The Most Significant Change: Netizens Share Their Own Answers to #MissUniverse Question

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Everyone had their say about Maxine Medina's performance on Miss Universe.Some even had the audacity to laugh on her answer.

The question for Maxine was "What is the most significant change you've seen in the world in the last 10 years?" of which "change" was roughly translated in Tagalog as "pangyayari" by her interpreter.
Maxine's answer: The last 10 years of being here in the world is that I saw all the people bringing (being) in one event like this in Miss Universe, and it's something big to us that we are one, as one nation, we are all together.

"Ano ang pinakamakabuluhang naganap na PANGYAYARI (event?) ang nakita mo sa mundo sa loob ng sampung taon?" and so she answered it on the point... What can you say about it? Was it perhaps the interpreter's mistake?

"She did her best yes. But its already given that winners are not taken from a home or host country. Usually host countries are given the consolation for being part of the top 10 only. That's according to Ms. Gloria Diaz on Ms. U's rules." - Luz Prado-Morales

"With or without an interpreter, she would probably have the same answer. Let's not blame the interpreter. Maxine knows how to speak in English. She clearly knows what "change" means." - Abbie Broqueza

"Lesson here is to speak or express yourself in a language you are comfortable in, particularly when the pressure is high. It's perfectly okay to accept the fact that your English is not so good rather than to force it and mess up." - Bern Wong

"The reality for some is that, "the most significant change I've seen in the world in the last 10 years is when the Filipinos were degrading their country's candidate instead of supporting her." - Aira Mika Jubilea

Some are saying that "people are getting worst by judging and bashing people without knowing what it feels like being under pressure. Instead of supporting their own, they're bashing as if they are perfect. That's all I can say. And goodluck to all the smart people bashing our miss Universe Philippines Maxine Medina. I'm looking forward for the next miss Universe and hope I'll see all your faces on the pageant next year. To all those people bashing her, try to put your feet in her shoes." - Mitchelle Cernio

Many netizens also shared their own answers to the controversial #MissUniverse question to Maxine Medina thinking they could offer better options.

Below are a few more of their answers taken from social media network Facebook:

#Interpreter: The Guy Taken for Granted from the Recent #MissUniverse

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"I admire Maxine Medina for acknowledging her weakness. Asking for an interpreter is a bold move. Brave one!"

Everyone is talking about the "Interpreter" that allegedly made a crucial mistake in the "interpretation" or "translation" of the question from English to Tagalog. Many are saying Miss Philippines Maxine Medina was not able to give a substantial answer because of the mistake in translating "significant change" to "makabuluhang pangyayari" since it should have been "makabuluhang pagbabago." Netizens have mentioned that Maxine could have mentioned the developments in technology, the Internet or social media, or maybe like climate change or just about everything else that is more significant other than the "pangyayari" or "event" like the majestic gathering of Filipinos in watching the Miss Universe beauty pageant.

One of the trending topics in social media is now all about this guy who could have costed Maxine her chance to win the Miss Universe title. But we are forgetting that even with the mistake, Maxine did hear the original question asked in English. She does understand the language. Her only problem is how to correctly say it in English, mainly because she was under a lot of pressure.

But who knows? She could have really answered based from the Tagalog translation of which she did base it on the "pangyayari" word. When you're up there on stage knowing your every word is being observed by millions of people, you would also feel nervous, and make errors in judgement. It may not be a very well-thought out answer, but she did tried her best to come out with an answer from the heart. Though she could have fully utilized the interpreter to rephrase her thoughts better, we would still never know that since the interpreter could have made it worst for her. Remember that the interpreter did make a mistake with a particular word, he could have made further mistakes if he did "interpret" her answer. Also, Filipinos would know if he did fuck up because  we would understand Maxine's Tagalog answer too. That could have been another interesting alternate story.

On the positive side, the Heussaff siblings (Solenn and Erwan) both tweeted that even France's interpreter also made a mistake in his interpretation but according to them Miss France's answer was even better when translated correctly.

At least many acknowledged the "interpreter" and not the "entrepreneur" - a joke that you would only understand if you look at the very bottom of this blog post.

Because of this situation, many netizens couldn't help but make fun of the #interpreter by tweeting their own humorous statements focused on the interpreter. Below are just some of the quite funny tweets from social media:

Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales Grace Opening of Yamaha Grand Prix 8

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Two international racers recently joined Yamaha Motor Philippines' first big event for the year 2017 - the Yamaha Grand Prix 8.

