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Miss Chinatown Phillippines 2005 - Press Release
*courtesy of Michael Lim, Chairperson, Programs and Events Committee

Restoring Miss Chinatown to its former glory By Giovanni Paolo J. Yazon
The name Michael Lim may not ring a bell for most of us, but to the Chinese-Filipino community, he is a celebrity!

If you attend Tsinoy weddings, chances are you might have already met this Armani-clad gentleman doing the hosting chores—a skill he honed through years of experience as a speech professor at De La Salle University—not just in English, but in Mandarin Chinese as well.

At 30, he has hosted hundreds of events ranging from debuts and weddings, to business launches of affluent Chinese-Filipinos. His previous clients include business tycoons and wealthy Chinese clans such as the Tans and the Gos, French Baker owner John Kua, Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde, Rep. Neptali Gonzalez Jr., and Gia Barreto, the elder sister of Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine.

“Whenever I get an offer to host a particular event, I first ask the client what he or she wants. Different clients have various demands. Some like their event to be festive, others just want it to be sober. I adjust to their needs.”

Perfectionist that he is, Lim not only masters his spiels and looks for new ways to entertain the audience; he also checks the technical aspects. “I see to it that the audio-visual presentation is synchronized with the musical score.”

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, who attended one of the events that Mike hosted, took notice of his potential and not long after appointed him chairman of the programs and events committee of the Chinatown Development Authority.

One of Lim’s remarkable projects is the “Tsinoy Pop Idol,” aimed at promoting the Chinese language through music.

The Miss Chinatown 2005 challenge

The annual Miss Chinatown-Manila beauty contest used to be the “Binibining Pilipinas pageant of Binondo.” Unfortunately, this contest that highlights the beauty, intelligence, and charm of a Chinese-Filipina lost its luster and was put on the back-burner.

Since this pageant is under the aegis of Mike’s committee, he is now faced with a much greater challenge of bringing it back to its former glory.

Lim changed the name of Miss Chinatown-Manila to Miss Chinatown-Philippines in 2004 because he wanted this pageant to be elevated to the national level, just like the Binibini, Miss Philippines-Earth and Mutya ng Pilipinas pageants. This gave a lot of non-Manila resident ladies with Chinese ancestry the chance to participate.

“Knowing that Mayor Atienza believes in my craft, I am really pressured to make this pageant surpass the previous ones,” Lim admitted. Hence, he employed an impressive “team of experts” who will help make this year’s Miss Chinatown pageant a successful one.

He handpicked designer Eric de los Santos to do the evening gowns. De los Santos, who will represent the country in an international design competition this December in Paris, was recently cited as one of the “Top 10 Young Designers of 2005” by the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines.

Lim tapped fashion director Ogie Atos to supervise the show. “This year’s Miss Chinatown will be similar to global pageants that are fast-paced and visually entertaining. The show will also teach the audience about Chinese culture. Instead of the tired, old question-and-answer segment, the candidates will be made to interpret Chinese proverbs to test their wit and they may answer either in English or in Mandarin.”

Victor Ortega, who has perfected the art of emphasizing the “chinky eyes” of Chinese-Filipina brides, will be the ladies’ official makeup artist.

Lim also chose lens men Jay Tablante and Patrick Uy to capture the best angles of the ladies as well as of reigning Miss Chinatown, Mary Grace Sy.

“In recent years, Miss Chinatown was held in five-star hotels. This time, we opted for a bigger venue, but with lesser ticket price since we want to bring it closer to the masa and the youth,” Lim smiled. This year’s Miss Chinatown-Philippines will be staged at the Phil-Am Life Auditorium in United Nations Avenue, Manila on Nov. 11 (Friday).

The winner will go to Hong Kong in January 2006 to represent the Philippines in the Miss Chinese International. Reigning Bb. Pilipinas-World Carlene Ang Aguilar joined this contest last year. She placed second runner-up and was adjudged “Best Smile.”

Lim, a Chinese, but “Filipino by heart,” also promised that this year’s Miss Chinatown-Philippines will be “a grand showcase of Chinese-Filipino culture.”

