Philippines’ Janine Tugonon is Miss Universe 2012 1st runner-up

The Philippines’ will have to wait a little longer for its third Miss Universe crown. Janine Tugonon settled for a first runner up finish behind Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island, United States. This is the third straight year that the Philippines made it to the top five, each time falling short of the ultimate crown – Venus Raj finished fourth runner-up in 2010 while Shamcey Supsup finished third runner-up last year.

Janine Tugonon
Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon is Miss Universe 1st runner-up for 2012

Miss Universe – United States
1st runner-up – Philippines
2nd runner-up – Venezuela Irene Sofía Esser Quintero
3rd runner-up – Australia Renae Ayris of Australia
4th runner-up – Brazil Gabriela Markus of Brazil

Tugonon’s answer to Nigel Barker, a British-Sri Lankan photographer, earner her loud cheers from the audience.She was asked: “As an international ambassador, do you believe that speaking English should be a prerequisite to being Miss Universe? Why or why not?” to which she responded “For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It’s being able to influence and inspire other people. As long as your heart wants to serve and you have a strong mind to show to people, then you can be Miss Universe.”

The coronation night was held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday night Thursday morning in Manila. Andy Cohen, Bravo’s executive vice president of development and talent, and entertainment journalist and fashion and beauty expert Giuliana Rancic hosted the event. Tugonon gives the Philippines its best finish in the competition since Miriam Quiambao nearly bagged the crown in 1999.

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Mark Pere Madrona

The Filipino Scribe (TFS) is managed by Mark Pere Madrona, a multi-awarded writer and licensed professional teacher from the Philippines. Mr. Madrona earned his master’s degree in history from the University of the Philippines-Diliman last 2020. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from the same university back in 2010. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media. Know more about him here: https://www.filipinoscribe.com/about/.

13 thoughts on “Philippines’ Janine Tugonon is Miss Universe 2012 1st runner-up

  1. “As an international ambassador, do you believe that speaking English should be a prerequisite to being Miss Universe? Why or why not?” to which she responded “For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It’s being able to influence and inspire other people. As long as your heart wants to serve and you have a strong mind to show to people, then you can be Miss Universe.”

    That is their lines…
    but hey! answering a pageant is not just about how you fluently answer’s judges questions…Its about how you answer the question… Do you really think that her answers fit to be called answer from Nigel Barker’s question? Read again..word by word…and connect…
    If you know what LOGIC is, you’ll understand…Let us be fair!!

    Why can’t you just accept the fact that Ms. USA won the crown?

    Ganyan ba talaga pag PINOY palaging may reklamu, palaging unsatisfied? Hindi nakukuntento sa ENOUGH?

    1. i beg to disagree colette!!!! word by word interpretation is like studying as a kinder in a pre- school …. Janine meant she did not believe that English is prerequisite to ms. u.. meaning its not the language that will make you c ms. U its your personality and heart to be the representative of good will and that answers the question .. so blissfully hit to the point,,,,

  2. The better answer ;
    English as an international language,should be a prerequisite in a pageant like Miss Universe…

  3. It’s a beauty pagent, done in the US of A, and the owner is Donald Trump, an American. Of course the contest is already fixed that Miss US of A will win even if her answer to her last question is not that good. And English is not an international language. No language is international because other parts of the world are not english speaking. If you put english as prerequisite for an international competition, it is plain dumb!

  4. Why I think Ms Philippines answer is great:
    1. English is not a prerequisite: This shows that Janine knows what the title entails. Being Ms Universe means embracing and respecting other people’s culture, including their own languages. Knowing how to speak in English as a prerequisite for Ms Universe is discriminatory, and certainly not a trait an ambassador should possess.
    2. The Ms Universe pageant is a vehicle for inspiring and influencing people: The winner will travel to different countries and meet different people and will do charitable works that can potentially uplift spirits especially among the unfortunate ones. Inspiration and influence don’t come only with words, but also with actions.
    3. A serving heart and a strong mind are more superior than language skills: A person who doesn’t know how to speak in English can strive to learn how to do so, but a person who is not mentally capable and not passionately motivated to serve will never learn how to become an international ambassador despite being proficient in English.

    Janine Tungonon may not have expressed her ideas strongly, but it was concise, and everyone understood the meaning of it. Ms USA won because she made the judges laugh – she moved them; she made them remember their “younger days”; she was influential; she made a mark. Janine’s ideas were great, but how she packaged them into a statement was not as persuasive as she intended it to be. Ideally, Janine should have won, but in reality, Ms USA touched the judges’ hearts.

    Janine could have appealed to the judges’ emotions better than how Ms USA did it. If I would edit her words: “Miss Universe is about influencing, inspiring, and serving people. It’s about embracing and celebrating our diversity, and respecting our different cultures and languages. Not being able to speak in English should never be a hindrance to help others, to touch people’s lives, and to make a positive difference in the universe.”

    I think this is what Nigel actually wants to hear from her.

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