MISS UNIVERSE 2012: Watchful Eyes Best 20 Show Girls In Las Vegas Holiday!

          I think for the first time in the history of Miss Universe, it was held in December, the happiest and fun filled time of the year and what is the perfect event to make the holiday season merrier and festive than Miss Universe. This year the most prestigious beauty pageant of all goes back to Las Vegas more specifically Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino after it hosted the competition back in 2010. I know Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood will surely kindle the fire of the season's spirit - making the event an unforgettable experience. This is second time Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino accepted to host the event while it is the fourth time for Las Vegas where they graciously welcome 89 gorgeous women from around the world to compete for the much coveted Diamond Nexus Lab crown. Leila Lopes of Angola, Miss Universe 2011 will crown her successor on December 19.
          A lot of contestants has some stunning images posted online before they arrive in Las Vegas and even during the time they won their respective national titles, they look absolutely stunning and beautiful that some fans take note of them as early favorites and contender for the crown however upon their arrival in Las Vegas, there are some changes and differences that make this competition even more exciting and suspenseful. Some contestants exceed others expectation while some are on their radar to watch out for. They even look so prepared, warm and impressive as the competition heats up and after I watched the preliminary competition on Thursday, I came up with my list of favorites and who I think will have a chance of at least making the cut. I observe that there are only quite a few gowns which I think are fabulous and stand out enough to have my good impression because most of them are just an imitation of previous contestant's gowns lacking in originality, creativity and innovation. What the contestants lack of fabulous gown, they made it up with an elegant classy presentation oozing with sex appeal and spell binding charm. Their overwhelming beauty and regal bearing with this gown is enough to make an impressive presentation. The strongest asset of these women lies in the swimsuit competition where they can pride themselves with those curvaceous figures, flawless skin and long legs complimented with great catwalk skills, runway attitude and confidence which include good command of stage, flirtatious moves, seductive pose and facial gestures.   
          With these things on mind looking at these incredibly gorgeous women, I came up with this list of best 20 contestants for this year's holiday-filled Miss Universe 2012. Although I must admit, it is difficult to choose which one will make it into my elite list, here now are my final chosen lovely women for the crown with their scores. Hope you enjoy!

1. Georgia - Tamar Shedania

2. Croatia - Elizabeta Burg

 

3. Puerto Rico - Bodine Koehler 

4. South Africa - Melinda Bam 

5. Philippines - Janine Tugonon 

6. Venezuela - Irene Isser 

7. Poland - Marcelina Zawadzka 

 

8. Australia - Renae Ayris

9. Czech Republic - Tereza Chlebovska 

10. Chile - Ana Luisa Konig 

11. Guatemala - Laura Godoy Calle 

 

12. Bahamas - Celeste Marshall 

13. Mexico - Karina Gonzalez 

14. USA - Olivia Culpo 

15. Thailand - Nutpimon Farida Waller 

 

16. Ecuador - Carolina Aguirre 

17. Jamaica - Chantal Zaky 

18. Vietnam - Diem Huong Luu 

19. Brazil - Gabriela Markus 

20. Sri Lanka - Sabrina Herft 

Special Mentions: 
Ukraine
Montenegro
Colombia 
Japan
Nicaragua

Photo Courtesy Of: Miss Universe

MISS UNIVERSE 2012 UPDATE: Watchful Eyes Favorite National Costumes

Aruba 

China 

Colombia 

Ecuador 

Honduras 

India 

Korea 

Malaysia 

Mexico 

Nicaragua

Panama 

Puerto Rico 

Sri Lanka 

St. Lucia 

Tanzania 

Trinidad and Tobago

Miss Universe 2012 Update: Fabulous Evening Gowns

Croatia 

Georgia 

Peru 

Venezuela

Photos Courtesy of:  MissUniverse.com

SLEEPING DRAGON OF THE SOUTH Iloilo The Next Big Thing Series Part 2: International Avenue, Santa Barbara, Iloilo

The INTERNATIONAL AVENUE 

by Global-Estate a Sister Company of Megaworld Corp. 

It's More Fun In Iloilo 

Because We're BOOMING Non Stop. 

ILOILO means BUSINESS. Invest Now! 

