tucked inside your survival kit. . Huwag kang sumuko. May slim chance pa na malusotan mo ito.

Deny all you can (parang eat all you can ah) - if that will help your case. Kung bukong-buko ka na and it reach the point na hinahanap ka na ni General Torre - aba hide and seek na ang drama mo... if possible sa ilalim ng lupa. But don't repeat the same mistake of Quibuloy - nakalimutan niyang huwag dapat siyang huminga at ang mga pulso niya dapat nasa SILENT MODE. Parang sa Ai-phone.

At sakali mang mahuli ka ni General Torre, then the next Commandment No. 12 is your next big option. THOU SHALL NOT ADMIT ANYTHING. Kahit ibitay ka pa nila ng patiwarik ... or kilitiin to the max ... ipa-smorgasbord sa langgam ... huwag bumigay ... huwag umihi sa pantalon ... walang aminan.

Pwede kang magkunyari na may sakit ka para hindi na sila mangulit sa pagtanong sa iyo ... pero tested and proven na yong mag- neck-brace (kahit itanong mo sa mga nagdaang mga politiko kahit wala namang orthopedic issues sa leeg mo. At classic na ring matawag yong gumamit ka ng props like wheelchair perhaps? And revolutionary na yong mga nagsa-suggest na magpa-house arrest na lang sila.

If push comes to shove pwede ka ring magkunyaring comatose ka ... or nasa stage of catatonic stupor ang lagay mo. And please lang huwag mong ibukas ang mga mata kung may tao. Bad yan. Malaking kasalanan din ang mahuling ngumiti. May comatose at stuporous ba na nakabukas ang mata at nakangiti pa man din ... aber?

Dahil sa katigasan ng ulo mo ... binuksan mo nga ang mata mo at nguniti ka pa dahil akala mo nabudol mo ang mga police ... sa pagkunyaring may sakit ka ... wala ka nang magawa ngayon kundi tanggapin ang kapalaran mo.

But wait ... you still can do the Commandment No. 13 - THOU SHALT NOT BE ALONE sa parusa mo. Gamitin mo ang lahat ng resources at yaman mo. Employ a Dream Team na gagabay sa iyo.

Ipa-raffle lahat ang mga luxury vehicles ... ang mga Rolls -Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Mercedes Benz G-500, Mercedes AMG G 63, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Levante. Modena, Porche Cayenne, Toyota Sequoia and Tundra para sa mga abogadong buong puso kang tulungan with all your legal and illegal woes.

Search for the country's best ghostbusters para ibandera na ang lahat na mga ghost projects at ghost employees ... mga project na imupisahan pero hindi tinapos, mag proyektong inanod at nilamon ng tubig, at mga project na basta na lang iniwang nakatiwangwang.

Maghanap ka rin ng abogadong buong giting kang ipagtanggol at maipagsakatuparan na magiging state witness ka and will be placed under the government's Witness Protection Program (WPP). Sabi nga nila - nahuli ka man ... pero hindi kulong.

Find fake whistle-blowers, even with fake notarization, as long as they are willing to lie for you. Huwag mong piliin ang whistle blower na pagkatapos ng kanyang unang baptism of fire sa Senado ... hindi na mahagilap at missing in action na. Ayan tuloy ... nagdududa na ang mga miron.

Employ an army of trolls para masagot ang mga negative narratives sa internet at social media. Importante pa ring maalagaan ang pangalan mo kahit masangsang na ang amoy nito.

Ask for the help of religious organizations that are willing to do indignation rallies in EDSA and Luneta against corruption, kahit walang duda na pati ikaw kumbinsido na at walang pagalinlangan na corrupt na rin ang turing at tingin mo sa sarili. Naglinis-linisan kasi.

If all else fails, idamay na ang lahat. Ilabas mo ang kanilang baho ... ano sila hilo ... at ikaw lang ang magiging fall guy?

