Dateline: Tel Aviv

Bea arrived safely in Israel

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez left Manila over the weekend on board a Turkish Airlines business class seat and arrived safely in Israel's Ben Gurion airport in Tell Aviv, with MUPh creative director Jonas Gaffud and director of communications Voltaire Tayag. Garbed in a pewter-hued Francis Libiran pantsuit, the beautiful Cebuana was seen carrying four identically-sized luggages plus a smaller hand-carried overnighter and handbag.

Bea is lucky that the Philippines is one of the countries that Israel opened its borders to. In a Reuters report last Nov.25, Israel announced it was barring its citizens from traveling to southern Africa, while banning the entry of arrivals from the region, citing the detection, by South African scientists, of a new Covid-19 variant.

The countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, and Eswatini were added to Israel's "red" or highest risk travel ban. 

Miss Universe South Africa Lalela Mswane, who became controversial after persuaded by her government from non-participation was seen departing from the national airport. It was clear now that she was granted entry to Israel, and her arrival preempted the travel ban.

Meanwhile, the Miss Universe organization posted a video entitled "Up Front: Inspiring Miss Universes" wherein several candidates were asked who their favorite winner was.

Bea, as well as Mexico's Deborah Hallal and El Salvador's Alejandra Gavidia, chose reigning queen Andrea Meza of Mexico.

Michelle Marie Colon of Puerto Rico chose her country's first winner - Marisol Malaret, who won in 1970, and was crowned by our very own Gloria Diaz.

Julia Sending of The Netherlands chose her country's only winner, Angela Visser from 1989; while Israel's Noa Cochva chose her country's lone winner, Rina Messinger in 1976. Finland's Essi Unkuri chose both her country's winners - Armi Kuusela in 1952 and Anne Marie Pohtamo in 1975.

Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira, Thailand's Anchilee Scott-Kemmis, and Ghana's Silvia Naa Norikur Commodore chose 2018's winner Catriona Gray from the Philippines.

Canada's Tamara Jemuovic, Iceland's Elisia Gaja Steinporsdottir, and Colombia's Valeria Ayos chose 1992 queen Michelle MacClean of Namibia.

Ecuador's Susy Sacoto Mendoza and Cristina Mariel Rios chose 2012 winner Olivia Culpo, while Venezuela's Luiseth Materan chose her country's 1986 winner, Barbara Palacios Teyde.

Cayman Islands' Georgina Medford and Ukraine's Anna Nepjakh chose 2017 queen Demi Leigh nel-Peters of South Africa, while Armenia's Nane Avetisyan chose 2006 winner Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico.

South Africa's Lalela Mswane and Curacao's Shariengela Cuntje preferred Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonso Wurtzbach of the Philippines.

Bahama's Chantel O'Brian chose 1998 winner Wendy Fitzwilliams of Trinidad and Tobago, while Namibia's Chelsi Shikongo and Kenya's Roshanara Ebrahim chose 2019 queen Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa.

Stay tuned for more updates in the weeks and days leading to the coronation night on Dec. 12. The 70th Miss Universe pageant will be beamed live from Eilat, Israel via A2Z's Kapamilya Channel on Dec. 13 at 7 am.