Gates of hell? We are the Pearl of the Orient!

THE PHILIPPINES is a humble and “poor” country, but great and rich in many ways. Any tourist can be assured that he will treasure his visit to our land for reasons beyond the grandiose of Vienna, the marvels of Rome and the beauty of Paris.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”; true beauty is not visible at first and second glance. It is deep-seated in the soul such that only a fellow soul can appreciate it, a handwriting of God.  The heart and smile of our people are priceless, except that they are oft obscured in the mess created by crooked elements in the higher “echelons” of society.  But still, ours is an amazing abode to explore, where life’s profundity of experience and joys abound amid “endless” crises. There is comeliness within.

Foreigners will discover that there can be life outside materialism.  We have fallen as a nation a number of times due to corruption and leadership failure, yet we never cease falling on our knees. We are aware that a loss can be devastating, but only if we lose heart.

The Philippines is now considered the launching pad of the Gospel to the world, not Dan Brown’s “gates of hell.”

True beauty is something that no cosmetic surgery can touch and no mask can feign nor conceal. A nation need not have majestic mountainous rocks and fabulous body of waters to be great, just as a woman doesn’t need to be pretty and gorgeous by the world’s standards to be beautiful, because truth’s breadth of view on beauty is beyond physical attributes.

This is probably why Miss Philippines is often included in the top five finalists in yearly international beauty pageants.  We celebrated when Janine Tugonon was acclaimed first runner-up and Venus Raj was adjudged fourth runner-up in the Miss Universe pageants in 2012 and 2010, respectively. Before that Precious Lara Quigaman was crowned Miss International, and Miriam Quiambao got nearly proclaimed Miss Universe.

The judges and people of different nations might be seeing something uniquely beautiful in our women, transcendent of what is merely visible—some rare outward and inward charm for a human being to adore and respect, not to exploit and abuse.

Ms Philippines Shamcey Supsup won third runner-up in the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant. She may not have won the crown, yet she stood out as the crowning glory of the entire contest when, in the Q&A portion of the competition, she exhibited unusual class, revealed her elegant self and  answered: “If I would have to change my (Christian) religious beliefs, I would not marry the person I love because the first person I love is God, who created me.  I have my faith and my principles, and this is what makes me who I am.  If the person loves me, he’ll love my God too.”

Shamcey very well represented the country. Contrary to Brown’s hostile, racial blasphemy, the Philippines is the world’s gateway to splendor and eternal light. Brown is not brown.  We are. And we are the Pearl of the Orient. Mabuhay!

—RENI M. VALENZUELA,

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