Kaya nga hindi matapos-tapos itong serye ng mga bagyo eh. Dahil may mga taong katulad mo ... who has imbibed the tenets of "no retreat no surrender." ... "habang may buhay ... may pag-asa" or "kung may gusot ... may lusot."

Sigi palusot pa more. Tandaan mo malulusutan mo man ang batas ng tao ... pero ang batas ng nasa Itaas ... NEVER!

Feeling Blessed ... Ang Isang May Utang

Nakita ni Pete na na nagpost ang kaibigan niyang may utang sa kanya na FEELING BLESSED siya that day sa Facebook. Magandang timing. Kaya pinuntahan niya ito at baka sakaling mabayaran at maambunan siya ng kakaibang feeling na yon. Feeling blessed! Sigurado magbabayad na yon!

Pete: Pre pwede ka bang magbayad ng utang mo ngayon? Kailangan ko lang kasi.

Kaibigan: Hindi ko alam kung kaibigan pa kita. Nag US ka lang ... binago na ng pera ang buong pagkatao mo.

Pete: Haah ... ako pa ngayon ang nagbago? Pag galing US ka ba ... kailangan ba magbago? Ako pa ngayon ang may kasalanan? Wala ba akong karapatan maningil?  ... Ako pa ngayon ang masama? Ibibigay ko na lang ba ng libre ang inutang mo?

Ang daming tanong yon ah.  Naglalabas lang siya siguro ng kanyang nararamdaman. Ang FEELING BLESSED pala ... ay synonymous sa FEELING BEAST!

Correction lang ... ang feeling blessed is not a SYNONYM na ang tao ay magbabayad ng utang.  The fact of the matter is ... ANTONYM sila!

Miss Universe 2025 Sidelights and Highlights

It all started in the early days of the Miss Universe 2025 competition when Nawat called out Fatima Bosch for allegedly refusing to participate in a photo shoot set up to provide content for contestants to share on social media.

Fatima denied the claims; however, Itsaragrisil continued to chastise her. She eventually walked out of the room, and several other contestants got up to follow.
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That incident brought up tension between the two executives, Raul and Nawat. Raul announced that Nawat has been restricted from participation in Miss Universe events.

He continued to express his "great indignation towards Nawat for the public aggression he committed against Fátima Bosch ... whom he humiliated, insulted, and showed a lack of respect to. Itsaragrisil has since tearfully apologized for the incident.
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The pageant proceeded as planned, and no one had a hint or suspicion that the two-week lull before the finals was just a calm before the storm.

But some tip-off signs should have alerted Raul and Nawat's attention as two judges, Omar Harfouch (Lebanese-French composer and Claude Makelele (a French soccer player), stepped down as judges, with Omar making accusations of rigging and Claude citing unforeseen personal reasons. It can be trouble waiting to happen?
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And now the result of the finals - the Top 5 composed of the Philippines, Cote d'Ivoire, Venezuela, Thailand, and Mexico. It was a hotly contested event from the start, especially when the candidates showcased their talents in the swimwear and evening gown competitions.

The beauty and brains pageant will now depend on the last two remaining questions and answer rounds to really determine who's who among the Best of the Best.

The Philippines, Cote d'Ivoire, and Venezuela delivered ... and people in the venue and on social media were amazed at how low they placed, and the owners of the pageant, Mexico and Thailand, were the two last women standing.
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The netizens surmised that, apparently, Mexico and Thailand have already struck a deal. It was a coin toss between the two of them ... whichever way it went ... winner sila. Ang isa will be the new Miss Universe, and the other one will be the first runner-up.

Miss Mexico won the title, and Thailand became the bridesmaid.
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What happened after that was surreal. I have never seen anything like that. Not even at the time in 2015 with Pia Wurtzbach, when Steve Harvey made that announcement, gaffe .... the whole pageant community was polarized, either you are pro-Philippines or you're not.