Yamaha MotoGP rider, Valentino "The Doctor" Rossi, together with the newest rider, Maverick Viñales, graced the opening of the 8th Yamaha Grand Prix held on January 28, 2017 at the parking grounds turned motorcycle racetrack of Robinson's Novaliches.

But before they went to the racetrack to officially open the event, a press conference was first held in their honor at the Robinson's Novaliches Trade Hall where members of the media were already anticipating their arrival. However, some of the members of the media already went to the airport earlier to witness the two racers' arrival in Manila, and for some photo and video opportunities. At the press conference, the questions submitted in advance to Yamaha Motor Philippines were then personally asked by media outfits to Rossi and Vinales, as they were called one at a time by host Rico Robles.

This is the second time Valentino Rossi has visited the Philippines, and sadly his second visit to our country will be short since they have to leave immediately for another engagement in another country the following day. Meanwhile, it's Vinales' first time in the country. Too bad they do not have the luxury of time to at least explore some areas of the Philippines, especially our numerous beautiful beaches all over the country.

Lenovo Introduces New Legion Line of PCs Designed for Immersive Gaming Experience

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Gamers have special requirements when it comes to their choice of computers or PCs, may it be desktops or laptops, thus they seek the best hardware specifications having the most reasonable prices to build their ultimate gaming gear.

For those in the search for their dream PCs, Lenovo recently held a two-day gaming event on January 28 and 29, 2017 at the Cyberzone area of SM City North EDSA Annex where attendees had the opportunity to try out the all-new line up of PCs that Lenovo calls collectively as "Legion."

Laptops such as the Lenovo Legion Y520, the Ideapad Y910, and desktops like the IdeaCentre Y710 Cube were available for anyone who wanted to experience the Legion by Lenovo gaming experience.

Appropriate enough, they chose the highly popular and challenging League of Legends online game which is a favorite in the gaming community. You'll see many gamers, especially the hard-core ones, flocking Internet Cafes or Gaming Shops that aer still proliferating the metro even though there are already many powerful laptops and Internet connections that are available at home.

For gamers, the fun is actually more on personally bonding with friends while they battle it out for supremacy among themselves. Since League of Legends is a team effort game, you can see how groups of five support each other to make up for their weaknesses and take advantage of their strengths.

Fortinet Appoints Phil Quade as Chief Information Security Officer

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“The cybersecurity challenges facing our enterprise customers today are getting increasingly complex with a threat landscape that is rapidly evolving. With Phil’s extensive background working at the National Security Agency and with the Defense Department he brings incredible insight on the technologies, threat landscape and partnerships needed to deliver the most effective approaches to data security. He is a strong addition to our executive leadership team and will be focused on safeguarding Fortinet’s information technology and assets, expanding our strategic national programs, as well as serving as a trusted advisor to our C-Level enterprise customers.” - Ken Xie, founder, chairman of the board and chief executive officer at Fortinet

Fortinet, the global leader in high-performance cybersecurity solutions, today announced the appointment of Phil Quade as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Quade will take responsibility for Fortinet’s information security and ensure compliance with the latest global regulations and standards across all systems. He will lead the strategy and expansion of Fortinet’s Federal and Critical Infrastructure business. Additionally, Quade will serve as a strategic consultant to Fortinet’s C-Level enterprise customers to help inform product development and innovation based on evolving cybersecurity requirements. He will report to founder, chairman and CEO, Ken Xie.

Quade brings more than three decades of cybersecurity and networking experience working across foreign, government, critical infrastructure and commercial industry sectors at the National Security Agency (NSA) at the highest levels of the White House and Congress. Prior to Fortinet, Quade was the NSA Director’s Special Assistant for Cyber and Chief of the NSA Cyber Task Force with responsibility for the White House relationship in Cyber. Previously, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Information Assurance Directorate at the NSA, managing day-to-day operations, strategy, planning, integration, and relationships in cybersecurity. Prior, Quade served as the head of the Information Operations Technology Center’s Advanced Technology Group, as a professional staffer to the U.S. Senate, and at the Office of the Director for National Intelligence. Additional assignments that Quade held at the NSA include computer and network security evaluator, cryptanalyst and policy management.