HISTORY OF MISS CHINATOWN PHILIPPINES
Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza pushes for the transformation of Miss Chinatown Manila to be the next prestigious national pageant. Via its new title, Miss Chinatown Philippines, the pageant will accommodate not only Metro Manila Chinese beauties but those from the provinces as well. This year the pageant, which only qualifies single, intelligent women of Chinese descent aged 18-26 years old with good moral character, height of at least 5’4” and living at least one year in the Philippines.

The change, according to the organizers, is an attempt to tap all talented Chinese women in the country to join the pageant. The committee believes that this will increase the chances of the Philippine representative of winning the Miss Chinese International held annually in Hongkong before the Chinese New Year. The international pageant is a franchise that the CDA has acquired in 1999 where Miss Chinatown Manila titlists were sent yearly to compete.

Mayor Lito Atienza formed the CHINESE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (CDA) thru Executive Order No. 5 in 1999. The CDA was mandated to be the governing body to implement and formulate development plans for the Chinatown district of Manila, with Mayor Atienza as Chairman.

Through Mayor Atienza’s progressive visions and development plans, the said Chinese community has turned into a vibrant business district. But, the Mayor not resting on his laurel, has still other vision, to promote and highlight the beauty and richness of the Fil-Chinese culture through a beauty pageant. Thus, the MS. CHINATOWN was born.

In no time, Mayor Atienza appointed Ms. Rosie Go, wife of the President of the Equitable Bank, as the officer-in-charge of the Ms. Chinatown Manila. Go, being one of the eight executive committee members and a private sector representative of the civic organization of the constituents of Chinatown, exhausted all means to make the pageant an attractive venue for promoting the Chinese culture and to show to all Manileños the charm and beauty of the Chinese women.

Further help from the four big Chinese organizations—the Federation of Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Chinese-Filipino Business Club, Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Philippine Chinese Charitable Association-the First Ms. Chinatown Manila was held at the Century Park Hotel with Rene Salud and Chin Narvaez, who labored together to make the pageant an experience to remember. Fifteen candidates vied for the crown in December 1999, IVY VONG emerged as the first Ms. Chinatown Manila.

Encouraged by the success of the pageant, and with the Mayor’s blessing, Ms. Go wasted no time in securing a right for the Ms. Chinatown Manila to join a prestigious international Chinese beauty pageant, no less than the Ms. Chinese International. Thus, IVY VONG was the first Ms. Chinatown Manila to compete in the Miss Chinese International 2000 held in Las Vegas.

Miss Chinatown gives its titlist’s once-in-a-life-time opportunities. The most popular product of the pageant is Carlene Ang Aguilar. Crowned as Miss Chinatown 2004, she is now the reigning Bb. Pilipinas-World, and the Philippines’ official representative to compete in the Miss World to be held in Shanghai. She was also chosen to star in one of the famous soap operas in Hong Kong after competing in Miss Chinese International where she was 2nd runner up. Her luck didn’t stop as she joined and won one of the titles in the Miss Earth competition.

1999 Miss Chinatown Manila Ivy Vong became a well-known model after the Miss International in 2000. Now, she is one of the most sought after models in the international scene. Her successor, Genevieve Siao won an international landscape designing competition and is carving her own niche in this field.

Grace Lee, 2003 Miss Chinatown won a Miss Radiant Smile award in the Miss Chinese International. The reigning Miss Chinatown, Mary Grace Sy is also doing well in her job as the official spokesperson of the Chinese Community in important events in Manila.

According to Miss Sy, the pageant opened doors of opportunities for her already. She was able to meet and mingle with significant people like the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Wu Hong Bo, celebrity Andy Lau and a lot of wonderful Chinese women around the world. The exposure she is getting even boosts her confidence in pursuing her chosen field. She adds that, her endeavors, as a titleholder, are very well supported by the mayor and encourages potential candidates to join the Miss Chinatown Philippines 2005.