But this time, almost 85% of the venue was booing the Mexican delegation as they went to their hotel ... and even Raul Rocha Cantu. They were chanting Côte d'Ivoire and the Philippines.
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And the rest was history. The next day, French musician Omar Harfouch maybe could not stomach the result. He took to social media by storm when he stated Miss Mexico is a fake winner.
He also volunteered this information that Raul Rocha and his son urged him a week ago in Dubai .... that Miss Mexico needed to win ...because they need to win, "Because it is good for the business."
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Because of the controversy, baka madethrone ang winner, suspetsa ng isang pageant observer.

Pagkatapos madethrone ... aba ang isang co-owner pa rin will take over, being the first runner up? That was a stroke of genius .... sabi ng isa pang naghihimutok. This is the mother of all cooking shows. Only one good chef can cook it.
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"There is one irony concerning the last two women standing.", I observed. "They delivered the weakest answers.

The Miss Universe 2025 CROWN has found a HEAD ... but not the rightful one.
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Lessons learned in Miss Universe 2025, according to one disgruntled fan.

If you want to be the queen: create a scene ... stage a walk-out ... have a verbal clash with the organizer ... and don't forget to portray yourself as the victim.
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One comment I was waiting for is for past winners to join the fray. The first two queens to cast shade were Catriona, who obviously can not hold her punches. " Wala na bang bearing ang Q and A sa MU?" she asked. This resonated well with pageant insiders who echo the same sentiment: The Q and A has lost its gravity and importance in the good-for-business atmosphere of the present-day Miss Universe Organization.

Michelle Dee seconded that by posting a cryptic but highly-charged observation: "I know ... you smell that too?"
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By this time, Filipinos should have already been used to and tolerant of corruption and scams.

With the way things are happening in our government ... dapat sana nasanay na tayong MANAKAWAN. Nanakawan na tayo ng PERA ... pati KORONA ninakaw pa rin?
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Rally For Transparency? Was It?

 

Rally For Transparency ... Was It?

Iglesia Ni Cristo last weekend, with a special participation from JIL and KOJC (a trio of not a surprising mix), held an indignation rally... and it is a rally for transparency and a better democracy.

The CBCP and Caritas, however, came out and distanced themselves right away, boldly stating that they are neither involved in the event's planning nor endorsing it.

The goal of the rally was very noble ... lalo pa ngayong galit na galit ang mag tao ngayon sa corruption. I am a Catholic and I don't have any problem rubbing elbows with them ... pareho lang naman ang VISION pati na ang MISSION.

Pero may mga komenta ang mga netizens diyan lalo na ang pagiging omni-present at very visible ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta sa lahat ng activities - isa pa naman siya sa mga higante na tinitingala sa INC.

His presence leaves though a sour taste in the mouth of some, lalo na may perception ang mga tao na kumikiling siya sa Familya Discaya. At lalo pang gumuho ang kanilang ilusyon, lalo na at they consider him na isang Superman ng Philippine politics tapos marami siyang mga little but big baggages of scandals tailing him lately ... and with his no-nonsense ... serious, and no frills ... devil may care attitude unti-unting lumalayo ang mga dating tagahanga niya sa kanya.

And when Orly Guteza, the surprise whistleblower, came from the back burner ... and then declared himself missing in action when the Blue Ribbon Committee started smelling a rat ... the people's stance changed from admiration to repugnance. And then there's his unholy alliance with Mike Defensor, where the public suspects they are up to cooking something.

So people were asking because they thought this was a rally for TRANSPARENCY, and with his ongoing mano-a-mano tussle with the COMELEC chief regarding some disparity and irregularities in his SALN and SOCE ... transparency was thrown out of the window ... it is a litigation waiting to happen.

If transparency is the object of the rally ... Marcoleta was not a TRANSPARENT person as the rally aimed to attain... an irritating nuisance to INC's supposed to be magnanimous objective. (transparent person - someone who is open, honest, and straightforward with no hidden agendas. They are candid and sincere in their communication, admit their mistakes, explain their decision-making process, and are open to feedback, which builds trust with others.

