Sharifa Akeel

Filipina Miss Asia winner ties the knot, bids adieu to pageant dreams

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

It took a quarter of a century, after Michelle Aldana won the Miss Asia Pacific International title in 1994, before the Philippines won the crown again. Interestingly, the winner was a Filipina of Moslem descent - Sharifa Akeel.

So it was not surprising to see her name alongside other Filipina beauty queens who pageant fans wanted to represent the country in the forthcoming 70th edition of the Miss Universe pageant in Eilat, Israel. The holy city of Mecca would have been a lucky charm for her.

So it took the same pageant fans by surprise when news of her getting married got published. They had misgivings because the young Sharifa had a very rosy future in the pageant world. And so, in the week that the MUPh Top 50 was announced, Sharifa walked down the aisle with groom Esmael "Toto" Gaguil Mangudadatu.

During the Walima celebration banquet, Sharifa told Toto, in a speech that, "the road that led you to me was not easy. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, no matter how much others wanted to fight it, fate wanted us to be together.

"When I realized and then accepted that love and happiness filled my life, and I realized that you, who has been there for the past six years, was all that I was missing. I am excited to take on this new adventure, this new phase in my life, because I will be going on with you, Husband! Together, 'til Hannah!"

She is Toto's second wife and under the Sharia Law, a man can have up to four wives if his means can provide for all his families.

A tender moment happened during the banquet when Sharifa told her husband that, "Toto, I know I may not be the first, and I probably won't be the last, but I promise that I will do my best para maging isang mabuting asawa sa 'yo. And I hope you know how lucky you are and that I love you so much. Shokran!" - to the cheers of attendees and well-wishers.

For now, Sharifa may have bid adieu to her pageant dreams, but who knows if she'll take them up again in the future. After all, there are lots of pageant platforms for married women out there.