In his new role as Fortinet’s CISO, Quade will leverage his considerable experience in managing diverse and complex cyber strategies solutions with global intelligence and partnerships to ensure that both Fortinet and its global customers have the most effective, broad security postures.

“Bringing together the right mix of technology, threat intelligence risk management and partnerships to protect global information and assets is my passion. Fortinet’s Security Fabric vision aligns perfectly to what it takes to deliver an end-to-end, intelligent, scalable, and integrated security architecture for today’s digital economy,” said Mr. Quade. “I am thrilled to join Fortinet’s leadership team and contribute to its vision, both in leading our internal information security efforts as well as providing strategic guidance and programs to help safeguard our global customers.”

Globe Customers Receive Exclusive Ticket Discounts to Experience Award-Winning Broadway and West End Musical Wicked

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The West End and Broadway musical phenomenon WICKED flies back to Manila after its outstanding engagement in 2014. Presented by Globe LIVE together with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Globe customers can receive exclusive ticket discounts of up to 15% off!

Globe Broadband and Platinum customers can enjoy a 15% discount, while Globe Postpaid and Prepaid customers get 10% off when buying up to 6 tickets. Broadband simply have to enter their broadband account number at ticketworld.com.ph or present their Globe billing statement upon payment to any TicketWorld outlet nationwide.

Globe Platinum, Postpaid and Prepaid customers on the other hand can text GLOBEWICKED to 2363 to receive a unique discount code that can be used at TicketWorld.com.ph, or presented upon payment in-person at any TicketWorld outlet.

Based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagines the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students – a popular blonde girl called Glinda and a misunderstood, green-skinned girl named Elphaba. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked features music and lyrics by multi Grammy and Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Disney’s Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), and is based on the novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman. Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento and the production is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked begins February 2, 2017 at The Theatre at Solaire, and runs Tuesday-Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The by-invitation gala evening is February 8, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

For a chance to win tickets to Wicked, stay tuned to the Globe official social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For more information, text GLOBEWICKED INFO to 2363 for free. Tickets can be purchased via www.ticketworld.com.ph or visit any TicketWorld outlet, or call 891-9999.

Wicked is produced around the world by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK/International Tour) Michael McCabe.

The Manila engagement is presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Concertus Manila.



PHOTO CAPTION: The 2017 run of Wicked in Manila is presented by Globe in partnership with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. Globe customers get up to 15% discount on tickets! The musical premieres at The Theatre at Solaire on February 2. (Photo by Matt Crockett)

New Digital Banking Solution from SAP Simplifies IT and Fosters Co-Innovation for the Bank of Tomorrow

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SAP SE recently announced the latest release of SAP Omnichannel Banking, a digital banking solution that went live on December 23, 2016. The offering simplifies the process of managing mobile and online applications for retail, small business and commercial banking customers on a single platform built on open standards. With more than 500 available microservices, the new digital banking solution helps banks build responsive mobile, tablet and desktop apps with a unique, digital customer experience.

SAP Omnichannel Banking complements the solutions for customer engagement and commerce in the SAP Hybris portfolio to form a comprehensive offering for banks to manage all aspects of customer interaction. Planned application programming interface (API) integration between these components will provide customers a seamless experience across multiple touchpoints. Together, SAP Omnichannel Banking and the SAP Hybris solution portfolio will enable banks to deploy intelligent digital sales and service processes, creating personalized customer interaction across all channels and helping banks get a 360-degree view of their customers.

The modular architecture of SAP Omnichannel Banking enables banks to roll out new products and services in an incremental fashion, without disrupting existing functionality. The solution can be deployed on premise or in the cloud and also addresses the need for faster time to market as well as an increasing frequency of updates. By providing an extensive library of customization accelerators and a single call-out for over 200 configuration services, the solution can substantially reduce the effort involved in developing bank-specific extensions. In addition, SAP Omnichannel Banking provides state-of-the-art tooling in the form of Eclipse plug-ins, a widely used integrated development environment (IDE) for developing microservices. This vastly increases development productivity and allows a growing ecosystem of established partners and FinTechs to further enrich SAP’s offering.

“For banks, maintaining multiple platforms requires multiple work streams, separate maintenance schedules and a slow, complex approach to updates,” said Falk Rieker, global head of the banking business unit at SAP. “With SAP Omnichannel Banking and SAP Hybris solutions, we are providing a holistic offering to manage all types of digital customer engagement – mobile and online, and across multiple lines of business. This is nothing short of a game changer, one that empowers banks to differentiate from each other and allows them to provide a tailored, digital customer experience.” 

