As a dual citizen, the new Miss International Bea Rose Santiago could have chosen to represent Canada in any of the leading global beauty pageants. Instead, the Metro Manila-born, Masbate-raised beauty queen chose to “fight” for the Philippines, in her words, “a country that would support me 1,000 percent.”
And she’s been proven right. A day after a nearly two-hour ticker tape parade through Makati’s Central Business District, a euphoric Santiago is still basking in the once-in-a-lifetime experience of “having lived my dream.”
“Before I left Tokyo (venue of Miss International), I e-mailed Ms (Stella) Araneta to tell her that I’d love to have my fairy tale of a parade,” says Santiago. “And I had it. People were lining the streets or looking out from their windows calling me by my first name. Napakasarap pala ng feeling (it really felt good). They had balloons and whistles. It was like a fiesta. They really put effort into it.”
As chair and pageant director of Binibining Pilipinas, Araneta, Colombian by birth and the first-ever Miss International, was one of the first persons Santiago thanked soon after she was crowned.
Beautiful experience
Unknown to her well-wishers, Santiago wasn’t feeling well before she stepped on the flower-decked float. But not even early flu symptoms could stop the 5’9” looker from putting on her best smile.
“People at Binibining Pilipinas were laughing because when the parade was about to start, I suddenly felt fine,” she says with a chuckle. “It was when I got back to my car that I felt sick again. But it was such a beautiful experience. It turned out to be better than my dream.”
The scene was a far cry from her quiet life as a college student in Canada. Santiago, 23, is one year shy of finishing a degree in communications, major in PR. Her joining Binibining
Pilipinas last year had nothing to do with her decision to put college on hold.
“I didn’t know what I really wanted to be,” she says. “But after Miss International, I think it’s getting clearer now.”
During a courtesy call on President Aquino at Malacañang upon her victorious return, she told him of her desire to work in the United Nations, as someone from the Philippines, not Canada.
The President saw Santiago’s fluency in English and her knowledge of several local languages as an advantage.
Career first
Santiago doesn’t deny that she’s dating a “half-Filipino” whom she declines to identify, but “we’re not committed.”
“It’s difficult to balance love life and career,” she says. “I was told that you have to choose one. For now, I would definitely choose career. We’re seeing each other exclusively, but he knows my priorities are Binibining Pilipinas and Miss International.”
Born in Alabang, Santiago was raised by her parents in a multilingual home in Masbate. She learned Ilonggo from her father and Cebuano from her mother. When the two separated, Santiago’s mother eventually moved to Canada.
While waiting for the Canadian government to act on their mother’s petition, Santiago and her two siblings lived with their maternal grandparents in Masbate.
“I can still understand and speak a bit of Ilonggo, but I’m more fluent and comfortable speaking Cebuano,” says Santiago, who moved to Canada at 15.
“Since I’ve relocated to Manila, my Tagalog is getting better. It was a struggle for me before. We don’t really speak it at home.”
But Santiago is the first person to make fun of her “quaint” accent when she speaks in English. Her Canadian accent betrays a Cebuano inflection with a hint of Ilonggo.
“I don’t do it on purpose. It comes out unconsciously. I guess that makes me unique. And because we Filipinos speak English differently, I also know how to adjust na nga.”
Apart from Araneta, she considers former Miss International Lara Quigaman and former Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Karen Agustin as her mentors.
If Ariella Arida, current Binibining Pilipinas-Universe, trained under Jonas Gaffud of Aces & Queens, Santiago fine-tuned her beauty pageant skills under Rogel Flores of Kagandahang Flores.
Overwhelming
Despite her preparations, Santiago couldn’t help but feel a bit threatened during her first few days in Tokyo in early December. Most of the girls, she says, “were a lot better looking in person.”
In a field where everyone had something to offer, Santiago’s best weapons were her strong self-esteem and long hours of training.
“It was overwhelming at first because the girls were super nice and sobrang gaganda (very beautiful),” she says. “I just prayed and allowed the support system from the Philippines to take over. Even though I couldn’t reply to all of them, feedback in social media was also mostly positive.”
She also had her mom, who flew from Toronto, and friends to support her. Everywhere she went in Tokyo, Filipino crowds gathered to cheer her on.
“Even the other girls noticed,” says Santiago. “They said I’m very lucky because I had the best fans. I said, of course, because that’s how my people show their love.”
Unlike Miss Universe, the template for Miss International has remained almost unchanged. Fierce isn’t something you normally associate with a winner.
Before the contest, it was common for Santiago to be compared with past winners Aurora Pijuan and Gemma Cruz, two ageless Filipino beauties known for their grace, intelligence and regal moves. That unique blend of “control and modernized sophistication,” she says, probably caught the judges’ eye.
“They weren’t looking for someone who’s too aggressive or competitive. They want someone who manages to shine onstage without trying too hard,” she adds.
That’s why it’s important for an aspiring beauty queen to know herself well. It’s also a must to have a good core of supporters to point out not only your strengths, but also your weaknesses.
“Actually, preparing for it physically is the easiest part,” says Santiago. “Since it’s assumed that you’re already born with it, you just need a month or so to hone, say, your body at the gym. But preparing for it mentally is a different story. That, for me, was the hardest part.”
