Ruffa Gutierrez now joins the growing family of CV Premier Aesthetic by Cathy Valencia as its newest endorser.
Ruffa, the 1993 Miss World Second Runner-up, has consistently supported local beauty queens who have competed after her.
She shares, “I always cheer for the Philippines every year, sa mga pageant. So, Miss Universe, Miss World, I am with all my gay friends and we make it a viewing party. This year lang hindi, kasi puyat ako but normally may pa-breakfast, pa-cocktails kami.”
Asked if she knows that Miss World is happening tonight with Michelle Dee as our country's official representative, Ruffa answers, “I wish her all the best. I haven’t seen much. But Michelle is obviously a really strong contender. Of course, I wish her well. As a matter of fact, I have a soft spot for Michelle because it was her mom who trained me for Miss World.”
Ruffa recalls that during her time, training camps were not as popular as they are now.
She reminisces, “Miriam Quiambao was first sent to Venezuela to do all these camps. Ako sariling sikap lang. Ako, tumawag kay Miss Melanie Marquez. I said, 'Please help me, I don’t know how to walk.'
"She taught me how to walk the figure 8. She put 10 books on top of my head, sa bahay niya, palakad-lakad, so napakalaki ng utang na loob ko kay Miss Melanie.”
ROOTING FOR MICHELLE
As Michelle competes to bring back a second Miss World crown—our first won by Megan Young in 2013—Ruffa has nothing but goodwill for Melanie's daughter.
She says, “I wish she would bring home the crown. I really, really want her to win. She has the makings of a queen—she’s tall, she’s beautiful, she stands out, and she’s a Cathy Valencia endorser.”
Michelle, as per Cathy Valencia herself, did several procedures in preparation for her Miss World stint like tightening loose skin, minimizing pores for glass skin effect, sculpting the waist and stomach, and contouring on the face for a more photogenic effect.
PAGEANT QUEENS LEVEL UP THEIR GAME
Ruffa also notes that beauty pageant contestants these days have leveled up their game, unlike back in her time when being an actress was considered a big deal and possibly a definitive edge.
She says, “In the past decade, it’s not just about being a beauty queen anymore. Before, when I joined in 1993, I was the only actress that was there, and they were all like, 'Wow, you’re an actress in the Philippines?!?' Now everyone who joins, they are all actresses, models, and hosts.”
For Ruffa, a winning beauty queen should be a standout, not just physically, but moreso with her principles and advocacies.
She points out, “I think you have to showcase something really different, speak a lot of languages, have your own advocacies, really stand out, and be unique.”
“It’s not just about beauty and brains anymore, it’s also about being a leader, and how you can change the way for others.”
BEAUTY COMES IN ALL FORMS AND SIZES
Ruffa also expresses her support for the growing clamor among pageant organizers to eliminate the swimsuit competition. She believes that this would be a good way to help bring about a more enlightened change to the stereotyped image of beauty queens.
She concurs, “They want to already eradicate the swimsuit competition, right? They think it’s not very important, especially now that they consider beauty in all shapes, forms, and sizes. It doesn’t mean na pag mataba ka, pangit ka. You can really be beautiful in each and every way.”
From one beauty queen to another, it’s nice to know that our queens have nothing but unconditional love and support for each other.