Allergy-Free 2017 With Claritin: #TrustTheExpert in Anti-allergy

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As we gear up for another year, never let your allergies pull you down. Every day, we face allergens coming from different sources. Sometimes, you may find yourself sneezing uncontrollably, or experiencing colds with a runny nose and watery eyes. Allergy attacks are sure to impair your senses and hinder you from living your life to the fullest so you must be equipped. Kickstart your year with the world’s number one anti-allergy brand, Claritin!

Allergy symptoms might be common among people, so common that there exists a lot of misconceptions about allergies. Some of these myths include that if you ignore the allergy attacks, it will eventually go away. Sometimes, people even go as far as exposing themselves to allergens in the hope that they will become immune to it. There are also those who think that overtime, they will eventually outgrow their allergy and be “healed” completely.

Claritin, the world’s number one anti-allergy medicine 1, continues its plight in fighting common allergies so that you free yourself from the allergy-filled world, anywhere and anytime. Claritin is the best choice because of its proven track record for the past 25 years. This gives the brand an edge and a deeper understanding of the allergy sufferer. Simply put, no one knows how to treat allergies better than Claritin.

For people who are always on the go, Claritin also came up with an orally disintegrating format in Claritin Reditabs. It’s so convenient that you just pop out one of it without the accompaniment of water and you’re set to conquer the world.

Change is Not "Pangyayari" So Should We Blame the Interpreter of Maxine Medina?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Pangyayari" is definitely not the accurate translation for "change" but that was the word used by the interpreter when he translated the English word "change" to "pangyayari" instead of "pagbabago."

I would have answered the question "What is the most significant change you have seen in the world in the last 10 years?" more eloquently and substantially with:

"In the last 10 years, the biggest change that happened in our world is social media. We are now always connected, well informed and very much engaged with almost everything happening around the world. Now people can watch us in real time via live-streaming, ....... and able to vote for me as the new #MissUniverse for 2016! Mabuhay!!!"

That is only if I referred to the English question. But the judges were not aware of this particular mistake, and Maxine, though she does understand the English question, had to fall back to the Tagalog translation.

I was in the comforts of my home and not in the shoes of any of the Miss Universe 2016 candidates. There were no audience awaiting my answer. I was enjoying the day watching TV while I live blog using my laptop, while eating fish crackers on the sides. Thus, unlike Maxine, I had time to construct my thoughts into concrete ideas without any worries I would get more bashing afterwards.

To be able to come up with an immediate witty and substantial answer is truly hard when you're the one sweating it out up there on the #MissUniverse stage. The nerve-cracking experience would never fade away no matter how well practiced or researched you are with current events and trends.

Add the sort of failed interpretation of a single word that could have made the difference for her. She could have mentioned "Changed has come, now that Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte is president of the Philippines. with his "War on Drugs" slaughtering all the suspected illegal drug users without due process of law. 

Hontiveros to Government: End Corrupt War on Drugs Permanently

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"Kung ano ang puno, siya rin ang bunga. Kung korap ang nagpapatupad, korap din ang kampanya. The Duterte government is guilty of implementing a corrupt war on drugs. It is but right for them to heed the people's demands to stop it."

This was Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros' reaction to  Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronaldo dela Rosa's order to stop the war on drugs as the police force focuses on "internal cleansing." Dela Rosa issued this  statement following President Rodrigo Duterte's admission that 40 percent of the police force is corrupt at a midnight press conference on Monday.

"Ako ay nagagalak at tumugon ang PNP Chief sa aking panawagan na itigil ang abusadong war on drugs na bumibiktima sa maraming inosenteng mamamayan at sumisira sa imahe ng PNP," Hontiveros said.

"With this move, the PNP owns up to its abuses and confirms that indeed the war on drugs operates on similarly corrupt foundations," Hontiveros added.

Public health approach and rules-based law enforcement

Hontiveros said that there is absolutely no need for the government to resume the abusive war on drugs, amid conflicting pronouncements of the PNP to stop it and Duterte's pronouncement that he will extend the drug war until the last day of his term in 2022. As an alternative, the senator proposes a strong public health framework to respond to the drug problem together with a regular and rules-based law enforcement approach to drug-related crimes.

