By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
TONIGHT, Bacolod City will be crowing its first ever Miss Bacolod MassKara (MBM) at a pageant-slash-coronation at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum.
MBM is a rebranded name of the 40-year-old MassKara Queen (MQ).
However, amidst “wild speculations” on who’ll be proclaimed new queen among the 15 hopefuls, Bacolodnons and Negrensanons are focused on the contrasting tales of two beauty queens that recently hogged the news headlines.
One is good news, and the other is bad news.
The recent arrest of former MassKara Queen-turned-Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Jewel May Lobaton in Laoag City for a charge of estafa elicited shock …and empathies from among her fellow Bacolodnons.
On the other hand, reports that former Lin-ay sag Negros Vi-Anne Cadianza- Calipusan turned herself a philanthropist was cheered by many Negrosanons.
Well, I’m acquainted to both. During my heydays as a radio broadcaster, I interviewed them several times. I really admired these two ladies.
Jewel was a strong, idealistic and “palaban” beauty. VI-Anne, on the other hand, was a sweetie-cutie girl yet super-kalog and down-to-earth.
They’re both intelligent, too. Hence, everybody expect their successes will be eminent.
SHOCKING
Bacolod were really shocked on the night of Oct. 10 by reports from Manila that Jewel, ex-wife of Sen. Koko Pimentel, was apprehended in Laoag City for the charge of estafa.
I couldn’t believe it. But I started browsing internet and confirmed such unpleasant update.
It was Judge Manuel Basco Sta. Cruz, Jr. of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 226 who issued a warrant of arrest against ex-Mrs. Pimentel.
Jewel’s case, per Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) Director Colonel Pedro Soliba, stemmed from an alleged investment scam.
Most of the complainants were high-profile individuals like government officials, socialites, etc. The amount involved: Over P50-M!
I texted and sent a private message (PM) to Jewel to get her side, but to no avail.
I knew Jewel. In fact, she even told me before how Senator Koko pursued her after they first met in a prayer meeting in Manila.
Jewel, at the time, was a flight attendant.
That’s why, until now, I can’t imagine seeing her inside a detention cell. She may not be perfect, but I am certain that she’s inapt in that place. I hope someone could help her soonest.
BEYOND BLESSED
On the other hand, Vi-Anne, Lin-ay sang Negros 1999, is beyond blessed. She’s now into a noblest mission: to help Negros’ and Bohol’s underprivileged kids know how to read English words and sentences.
Thus, in semblance, Vi-Anne is becoming like Miss Universe-Malaysia 2011 Deborah Henry who, at 28, was cited by Forbes Magazine for her philanthropic act of establishing a school for kid refugees that ended up in Malaysia.
Vi-Anne, a native of La Castellana town in Negros Occidental and a nurse by profession, is now happily married to Bohol’s Alex Calipusan, a successful real estate broker.
Blessed with two adorable offspring – Emiko and Thyla – Vi-Anne and Alex are now settled in Las Vegas, USA.
To bring back the goodness to their respective hometown, the couple has founded this Uplift Foundation International (UFI).
UFI’s main advocacy: VALUES or short for Values Advocacy and Literacy Upliftment through Education Sharing.
With this, Vi-Anne’s and Alex’s UFI has started donating libraries with books to some La Castellana and Bohol schools.
But what caught my attention is UFI’s Remedial Reading Project (RRP). Piloting such in La Castellana with 50 kid beneficiaries aged six to 12 years old ain’t an easy undertaking.
But standing pat to her personal mantra – “Beauty with a Noble Purpose” – Vi-Anne, in an interview, sounded confident to hurdle the mission.
In fact, she confided, UFI has now more than 50 volunteers in La Castellana.
These included college students, retired and active school principals and teachers, among other professionals plus former governor Lito Coscolluela, serving as consultant.
And the beauty in it, volunteers will teach kids how to read English words and construct sentences every weekend for 12 weeks.
Definitely marvelous!
TIMELY, TOO
Vi-Anne’s and Alex’s mission is timely, too. World Bank (WB) 2022 Reports say nine out 10 Filipino kids at late primary age aren’t proficient in English reading.
Justified by WB, this reading mess was simply caused by too much poverty as worsened by COVID-19 pandemic that sent many online communities into frenzy.
Quite alarming, indeed!
Hence, Vi-Anne’s and Alex’s UFI is “more than a blessing” to the local communities in Negros and Bohol.
Yes, focusing on a reading mission coupled with values formation for kids is an intricate pursuit.
I know that for a start, lots of challenges are set to be hurdled.
But with a “gigantic desire” cultured from the heart, I’m pretty sure Vi-Anne and Alex will gonna succeed soonest.
In essence, therefore, Jewel and Vi-Anne have had started with the same foundation (beauty pageant), but traversed different roads for dissimilar goal(s) in life.
One failed, the other succeeded.
But one thing’s sure: they’re both “unapologetically beautiful” not without a struggle inside and outside./PN
