What is the No.1 sport for females in the Philippines? For males, it is too obvious. Basketball has been the No.1 sport for the Filipino males. Let's say you have a sister or daughter who is around 5'9" and has an athletic figure, what sport should she get into to become rich and famous?
Volleyball? No. Volleyball could get you a college scholarship but it will not bring in so much money.
Basketball? No way. There is no money in Women's basketball in the country.
Tennis? It has been a while since we had a Filipina ranked in the WTA tour.
The answer is ..... Beauty Pageants.
Here are 3 reasons that it is the no.1 sport for females in the country:
1. Fans - The fans of beauty queens are as rabid as the most loyal Barangay Ginebra fans. These loyal fans will bring placards in competitions. They will defend their queen in twitter and Facebook. Virtually the whole Philippines will root for its Ms. Universe candidate.
2. Prize - The prize in some pageants could reach millions and opportunities to represent the country in an international pageant. Winning a title opens doors to TV opportunities as well as rich suitors. There is no sport for females that can match the prize money for winners. Many beauty queens became celebrities after winning or joining pageant like Miriam Quiambao, Melanie Marquez, Alice Dixon, and host of other winners.
3. Training and Competition - Some people think that this is just about being pretty. There are many companies making money training these ladies. The candidates are thought how to walk properly and to answer the dreaded pageant questions. The small competitions are a big hit in the towns or cities. It has local media coverage and the competition is very fierce in the lower levels. The national competitions has a good TV and newspaper coverage. A lot of people spend money just to vote for their candidate.
Not everyone is meant to be a beauty queen. To become one, one must possess the looks, the height, the intelligence, and the attitude to endure a grueling pageant. There will be rivalries. There will be haters. The Miss Universe pageant is the counterpart for women to a Manny Pacquiao match. While pageants are technically not a sport, in the Philippines, it is one. ;)
