ALEX P. VIDAL

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

‘Miss Latinaverse’

“I think pageant girls just have a way of faking it until you make it, almost.”

—Hannah Brown

By Alex P. Vidal

WHAT transpired in Florida, USA on May 16 was a “Miss Latinaverse” and not a Miss Universe competition, many people who followed the event have suspected.

We were all taken for a ride?

Even the most beautiful and most intelligent woman in the world who’s not a Latina would probably have no chance in that fateful night at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for Hollywood, Florida.

From the panel of judges to the hosts Olivia Culpo and Mario Lopez and the three lady side hosts to the intermission numbers, it was all a Latina or Latino show.

Latina Lives Matter?

To add insult, Florida, the state with 5,809,000 Hispanic and Latino population and is known to be a largely Latino territory in America, had been chosen to be the host.

Thus it probably explained why pre-pageant favorites like Miss South Africa, Miss USA, Miss Canada, Miss Great Britain, Miss Philippines, Miss Croatia, Miss Thailand, Miss Netherlands, Miss Denmark, among other none Hispanic candidates didn’t land in the top five.

Except for Miss India as a “consolation” (to camouflage the sham?) the Hispanics probably made sure the “Miss Latinaverse” crown wouldn’t be snatched away by a none Latina candidate this time ostensibly by sending all four: Miss Mexico, Miss Peru, Miss Brazil, Miss Dominican Republic to the last five finals.

-o0o-

Of course, this is just a suspicion and theory of many people who were not happy with the Q and A portion, which had heavily helped determine the winners.

The questions weren’t Miss Universe quality, to say the least.

They were predictable, answerable in basic and simple sentences with no need for jargon, and easy to decipher.

The topics thrown at the candidates about Covid-19 and the power of women in society could be easily answered in straight King’s English by candidates vying for a Miss Barangay contest in Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Leyte, Pampanga, Aklan, and Cotabato who are arguably much better in terms of diction and pronunciation.

The top five finishers could hardly express themselves intelligently and confidently and weren’t impressive with their answers despite the assistance of interpreters.

Imagine if they allowed Miss USA, Miss Great Britain, Miss South Africa, and Miss Philippines to slug it out in the final five with the same questions and pressure.

It could have been possible if they were in the ideal and vintage Miss Universe competition.

We’re sure our Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo would’ve given them real nightmare in the Q and A if she wasn’t toppled in the final 10.

But everything is now water under the bridge.

Let’s move on and learn from the “Miss Latinaverse” telenovela.

-o0o-

AN email from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo dated May 17, 2021 which he also shared to other New Yorkers:

Dear Alex, Last week, the CDC announced new guidance on mask use and social distancing for fully vaccinated individuals, and beginning Wednesday, May 19, New York State will adopt the new guidance. Until more New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, pre-K to 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health care settings will continue to follow State's existing COVID-19 health guidelines. New Yorkers have worked hard over the past year to keep others safe and that has paid off and we are ecstatic to take this next step in the reopening of our beautiful state. The people of New York and visitors alike should take solace in the lifting of mask requirements, but be respectful of those who may still feel safest wearing their mask in public. Business owners can establish policy within the broad framework as they see best. It's a great milestone and yet another incentive to get vaccinated if you haven't already.

Here's what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 1,581, the lowest since November 9. Of the 101,173 tests reported yesterday, 1,278, or 1.26 percent, were positive. The 7-day average percent positivity was 1.11 percent. There were 387 patients in ICU yesterday, down five from the previous day. Of them, 228 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 11 New Yorkers to the virus.

2. As of 11am this morning, 61.8 percent of adult New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 70,722 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 17,626,145 total doses with 52.2 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series.

3. Three new pop-up vaccination sites will open in collaboration with the MTA. Following a successful pilot, the new pop-up sites will be located at the following stations: 125th Street in Manhattan, Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport in Queens, and the LIRR's Hicksville train station. (See hours here.) If you get vaccinated at one of these stations, you will get a free 7-day MetroCard or commuter rail tickets. Four other pop-up sites (including Grand Central and Penn Station) will continue to operate.

4. Starting May 22, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will have fully vaccinated fan sections. This will increase capacity at their 2021 NBA home playoff games at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. Individuals seated in the vaccinated sections will have to show proof of full COVID-19 immunization status, which can be provided through paper form (CDC card), digital application or the State's Excelsior Pass.

5. The New York City Marathon will return for its 50th running this year on November 7. The NYC Marathon—the world's biggest—will return with 33,000 runners permitted. Registration for the marathon opens June 8.

6. Radio City Music Hall will open its doors for the first time in over a year to host the Tribeca Festival's Closing Night film on Saturday, June 19. For this event, Radio City Music Hall will operate at 100 percent capacity with a fully vaccinated audience. The Tribeca Film Festival will be the first in-person film festival to take place in North America since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Additional details about the landmark event and screening for closing night will be announced soon.

Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": A community came together amid beautiful weather to spend the weekend beautifying their city. Over 200 volunteers in Buffalo gathered in the University District to participate in a spring cleanup event. The volunteers from all over the city spent the sunny Saturday weeding, planting flowers, picking up trash and other cleanup-related tasks. Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

Monday, May 17, 2021

‘Defeat’ that made all Ilonggos winners

“Winning a pageant or sometimes simply participating in a contest can change your life. Outer beauty is just a part of the judgement, but what's important are your views and opinions that are shown to the world.”

—Lara Dutta

By Alex P. Vidal

THE word “defeat” doesn’t apply to the Miss Universe contest.

All contestants in this global beauty pageant are winners.

The one who is crowned to wear the title of Miss Universe during the actual competition is chosen by the panel of judges based on combination of luck and performance; all contestants deserve the title except there’s a need to crown only one person to represent the organization in various outreach and ambassadorial programs and activities all-year long.

When Mexico’s Andrea Meza was crowned as the Miss Universe 2021 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on May 16, it didn’t mean she was better than our own bet, Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo, or the rest of the 73 other represenatatives from around the world.

The Filipinos, of course, are heart-broken that Rabiya Mateo didn’t make it in the top 10, but if we translate everything the 24-year-old model and pageant titleholder from Balasan, Iloilo had amassed in her scintillating stint as the Philippines’ representative in the premier global beauty pageant, it’s actually a victory for her and her family and for all the Ilonggos who had rooted for her from start to finish.

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By being in the global stage for weeks and having attracted the attention of the powerful and influential world mainstream and social media, Rabiya Mateo became bigger than life from a virtual unknown less than a year ago.

Her name and image had reverberated in the pageant and entertainment world in a stunning fashion and, thus, she became a household celebrity even before she departed in the United States earlier in April.

By being instant celebrity, her career both in teaching and modeling is expected to transform dramatically and skyrocket—and change her life for the better.

Rabiya Mateo’s perceived weaknesses, including the irrational bashing she regularly received from jealous and immature detractors, became part of her strengths, and she ended up being well-loved and admired by fans and those who believed in her capacity, talent and Cinderella-like journey from obscurity to stardom.

Never before did it occur that Ilonggos, as well as Filipinos in general, who have learned to love Rabiya Mateo in the entire planet were united in one common goal: cheer for her victory in Florida through the different social and mainstream media platforms.

Rabiya Mateo, her ever-supportive family, kasimanwas in the city and province of Iloilo, and kababayans as a whole who didn’t waver in their moral support and otherwise, have every reason to be proud of her after her nerve-wracking and spine-chilling exposure in Florida.

They say having reached the top 21 and having failed to land in the top 10 was a “defeat.”

We say it was a victory disguised in another monogram and circumstance.

We salute Rabiya Mateo and thank her for making us all proud and standing 10 feet tall.

-o0o-

Email from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo dated May 15 which he also shared with other New Yorkers:

Dear Alex, As we near the light at the end of the COVID tunnel, it is imperative that we vaccinate as many people as possible. Our numbers remain on the decline but COVID is still out there, and if we let down our guard, we risk losing all the progress we have made. Our providers are working hard to get more shots into arms, and I urge everyone who still needs to get their shot to do so quickly—for themselves and for everyone they care about and want to protect.

Here's what else you need to know tonight:

1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 1,767. Of the 203,852 tests reported yesterday, 2,068, or 1.01 percent, were positive—the lowest since October 10. The 7-day average percent positivity was 1.22 percent. There were 415 patients in ICU yesterday, down 18 from the previous day. Of them, 247 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 25 New Yorkers to the virus.

2. As of 11am this morning, 61.2 percent of adult New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 140,551 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 17,306,771 total doses with 51.0 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.

3. The Thunder on the Buffalo Waterfront Air Show will take place at Buffalo's Outer Harbor on June 19 and 20, 2021. The outdoor event, sponsored by the Vein Treatment Center, features a range of military and civilian aerial performers. This year's show will be a ticketed event, with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place to ensure a safe return of the exciting Western New York tradition.

4. The New York State Museum, Library, and Archives in Albany will reopen Monday, May 17. The State Education Department's Cultural Education Center reopens to the public on Monday, May 17, with new COVID-19 protocols in place and adjusted hours. Learn more.

5. See how Excelsior Pass can help you be a part of NY's safe reopening. To help revitalize New York's economy safely, the State launched Excelsior Pass—a free and voluntary platform for businesses and individuals that can be used to easily access secure proof of a recent negative COVID test or vaccination.

Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": A few weeks ago, we wrote about a peregrine falcon couple nesting on the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. We can share the happy update that the falcons' eggs have hatched and the chicks are healthy. You can keep up with the peregrine falcon family on the bridge's Falcon Camera. Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)