72,000 deaths until 2022

"This should spell the end of the flawed anti-drug campaign. Internal cleansing will only restore moral authority to the PNP if the war on drugs, the unwarranted killings, is stopped permanently.  As it is, the government's war claims an average of 1,000 lives a month. To continue with this human rights-deficient anti-drug campaign until 2022, we will be looking at 72,000 deaths. This means creating the Philippines' very own 'killing fields'," Hontiveros remarked.

PNP worth saving

Hontiveros said that the PNP is not beyond redemption but warned that Duterte's statement on police corruption might pave the way for the creation of a "Metrocom-style" police force which will further undermine human rights.

"I am wary that the government, in the guise of internal cleansing to address police corruption, might create a new narco police force that is far deadlier than what some abusive officers and personnel have made the PNP today, to amplify the authoritarian tendencies of the Executive," Hontiveros said.

"I believe that many in the police force are honest. The PNP as an institution is worth saving. What we need are deep-cutting reforms such as stricter requirements at the recruitment level, better police benefits, capacity enhancement and infrastructure modernization. Through a professional and corrupt-free police institution, we strengthen our judicial institutions, we protect our citizens and foreign guests, and we keep our streets safe," Hontiveros ended.

Enhance Visa's Nursing Career Expo prepares Filipino nurses for employment in Canada

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Filipino nurses aspiring to work abroad can fill a brewing labor shortage in Canada through Enhance Visa’s series of events for nurses in the Visayas.

Graduating students, fresh graduates and registered nurses from all over Cebu City gathered at the Radisson Blu Hotel as they took part in the first Canada Nursing Career Expo on Saturday, January 28, 2017.

Nurses have long been on the skills shortage of Canada. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) had predicted that Canada would be in need of at least 60,000 nurses by the year 2020 to fill labor shortages.

Occupations listed in Canada's labor shortage include specialized nurses in burns, dialysis, cardiology, as well as psychiatric nurses and nurse technicians.

Featured in the event was guest speaker, Tony Burke, vice president of the OMNI College of Nursing in Vancouver, Canada.

"The average age of a nurse in Canada is 55 years old. If we don't get younger nurses into the workforce, there'll be an even greater gap that the country would need to fill in the future," said Burke.

The OMNI College of Nursing specializes in training internationally educated nurses in getting the skills required to meet Canadian standards and language in preparation for the Canadian Nursing Licensure exam.

Presenting the Filipino Adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe' Faust

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In Medieval folk literature, Faustus was a scholar who came to the unhappy realization of his limitations as a human being- both in knowledge and access to life's pleasures. He struck a deal with the devil to overcome all obstacles that prevented him from enjoying the fruits so unjustly denied to him, thus, he obtained the powers he desired at a very dear price. After some time he was forced to relinquish a priceless possession: his eternal soul.

Although the legend is thought to have originated from a specific and a real person, Doctor Johann Georg Faust −who lived in Germany around the turn of the 15th century −it has proved to be deeply resonant and has lived on over the centuries through numerous plays, novels, operas, artworks, puppet shows and other cultural forms. Joining the list of the retelling of this legend, Dulaang UP is staging Rody Vera’s adaptation of Wolfgang von Goethe's Romantic tragic masterpiece, FAUST.

(Top, L-R) Andrei Vegas, Jojo Cayabyab, Nico Varona; (Bottom, L-R) Charm Aranton, Sheryll Ceasico, , Bunny Cadag, and Ade Valenzona

Neil Sese and Jack Yabut alternate in the title role of FAUST while Paolo O’Hara and Mailes Kanapi alternate as Mephisto. Karen Gaerlan plays the innocent and pious Margarita.

FAUST is directed by José Estrella with her artistic team lead by Sir Anril Tiatco, Jem Javier and Bryan Viray (Dramaturgy), Barbie Tan-Tiongco (Lights), Carlo Pagunaling (Costume), Ed Lacson (Set), JM Cabling (Choreography), Jon Lazam (Sounds), and Joyce Garcia (Video).

The entanglement of religion, morality and folk narratives was problematized in the play. FAUST also joins in the celebration of the University of the Philippines Diliman Month 2017 Salaysayan: K’wentong Bayan, Kaalamang Bayan, which also is the campus-wide celebration of National Arts Month in February.

Jack Yabut alternates as Faust

FAUST will open on 15 February 2017 (Wednesday), 7:00pm at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre, Palma Hall, UP Diliman.

