Filipino News 15 January 2017

15- 31 JAN 2017 - ISSUE 95 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz Facebook: Filipino Migrant News 05
“I hope this day will never end.”- Digong
By SHEILA MARIANO
MANILA - “Before I proceed
I'd like to make an
admission that never in my
life have I been … (in) a
room full of beautiful
women. This is (a) privilege
and an honour and I hope
that this day will never end,”
said President Duterte
when 84 international beauties
visited him at Malacanang
Palace earlier this
month.
These women, from all
corners of the earth, are
competing in the 65th Miss
Universe competition,
which is being held in
Manila this year. The finals
will be held at the Mall of
Tania Dawson (2nd from left)), contestants and 2016 Miss Universe Pia Wurztbach (red top)
Asia Arena on 30th January.
And guess what, this year's
event is once again being
hosted by Emmy Award
Winner Steve Harvey.
Three Filipinas have won
this competition previously,
including Pia Wurtzbach,
the reigning Miss Universe,
Gloria Diaz (1969) and
Margarita Moran (1973).
As you would expect with
the event being held on their
home ground, Philippine
media and the locals are in
the throes of pageant fever.
Many are betting on Miss
Philippines, Maxine Medina,
to grab the crown to
make it a double win for a
contestant from the Philippines.
It was revealed that
Maxine's national costume
will include a headpiece of
pearls worth P1 million.
Another popular contestant
in PH media is Miss
Universe New Zealand,
Tania Dawson (nickname
Tanz), 5ft 5”, who is half
Filipino.
“I am a born and raised
Kiwi, but I have always been
proud of my Filipino diversity
and heritage,” she said on
her Facebook page. “What
an amazing opportunity
@missuniversenz has given
me to represent New
Zealand and at the same time
find my Filipino roots. I am
on an amazing journey!”
Tania's mother Margarita
Pelenda is a Filipina from
Pangansinan and Baguio
City and her dad is a Kiwi. “I
have always been very proud
of my mix of ethnicity and it
has always been a conversation
point,” she told FMN.
“I am currently working as
a secondary school teacher
of Media and Drama at
Southern Cross Campus,”
she added. “I have a
Bachelor of Arts degree, a
double major in Film,
Maxine Medina
Tania Dawson (right)
Television, Media Studies
and Drama and a Graduate
Diploma in Secondary
Teaching.”
Tania wrote in her tell all
event questionnaire that she
is secretly afraid of failure.
And the best advice she has
ever received is: “If you
don't try you will never
know.”
Her ultimate heroes are
her teachers: “They inspired
me to find my potential.”
Tania defines success as:
“setting personal goals and
doing your best to meet them
- even if you don't, at least
you gave it your best.”
By the way, her hidden talent
is singing.
She feels most comfortable
in Active Wear and
working out is her great
stress relief.
Finally, she believes that
beauty is internal and comes
in different shapes and
forms.
As reported in the New
Zealand Herald: “The last
and only time a New
Zealander won the coveted
International Miss Universe
title was in 1983 by Lorraine
Downes.”
Check out our websites for
ongoing updates about this
pageant:
www.filipinonews.nz,
www.pinoynzlife.nz.
Tania’s family in the Philippines