Shamcey Supsup still a winner for Pinoys

Shamcey Supsup may not have bagged the elusive international beauty title but to a lot of Filipinos, she still is a true winner.

Out of 89 candidates, Supsup, 25, placed third runner-up in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant held in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Malacanang praised Supsup for her "humility, intellect, and grace" during the pageant, noting that she "embodied the spirit of the true Filipina."

"In our eyes, that is the true victory today—that the world stood witness to and found an appreciation for the ideals, values, and beauty that has long characterized our nation," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

"May this triumph serve as a way for other nations to come to appreciate not just the beauty of our people, but that of our country. On behalf of the Filipino people, we are proud of you [Shamcey]; and we see even greater things ahead for you," Lacierda added.
Shamcey is the lone candidate who did not seek the help of an interpreter during the final Q& A.

Supsup's win is a huge achievement on top of her previous wins, including topping the 2010 Architect Licensure Examination and graduating magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines.

In Twitter’s world-wide Trending Topic, "Ms. Philippines" was in 9th place, while in the Philippines' trending list, "Go Philippines" was top two.

Supsup, who was described as having a "mega-watt smile" during the pageant also placed second in the competition's online ranking for the evening gown.

In a Yahoo! Philippines OMG! poll, majority of the respondents believed Supsup would make it.

At least 58 percent of the respondents believed Supsup had a huge chance at getting the crown, 27 percent voted that she would be among the Top 5, while five percent said she would be in the Top 10. A mere five percent said she wouldn’t get into the final stages.

On the Yahoo! Philippines Facebook fanpage, Ed Hagamann said: "I thought Shamcey did her country good. she represented Filipinos very well and I, for one, am proud of her."

Meyett Dollosa added: "At least she did her best for the country and for family! Congrats, Shamcey :)"
Related stories:
Lea Salonga asked "winning question"
Shamcey takes 3rd runner up in Miss Universe 2011
Photo Gallery: Scenes from the Miss Universe pageant
Beauty experts rate Miss Philippines a favorite




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