The performance dates are: February 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, March 1, 2, 3, 7:00pm and February 18, 19, 25, 26, March 4 and 5 10:00am and 3:00pm.

For further inquiries, please contact Arkel Mendoza, Marketing Manager at 0917-9673616.

Wazzup Pilipinas is a proud media partner.

#DUP41Revelations
#DUPFaust

STI, TTC Forge Tie-Up to Reinvent Agricultural Education

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STI Education Services Group, Inc. (STI ESG) and Tony Tan Caktiong, Chairman and Founder of the largest Asian food service company, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), recently signed an agreement in an effort to boost agricultural education in the country.

For the two giant players in the education and food service industry, the agriculture sector is indispensable in the Philippine’s strategy for inclusive growth. STI and Mr. Tan Caktiong share a common vision of a farm-to-table school that will offer agricultural courses, as well as courses on managing quick-service restaurants that are focused on developing the technical and entrepreneurial skills of students, and in the process creating significantly more business and employment opportunities.

“My experience in JFC has given me unique perspectives on the challenges and importance of having a consistent and reliable supply of high-quality agricultural products. I am excited with this collaboration as it will help to uplift the agricultural and related sectors through education, another potential means for us to contribute to nation-building,” said Tony Tan Caktiong.

Recent studies show that the average age of farmers is 57 years old, which raises alarm over the possible future gap in human resource requirements for agriculture and poses a threat to food security and sustainability, unless a new generation replaces the current farmers,who are expected to retire in a decade or so.

Miss France Iris Mittenaere Wins Miss Universe 2016

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After 63 years, Iris Mittenaere of France wins for the second time the Miss Universe title. The 1st Runner Up is Haiti, followed by Colombia at 2nd Runner Up.

That seems to be a close one between Haiti and France. France seemed to be the total package.  But don't even fight me on this. Miss Haiti's answer had way more substance than France's. Well, the judges have the final decision on who to put on top. France may have won the crown, but they say Haiti won the crowd.
Iris Mittanaere made history in #MissUniverse as first non-performer at Moulin Rouge allowed to wear the cabaret costume in the competition. She is the second candidate to win a crown from her country. First was in 1953.

I seldom see France in hot top picks during the preliminaries but she proved to us that an unpopular can nail the Miss Universe crown.

I saw the eyes of Ms.Colombia she badly want to be Miss Universe. Maybe because they almost had it last year if not for the wrong announcement that was immediately corrected leaving Philippines as the real winner.

Malacanang, specifically by Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, also sent out a congratulations to France for being the new Miss Universe for 2016, and to Maxine for making it to the Top 6 finalists.

It was humorous when Pia interrupted the announcement to give @IAmSteveHarvey his eyeglasses before he reveals who among Haiti and France won the top title. "A year late but thank you" say Steve. Unknown to many, that scene was actually rehearsed earlier to bring in some comedy to the pageant.

"If this happens again, I will not leave the Philippines" remarks Steve.

I was waiting for Steve to say he messed up but when he said "I'm Steve Harvey, and I got it right!" as his final words, that's the real result. There's no error for bespectacled Steve Harvey this time.

Miss Universe 2016 Winners: Live Blogging at the Grand Coronation

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Out of 86 candidates, host Steve Harvey finally announced the Top 13 candidates for the Miss Universe beauty pageant grand coronation day (for the Philippines) or night(for the US). 12 of which was selected by the judges while the 13th was selected via online votes by the people.

With an opening number by Flo Rida to entertain the audience with a mix of his popular songs, the Miss Universe grand coronation officially started at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, with Steve Harvey once again hosting. As expected, he can't help but make fun of his memorable mistake from last year when he wrongly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winning Miss Universe 2015, which he eventually retracted and apologized as the real winner was Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines.

These ladies are making a difference just by being a candidate at this very prestigious pageant which is considered as the biggest and most popular competition in search for not only confidently beautiful but with heart.

We wish every candidate good luck, though we cannot hie our support for our very own candidate Miss Philippines Maxine Medina. Like they said, love your own!

Here are the #MissUniverse Top 13:

Kenya
Indonesia
USA
Mexico
Peru
Panama
Colombia
Philippines
Canada
Brazil
France
Haiti
Thailand

So Miss #Thailand got the highest online votes at the #MissUniverse 2016 poll results. What happened #Philippines ? Are we no longer the top in social media? But still, our very own Miss #Philippines Maxine Medina made it to the top 13 finalists. Hoping for the best!

