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Janina San Miguel

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Janina San Miguel
Janina San Miguel at Binibining Pilipinas 2008
Born
Janina Miller San Miguel

(1990-11-14) November 14, 1990 (age 33)
Metro Manila, Philippines
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleBinibining Pilipinas World 2008
Major
competition(s)

Janina Miller San Miguel (born November 14, 1990) is a Filipino beauty queen who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas World at the Binibining Pilipinas 2008 beauty pageant.

San Miguel resigned from her title in September 2008, citing personal reasons including the death of her grandfather. The title was transferred to the first runner-up, Danielle Castaño, who went on to represent the country at the Miss World 2008 pageant. Since then, she has lived a life out of the spotlight.

Background

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Janina San Miguel came from a poor family living in a residential compound in Quezon City.[1] She is the eldest of three children, with her father working as a jeepney driver and her mother as a laundry washer or "labandera" (hired to wash other people's clothes).[1][2][3]

At the time of the Binibining Pilipinas 2008 pageant, San Miguel was a freshman student taking up broadcast communication at the University of the East in Manila, with the ambition of becoming a professional broadcaster.[1]

Pageantry

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Binibining Pilipinas

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San Miguel in Binibining Pilipinas 2008 swimsuit competition

The 2008 Binibining Pilipinas pageant was held on March 8, 2008, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila.[4] At seventeen years old, Janina San Miguel was the youngest contestant of the twenty-four women in the competition, as well as one of the tallest at 5 ft 11 in (180 cm).[5] Early in the competition, San Miguel had won special awards for Best in Swimsuit and Best in Long Gown.[5]

Question and answer

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As part of the question and answer portion of the pageant, candidates were made to randomly select the name of their questioner-judge out of a fishbowl. The name that San Miguel picked was that of Vivienne Tan, who asked "What role did your family play for you as candidate to Binibining Pilipinas?" San Miguel's response was disorganised and stumbling. As she lost her composure in giving her answer, the audience reacted with jeers and applause, as well as laughter from the panel of judges and other contestants.[2] Despite the problems with her answer, she went on to win the competition and was crowned Binibining Pilipinas World. The criteria for judging the winner of the pageant allotted 80 percent to physical beauty, leaving just 20 percent to be divided evenly between personality and intelligence.[6] Bediones later defended San Miguel, saying "I admire her for not buckling under the pressure and for being as blatantly honest as possible". However, he also added, "No matter how badly she may have performed in the Q&A, she couldn't have lost much considering she had a huge headstart in the scores".[6] Winning the title made her the official designated Philippine delegate to the Miss World 2008 pageant, which was scheduled to be held later that year in Kyiv, Ukraine, (the venue was later moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, due to the conflict between Georgia and Russia).[2][7]

Janina San Miguel (center) was crowned Binibining Pilipinas World.

San Miguel has admitted to being offended by criticism of her response.[8] In an interview with entertainment commentator Ricky Lo a week after the event, she explained that she did not comprehend the question clearly when she was on stage at the pageant, due to the softness of the questioner's voice. When given another opportunity to answer the same question, she smiled and said, "My family is my inspiration".[1]

Reaction

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Video clips of her response have been uploaded to YouTube, which instantly boosted her popularity.[9] Representative Eduardo Gullas, a senior lawmaker in the Philippine House of Representatives who authored a bill to reinstate English as the medium of instruction in schools, said the video of the incident was "tormenting to watch", and added, "She is a Filipino, and English is our highly favored second language. So people expected more from her."[10] Following the incident, the director of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority offered to coordinate with pageant organizers to conduct English courses for all Miss Philippines candidates to better express themselves.[11]

San Miguel's response has drawn comparisons between her and Melanie Marquez, Filipina winner of the 1979 Miss International pageant who is well-known for her shortcomings in speaking English.[5]

Resignation

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It was announced on September 30, 2008, that Janina San Miguel had resigned her position of Binibining Pilipinas World. A short official statement released by Binibining Pilipinas Charities said "The untimely demise of her grandfather, among other personal reasons, has caused her undue stress, thus hindering her from fulfilling her duties for the said title".[12] Her resignation came six months after winning the title, and just three months before the scheduled Miss World pageant.[4]

The announcement of her resignation was met with speculation that San Miguel had been forced by Binibining Pilipinas pageant organizers to relinquish her title due to a lack of professionalism during preparatory training sessions, which strained the patience of her mentors and superiors.[13] In a later interview, she admitted that due to multiple conflicts in schedule she was unable to attend all the training sessions arranged for her by pageant organizers, which included sessions to improve her speaking ability.[13] She also admitted to throwing a fit in the middle of a rehearsal when she received news that her grandfather was dying, and demanded that she be allowed to leave.[13] However, according to an interview in a Singapore-based documentary series, San Miguel bared that the indecent sexual propositions, social isolation, and the contest organizers’ rigid standards were the reasons she gave up her Binibining Pilipinas crown and her chance to represent the Philippines in the Miss World contest in 2008.[14][15]

In accordance with pageant rules, San Miguel's title was automatically transferred to the first runner up, Danielle Castaño.[16] Castaño represented the Philippines at the Miss World 2008 pageant held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in December 2008, where she placed as a finalist in the Miss World Beach Beauty event and a semi-finalist in the Miss World Top Model event.[17] She finished in the Top 32 overall.[18]