The Miss Chinatown Philippines 2005 pageant is expected to usher expectators as well as the candidates themselves to a national pageantry level. In cooperation with the Office of the City Mayor of Manila, the CDA under the chairmanship Mayor Atienza, continues to improve its goals and missions for the pageant. Helping the mayor are of Angel Ngu of the Federation of Filipino Chamber of Commerce, pageant chair; Victor Tan of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club, pageant co-chair; Rosie Go, adviser; and renowned events host and Tsinoy personality, Michael Lim, as CDA’s events and program chair.

Miss Chinatown Philippines Titleholders
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2004- Mary Grace Sy Siy
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2003- Carlene Aguilar (2nd Runner-up Miss Chinese International 2004 , Miss Chinese International 2004’s Best Smile)
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2002- Grace Lee King-Hei (Miss Chinese International 2003’s Miss Vitality)
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2001- Diane Louise She Yu
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2000- Genevieve Khu Siao
Miss Chinatown Philippines 1999- Ivy Tan Vong

MISS CHINATOWN-PHILIPPINES 2005
CELEBRATES CHINESE BEAUTY AND CHARM

After Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman, another Filipina beauty will get the chance to make her country proud by representing the Philippines to the Miss Chinese-International, a prestigious beauty competition that crowns the fairest among Chinese women across the globe.

The representative to the Miss Chinese-International, which will be held on January 2006 in Hong Kong, will be chosen from the Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2005 pageant to be held Nov. 11 at the Philamlife Theatre - gathering Filipino-Chinese women in an exciting pageant highlighting Chinese beauty, intelligence and charm.

Aside from the golden opportunity to be crowned as the best among the world's Chinese beauties, this year's winner will a cash prize of P220,000 That is apart from the esteemed role as the spokesperson of the Filipino-Chinese community, which is among the responsibilities of the reigning Miss Chinatown-Philippines.

Michael Lim, Chinatown Development Authority (CDA) chairperson of programs and events, will serve as the event's creative director.

"This year's pageant will be different from other pageants we've seen before. It's oing to be a classy and beautiful event, while remaining conservative, a virtue among Filipino-Chinese women, " said Michael

As such, Michael explained, the candidates will don one-piece bathing suits to add a tasteful but conservative look to the competition. The pageant will also feature question and answer portions and parades of candidates in their evening gowns.

For the event, renowned fashion designer Eric delos Santos has prepared fabulous evening gowns specially created for the occasion. The gowns will feature sexy, fluid, and feminine designs infusing fire and water hues in georgette, jersey and chiffon materials.

"The gowns will not compete with the person wearing them. The candidate will carry each gown with her own individual elegance, and their character and beauty will shine through," said Eric.

Screening of applicants to the annual Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2005 will be held on Oct. 28, 1-5 pm at the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Federation Building, Muelle de Binondo, Manila. The official candidates will then be presented to the press on Nov. 4 at the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant along Roxas Boulevard, with the Grand Coronation night slated on Nov. 11 at the Philamlife Auditorium.

Single Filipino women with Chinese ancestry, 18-26 years of age, with a good moral character and pleasing personality, are invited to join this pageant. Candidates should have a height of at least 5'4" and a graduate/student of any college/university, with Chinese ancestry. They need to also have at least one-year residency in the Philippines.

The winner of the pageant will then represent the Philippines to the annual Miss Chinese-International, which is done every January, so the competition is always dated a year in advance. Reigning Binibining Pilipinas-World Carlene Aguilar was Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2003, and she won as 2nd runner up in the Miss Chinese International the following year.

Reigning Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2004 Mary Grace Sy is urging Filipino-Chinese women from all over the country to join this year's search. "This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will open a lot of doors for your career. I had a lot of fun during the whole pageant and during my reign as Miss Chinatown, being able to meet all sorts of people like the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wu Hong Bo, celebrity Andy Lau, and wonderful Chinese girls from all over the world,"she said.

Interested applicants may call the CDA/NGO Program Secretariat Office of the Mayor, Manila at tel. nos. 302-69-40/302-69-50/527-49-08 or 302-68-50 and look for Abel or Jing. Or e-mail at mschinatowphil@yahoo.com, or text tsinoy<space>mschinatown and send to 2336 (Globe).

