Binibining Pilipinas 2009 Winners

Crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2009 winners were: Melody Gersbach, Binibining Pilipinas-International; Pamela Bianca Manalo, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe and Marie-Ann Umali, Bb. Pilipinas World.
Melody, the 5'6" Bicolana who manages her family's restaurant business gave a satisfactory answer when one of the judges, Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares III asked her, "Do people think you're not intelligent just because you're beautiful?"
Melody answered, "Beauty is not only the physical. It is beauty of our intellect, beauty of our inside...and I see that people misjudge those who are beautiful. We are beautiful within, which shines through, for myself, through a beautiful smile."
Pamela Bianca Manalo from Parañaque won special awards earlier in the pageant before getting the privilege now to represent the Philippines in this year's Miss Universe pageant to be held at The Fantasy Islands in The Bahamas. She won Miss Natasha, Best in Swimsuit, Miss Philippine Airlines, and Manila Bulletin Readers' Choice awards.
Asked by judge, actor Richard Gomez, if in the future, she will have a son, what would she teach her son about women, she answered: "What I would tell my son about women is he should respect them, like he respects his mother."
The pageant's Miss Photogenic and Best in Long Gown winner Marie-Ann Umali now has the chance to go after the very elusive Miss World title in South Africa this year. In the question and answer portion, when asked by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander B. Yano what her idea of fun is, she said being yourself and living a positive outlook in life is her idea of fun.
The other special awardees were Priscilla Mae Honorio (Ms. Salsa Jeans) and Gizelle Jasmin Rivamonte (Ms. Friendship).
The other judges for the pageant that night were Columbian businessman Arturo Marquez, PBA MVP Mark Cardona, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila General Manager Bernd Schneider, Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez, Brazilian Ambassador Alcides Prates, Pakistan Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan, former Ms. Universe Gloria Diaz, and sitting as Chairman of the Board of Judges was Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban.
Legendary fashion designer Jose "Pitoy" Moreno, Gloria Diaz (Miss Universe 1969), Margie Moran (Miss Universe 1973) and Aurora Pijuan were honored with recognitions by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., for their achievements that made the Philippines very proud.

via Philippine Entertainment Portal