Western Visayas To Experience Global-Estate Resorts, Inc.'s 'Township' Lifestyle 

       Something new is coming to the shores of Western Visayas – the 'township' lifestyle. This 'township' lifestyle brought by Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI) to the Sta. Barbara Heights development will follow after the “live-work-play” concept pioneered by its sister company, Megaworld. 
       Sta. Barbara Heights is a mixed-use development that will consist of residential spaces, a town center, an IT park and various establishments. The 170-hectare property, which is the first of its kind on its region, is poised to propel Iloilo into a future 'central business district'. 
       “As pioneers of the township concept in Metro Manila, we would like to revolutionize how our fellow Filipinos live in other parts of the country, starting with Sta. Barbara Heights in Iloilo,” says Noy Mercado, GERI's Head of Sales and Marketing. 
      The residential estates signify the 'live' component of the township. All are residential lots, complemented by Sta. Barbara's expansive rolling hills and natural lake as backdrop. Topnotch amenities include a multi-purpose clubhouse with a 260 square-meter swimming pool and tennis and basketball courts, children's parks, a picnic area and other activity areas. 
      The 'work' and 'play' element, on the other hand, will be incorporated in the upcoming Iloilo International Business Park. This six-hectare park will be home to an IT cyberpark, BPO centers and various office strips. Future residents will benefit the ease of access with the 2.7-kilometer Iloilo International Avenue that runs through the township, bringing the nearby Iloilo International Airport closer. Adjacent to Sta. Barbara Heights are the historical landmarks of the Iloilo Golf Course and Country Club as well as the Santa Barbara Church and Convent, to the advantage of its future tourists. 
      Other projects on the pipeline for the development include commercial strips, food chains, hotels, an international school and a football field, with the aim of fusing business and pleasure into one hotspot. 
      “By putting the 'live', 'work' and 'play' aspects side by side, we are bringing a new lifestyle that's tailor-made for the fast-paced lifestyle of the Ilonggos,” Mercado adds. 

About Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. 

Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI) is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, Inc., (AGI) one of the Philippines' largest conglomerates, under the leadership of its Chairman and CEO Andrew L. Tan. The company handles the development of the country's world-class tourism estates such as those in Boracay (Boracay Newcoast), Tagaytay (Twin Lakes) and Iloilo (Sta. Barbara Heights), all marketed by Megaworld Global-Estate, Inc.

SLEEPING DRAGON OF THE SOUTH Iloilo The Next Big Thing Series Part 1: Proposed Iloilo Central Market

Iloilo Central Market Promenade View From The Podium

           The Iloilo Central Market is a proposed building construction project with a heritage restoration feature for its front facade. The present structure occupies 1.37 hectare and is bounded by major avenues in the city such as Iznart, Rizal, Aldeguer and Guanco streets. 
        Once completed, much of the area of the central market will be occupied by a 3 five-storey mixed-used structure that will be leasable to private establishment and businesses. It will also include a parking building and internal roads to improve traffic and accessibility. 

Land use components are the following: 
a) Commercial arcade for the existing Heritage building; 
b) Office/residential towers and a parking building linked by a podium for the main area behind the Heritage building; 
c) Wet market and dry goods area under the podium; 
d) Open public promenade adjacent to the Heritage building; and 
e) Miscellaneous commercial stall strip along Aldeguer and Guanco strips. 

           The beautiful art-deco 2 storey V-shaped facade of the central market will be preserved and restored. Between the retained facade and the main complex will be a promenade that will include open spaces, restaurants, and possibly an activity center. 
           The project also calls for another effort to take the welfare of present vendors into consideration. The pre-feasibility study suggested the creation of training and organization programs with the help of NGOs, including microfinance mechanisms, in order to enhance business practices and consumer services of local vendors or “hawkers”. 
            It is important to note that the basic concepts of this project is to improve infrastructure and utility to make the present market an interesting and convenient urban consumer area while preserving the city’s heritage. By making the heritage feature an integral part of this redevelopment effort, the city hopes to attract more tourists and foster a pride of place for Ilonggos in general. 


Source: Iloiloilove.com

SLEEPING DRAGON OF THE SOUTH ILOILO: The Next Big Thing Series

The Proposed Iloilo City Bridge at the Diversion Road 

Iloilo City by Night featuring the Iloilo Customs House (right) and Iloilo City Hall (left) 
 

I will be featuring a few series of proposed, planned and on-going projects and investments for Iloilo in the next few years for this decade. The real "Queen City of the South" also known as the "Sleeping Giant of the South" is waking up and is now gearing towards being one of the most livable and elegant city in the Far East. We are hoping that more big businesses and investments will come into the province providing more jobs and opportunities to the people.

Miss Universe 2012 Coverage: Watchful Eyes Best Lingerie Portraits

Here are now my choices and are my Best 10 Official Lingerie Portraits: 

Georgia - Tamar Shedania 

Australia - Renae Ayris 

Czech Republic - Tereza Chlebovska 

Malaysia - Kimberley Leggett 

South Africa - Melinda Bam 

Philippines - Janine Tugonon 

USA - Olivia Culpo 

Indonesia - Maria Selena 

Mexico - Karina Gonzalez 

Croatia - Elizabeta Burg 

Photos Courtesy of: MissUniverse.com