MS. CHINATOWN PHILLIPPINES 2005 SEARCH IS ON *Information courtesy of Michael Lim, Chairperson, Programs & Events Committe - Chinatown Development Authority
The search is now on for the MS. CHINATOWN PHILIPPINES 2005. The lucky winner will represent the Philippines to the Ms. CHINESE INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT 2006 to be held in Hongkong. A grand prize of P220,000 cash awaits the winner.

Interested applicants may call the CDA/NGO Program Secretariat, Office of the Mayor, Manila at tel. nos. 302-69-40/302-69-50/527-50-38/527-49-08 or 302-68-50, and look for Abel or Jing.

You may e-mail it to mschinatowphil@yahoo.com, or Text tsinoy<space>mschinatown and send to 2336 (Globe).

Screening of all applicants will be on October 28, 2005 at the Federation of the Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Federation Building, Muelle de Binondo, Manila. Grand coronation night will be on Nov. 11, 8:00p.m. at the PHILAMLIFE Auditorium, T.M. Kalaw, Manila.

PRESS RELEASE - MISS CHINATOWN-PHILIPPINES IS A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE FOR REIGNING QUEEN

A beauty queen may officially reign only for a whole year, but the title bestowed on her will forever be attached to her name, the experience, a treasured memory for a lifetime.

Reigning Miss Chinatown-Philippines Mary Grace Sy is set to relinquish her crown to the best candidate who will embody the Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2005 title, set on the Grand Coronation Night on Nov. 11, but she will remain grateful for a whole year when her life changed overnight.

"This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will open a lot of doors for your career, and for yourself, as an individual. I had a lot of fun during the whole pageant and during my reign as Miss Chinatown. It was a learning experience. But most of all, I was able to meet all sorts of people like the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wu Hong Bo, celebrity Andy Lau, and wonderful Chinese girls from all over the world," she said. People whom I would never meet, had I not join the Ms. Chinatown Philippines beauty contest,"she added.

Mary Grace, 21, is a part-time ramp model and student, currently taking up a Culinary Arts course at the Center for Culinary Arts or CCA Manila. When she won the crown, she also claimed one of the responsibilities of the title, which is to serve as the official spokesperson of the Filipino Chinese community during important events around Manila. She admitted that she used to be a very private person, a very protective one at that, coming from an ultra-conservative Chinese family, but her participation in the pageant changed her life and has given her a not only a lot of confidence, but a broader perspective in life.

"I can guarantee that the pageant is a very pleasant and wholesome experience. It will also give you a chance to compete, makes you competitive with other Filipino Chinese girls not only here, but, around the world. The Mayor has been very supportive of all my efforts. He is also very protective of my image, and even treats me like one of his own daughters,"she enthused.

The winner of the pageant will represent the Philippines to the annual Miss Chinese International, a prestigious beauty competition that crowns the fairest among Chinese women across the globe. The annual search is done every January, so the competition is always dated a year in advance. Reigning Binibining Pilipinas-World Carlene Aguilar was Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2003, and she won as 2nd runner up in the Miss Chinese International the following year.

The new Miss Chinatown will receive P220,000 cash and the chance to represent the Philippines at the Miss Chinese International to be held in January 2006 in Hong Kong. She will also serve as the official spokesperson of the Filipino-Chinese community, just one of the many responsibilities of being a Miss Chinatown Philippines.

Screening of applicants to the annual Miss Chinatown-Philippines 2005 will be held on Oct. 28, 1-5 pm at the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Muelle de Binondo, Manila.

The official candidates will then be presented to the press on Nov. 4 at the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant along Roxas Boulevard, with the Grand Coronation night slated on Nov. 11 at the Philamlife Theatre in Manila.

Single Filipino women with Chinese ancestry, 18-26 years of age, with a good moral character and pleasing personality, are invited to join this pageant. Candidates should have a height of at least 5'4" and a graduate/student of any college/university. They need to also have at least one-year residency in the Philippines.