Face of Tourism

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In 2023, San Miguel made a comeback to pageantry when he joined the Mrs. Face of Tourism Philippines 2023 pageant, a pageant for married women who would promote the country's tourism industry.[19] During the screening process, she was asked about civil status and its relevance, to which she replied by quoting Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel, saying that it is not about one's age or status but about treating everyone equally.[20] She was then asked what characteristic best described her as a pageant candidate, to which she cited her "courage, perseverance, and patience". Netizens noticed that she had improved her communication skills and reacted positively.[19] However, she backed out of the competition due to an argument with the pageant director.[21]

Entertainment career

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San Miguel was strongly considered for a role as a contestant in the second season of the reality television series Survivor Philippines, which began filming in May 2009.[22] Though one of the show's criteria is that the contestants must not be celebrities, San Miguel was not regarded to be a celebrity by the show's producers. Show host Paolo Bediones (who also hosted the Binibining Pilipinas pageant) explained in an interview that she was a shoo-in for the part, but decided to back out at the last minute.[22]

In March 2009, San Miguel was a guest star on the TV series Lipgloss.[23] Later that year, she became a contestant in the third season of Celebrity Duets: Philippine Edition. In the season's first three episodes, she performed duets with Maureen Larrazabal, Bituin Escalante, and Paolo Ballesteros. However, she garnered the lowest number of text votes in the first round of eliminations, and became the first contestant voted off of the show on September 12, 2009.[24]

San Miguel has stated that she is refraining from focusing full time on her entertainment career due to her ongoing studies, though she continues to work on her figure in preparation for modeling opportunities.[24] On October 23, 2009, she was one of the ten finalists in the Philippine qualifying round of the Ford Models Supermodel of the World modeling contest, which was held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay.[25] She advanced to the top three, but the contest was won by Charlene Almarvez, who went on to win first-runner up to Karlina Caune of the Baltics in the Supermodel of the World finals held in São Paulo, Brazil.[26]

In 2023, San Miguel, along with Binibining Pilipinas International 2008 Patricia Fernandez and some of her friends, appeared as contestants on Family Feud, playing for Autism Society Philippines.[27]

Personal life

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San Miguel is currently married to Vishal Sahota, an Indian national.[28] For a time, she worked as a call center agent. She is set to become a pastor.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Beauty is the furfose". The Philippine Star. March 16, 2008. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "A second language is no laughing matter". The Manila Times. March 23, 2008. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  3. ^ "Where have all the beauties gone?". Manila Standard Today. March 15, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Tuazon, Nikko (June 9, 2020). "Remember when Janina San Miguel won the Binibining Pilipinas-World title?". PEP.ph. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Melanie: Don't judge Janina; she's not a book!". ABS-CBN News. March 13, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Paolo Bediones defends Miss RP-World winner". Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 17, 2008. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  7. ^ "Jo'burg ready and raring to host Miss World 2008". Breaking Travel News. September 10, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "PEP: Beauty queen Janina San Miguel says no to showbiz". GMA News and Public Affairs. December 25, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  9. ^ "RP's bet to Ms. World 2008 Janina San Miguel quits". news.abs-cbn.com. September 30, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Miss Philippines World's ear-splitting English an 'eye-opener' for RP - solon". GMA News and Public Affairs. March 15, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  11. ^ "Queen's English offered". Manila Standard Today. March 14, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  12. ^ "Controversial beauty titlist quits". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c "Janina explains why she quit her throne". GMA News and Public Affairs. December 1, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
  14. ^ "After years of silence, the ugly truth behind beauty contests in Philippines". CNA. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  15. ^ Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (June 9, 2020). "Where is Janina San Miguel now? Ex-beauty queen bares 'ugly truth' behind Philippine pageants". Interaksyon. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  16. ^ "New Bb. Pilipinas Ms. World has American accent". ABS-CBN News. September 30, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  17. ^ Lo, Ricky (October 4, 2010). "India, China only Asian countries with Misses World". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Valeza, Karen (February 13, 2012). "Bb. Pilpinas World 2008 Danielle Castaño: After you, Ms. Gloria!". Yahoo News. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Malasig, Jeline (January 24, 2023). "Janina San Miguel praised for communication skills at Mrs. Face of Tourism Philippines screening". Interaksyon. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Lim, Ron (January 25, 2023). "Janina San Miguel makes a return to pageantry at Mrs. Face of Tourism". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Adina, Armin P. (March 13, 2023). "Janina San Miguel airs side on early pageant exit". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Lo, Ricky (August 9, 2009). "Paolo Bediones: Survivor in Many Ways". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  23. ^ Erece, Dinno (March 16, 2009). "Lipgloss kicks off summer season with two-part episode in Camarines Sur". PEP.ph. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Jocelyn Valle (September 16, 2009). "Janina San Miguel eyes modeling tilt after 'Celebrity Duets'". Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  25. ^ "Filipina wins Ford international modeling contest". ABS-CBN News. January 18, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  26. ^ "Pinay is 1st runner-up in Supermodel of the World". spot.ph. January 15, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  27. ^ Napoles, Jimboy (May 3, 2023). "Team 'My Family' ni Janina San Miguel, panalo ng PhP200,000 jackpot prize sa 'Family Feud'". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  28. ^ Geli, Bianca (April 8, 2018). "Former beauty queen Janina San Miguel, where is she now?". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
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Preceded by Binibining Pilipinas World
2008 		Succeeded by
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