And then there was the JIL, and we already knew Joel Villanueva's pressing problems with ICI and the ombudsman. His case was a direct contradiction of the Iglesia's noble intentions ... and their presence demeaned whatever transparency points they earned. If there was any.

And what's the KOJC doing in this event? Their attendance added more black eyes to the already waning people's trust, even making them wonder whether the INC hierarchy truly understands why they are there in the first place and what they are fighting for.

And Imee's enfant terrible, deviant, and eccentric confession? It is very un-Filipino, to say the least, and has alienated many observers. It is supposed to be the highlight of the 3-day rally, but for her to drop the bomb on the second day was anticlimactic. That made the INC powers that be ... think the mission was already accomplished ... so why extend it for another day?

Yon lang pala ang hinihintay nila? Binibigyan pa ng kung anong outlandish mantra ang rally nila ... pa-transparency-transparency ek-ek pa kuno ... some sectors suspect parti lang pala yon ng destabilazation job para bumaba na si BBM?

Tama nga ang desisyong ng CBCP at Caritas na wala silang partisipasyon. They really are a good judge of the organization's character ... and their true nature.

Mang Imee: Ambivalent or May Ideas of Reference?

Madam Imee: Ambivalence or Ideas of Reference?

Senator Imee's response to Cong. Sandro Marcos is a grist for a gossip mill.

All the recipes and ingredients (that include the condiments) for a good gossip are there when she shared personal information about her brother for no reason other than shock value or to diminish him in the eyes of others, and to the "delight of you know who", according to my friend.

She justified her gossip by claiming she was "helping" him and let her audience see a person for "who he really was," although if someone did the same to her, she'd scream "foul".

That was exacxtly what happened when Sandro Marcos shared his observation and responded: "That is not a doing of a sibling."

And then she responded irresponsibly: "Gustong paingayin ni Sandro ang usap-usapang hindi ako tunay na kapatid." And then she segued to suggest "Isa lamang ang solusyon: Magpa DNA test ako ... at magpa-hair follicle test sila."

Did you hear yourself, Manang Imee? Ikaw ang nagsabi ng sinabi mo. What are you frothing about?

I don't see any malice in what Sandro has opined. There were no odious and scummy insinuations and imputations uttered, except that he was wondering what you were doing?

Because just like any Pinoy, morally and culturally speaking, that is ... will frown at what you did. And we couldn't blame him if he said in disbelief: "This is not the doing of a sibling."

Manang Imee ...we share the same feeling with Sandro. We believe family comes first ... ano mang baho meron ang isang miembro nito, pamilya ang nagpo-protect na hindi sumingaw ang masangsang na amoy.

The way I see it ... mas mature pa si Sandro sa kanyang demeanor and observation ... compared to the juvenile rant of dear Auntie. Para na rin siyang bratinella ... (those who lie down with dogs shall rise up with fleas).

What I saw ... was some kind of inner workings of a distressed woman, knowing her AMBIVALENCE (the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas or contrasting feeling tones about something or someone). In her case ,,, she was torn between her love for her brother ... versus her love of power or the support of her allies. Will the latter outweigh the former ... and will she make that her priority?

Her response to Sandro's statement was a classic case of IDEAS OF REFERENCE (?) - the false belief that unrelated events, such as the conversations or statements, in this case, Sandro's comment, made her think he questioned if she was a sister to him.

Well, she still is ... technically, (whether the rumors are true or not) she can still be a sister to BBM either from the father side ... or the mother side. Whatever the true story is.

Actually, this is not the issue here. It was just her DEFENSIVE response to Sandro ... that sounded too OFFENSIVE.

The rule of thumb is ... if you don't want your name dragged in a quagmire of scandals and innuendos ... chill ... and you have to think a million times about your moves and their repercussions. If you don't want that, the whole country will talk about you and your little antic ang tactic ... keep your mouth shut!

Is he ready to shed off her Marcos pedigree? ... Or the lure of Davao is an invitation ... too hard to ignore?