Steve Harvey is having fun since the Miss #Colombia Andrea Tovar is also in the Top 13. It would be hilarious if the two would be among the top three and Harvey would have to announced again the winners. Lol!


Miss Universe 2016 Judges:

Dayanara Torres
Leila Lopez
Mickey Boardman
Cynthia Bailey
Sushmita Sen
Francine LeFrak


Swimsuit competition came up next.

Since there was already a preliminary competition for #MissUniverse swimsuit, long gown and national costume, the judges have already pre-selected the winners per category. The presentation during coronation day is merely a formality to showcase to the audience the ladies wearing the said outfits.

"Maxine slayed the swimsuit round!"

"Thailand works out for 3 hours a day. Girl, it shows!" 

For all the candidates in swimsuit "Whew, it's over!" - releases stomach in and starts breathing normally again

The results are in for the #MissUniverse Top 9: 

USA
Thailand
France
Mexico
Kenya
Colombia
Canada
Haiti


They delayed the announcement of the #MissUniverse Top 9 ninth spot which was revealed after the commercial break. "Trust me, it will be worth the wait" says Steve Harvey. ...and we all wanted it to be #Philippines



The National Costume winner came up next. With Myanmar announced as the winner from the preliminary competition. Her outfit is something like a marionette - a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings....but she is without a puppeteer which is also called a marionettist.


Evening gown is next at #MissUniverse and we are still rooting for Miss #Philippines with her glittery red and silver outfit

All top six finalist to be announced next. This time Steve promises not to keep us hanging.


#MissUniverse Top 6:

France
Kenya
Colombia
Philippines
Thailand
Haiti


The #MissUniverse Finalists Update still has #Philippines among the Top 6. The excitement is nerve-cracking for #WazzupPilipinas, your #PambansangBlogger of the country.


#MissUniverse Question and Answer portion came up next. #Philippines is first! OMG!

"What is the most significant change you've seen in the last ten years?" was the question for Maxine Medina.

"We are one. As one nation, we are all together." Are you satisfied with her answer. Seems a bit lacking in substance. She was already given the chance to speak her mind clearly using our mother tongue but she didn't. Still a good run even though we could her feel her hesitance and nervousness..

Kenya was asked about Trump, but had difficulty in answering at first but eventually rephrased an answer but ran out of time to finish.

Thailand is asked to name a world leader she admires. and she mentioned the king of Thailand working tirelessly and being a father to the Thai people.

France is asked if countries have the responsibility to accept refugees. She said the countries have the right to open or close their borders. But n France they have open borders., and wishes everyone to allow open borders.

Haiti is asked if she was able to participate in the Women's March last January 21st, what would she have been marching for?

Colombia is asked why violence is prevalent in today's society and what can she do about it. She said she came from a country with violence but they were able to unite and to have a social transformation to educate their children.


#MissUniverse Top 3:

Colombia
France
Haiti

Better luck next time for Miss #Philippines for #MissUniverse as Maxine Medina did not make it to the Top 3. We are still proud of our girl for making it up to the Top 6 finalists.

"You can't serve lechon in your own home and take it back to your kitchen because you want more" - Gloria Diaz.


Last round for #MissUniverse is another Q&A using the exact same question:

Colombia is first to answer the question "Name something over the course of your life that you failed at, and tell us what you've learned from that experience"

France is next with the same question. followed by Haiti answering "If I am here today, is because I am living my dream."

All candidates used an interpreter.

Hilarious and awful. Not one of the women answered any of the questions with a straight answer. Not really sure if the interpreter has something to do with it.

Boyz II Men is now performing at the #MissUniverse grand coronation and serenading the Top 3 finalists before the final announcement of winners.

Pia Wurtzbach has set the standards for Miss Universe title holders. She is not only confidently beautiful with a heart...but intellectual as well. She now does her farewell walk on stage. "Mga kababayan, maraming salamat po. Mahal ko kayo!"

The #MissUniverse judges have spoken:

2nd Runnner Up is #Colombia

Pia hands over glasses to Steve Harvey before reading the final winners:

1st Runnner Up is #Haiti

The new Miss Universe for 2016 is #France

#MissUniverse #WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger