After today’s fourth-place finish of Annalie Forbes, the Philippines’ representative to the Miss Grand International Beauty Pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, the Association of Beauty Pageant Franchise Holders (ABPFH) has banned the Philippines from future international beauty competitions, citing “enormous advantage” by Filipina candidates in practically all pageants this year. The disqualification will be in effect for two years.
The Philippines holds the distinction of having won the title in all major beauty competitions like Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International. Additionally, every new international beauty competition has seen a Filipina winning the title or placing in the top 5. Earlier this year, Mutya Datul won the 2013 Miss SupraNational Pageant.
Forbes is the fourth Filipino to make it to the top 5 in competitions this year. Megan Young, of course, bagged the 2013 Miss World title this year, the first-ever for the Philippines. Before Young, Evangeline Pascual reached the finals and was first runner-up in 1973 while Ruffa Gutierrez was second runner-up in 1993.
Ariella Arida, the country’s bet in the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow, Russia, placed fourth.
Other Filipina beauties who have won international titles include Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran (Miss Universe) and Gemma Cruz, Mimilanie Marquez, Aurora Pijuan, and Precious Lara Quigaman (Miss International). Karla Henry won the Miss Earth title in 2008.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Philippines’ Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup and Janine Tugonon were all in the top 5 in the Miss Universe competition.
ABPFH said that it is time for the Philippines to give other countries the chance to win international beauty competitions, adding that “the world already knows how beautiful and talented Filipinas are.”