From ‘window-watching’ in Samar to Bangkok, Thailand

At the 65th Miss Universe competition in Manila, Matthew Dotingco gets his brief shining moment when he was interviewed by a TV correspondent of a Colombian station.
(CDN photo/ Cris Evert Lato-Ruffolo)

BANGKOK— The Miss Universe bug bit Matthew Dotingco when he was seven years old.

He watched it by the window of a neighbor’s living room withstanding the humid 8 a.m. weather in Barangay 1, Taft in Eastern Samar province.

But Matthew did not mind.

Broadcasted on live television that day was the Miss Universe 1987 pageant and Matthew was watching with mouth agape and eyes wide open.

“I was just amazed with the pageant. Today, Miss Universe has the National Costume competition. In those times, there was the Parade of Nations. It was very educational as each country showcases traditional dresses. In recent years, candidates have opted for gimmicks such as elaborate props and costumes,” he said.

After watching the 1987 pageant, where Cecilia Bolocco of Chile bested 67 candidates to clinch the Miss Universe title, Matthew made a promise to himself: he will watch an international pageant in the flesh someday.

Since then, Matthew looked forward to the annual pageant. In 1996, his cousin, Ana Marie Craig, joined Binibining Pilipinas and made it as Top 10 finalist.

“Aileen Damiles won as Binibining Pilipinas Universe that year. My appreciation for pageants grew even deeper because of my cousin’s participation,” he said.

He would skip classes during his high school and college years just so he could watch the live telecast of Miss Universe pageants.

In 2003, when he earned his degree in Accountancy from Saint Paul Business School, Matthew believed he had a chance to fulfill the dream of watching a live pageant.

But he was not able to do so until March 2014 or after 11 years.

“I started working for the government agency in 2005, but I only became a regular employee in 2011 so it was not the right time to pursue that dream,” he said.

Matthew had to also help in defraying the cost of medicines for his father who suffered from a stroke. He was working in Tacloban at this time.
Transforming the dream into a reality had to wait.

Fulfillment

In 2013, Matthew started saving up money to watch Binibining Pilipinas 2014 (where Mary Jean Lastimosa was crowned Miss Universe Philippines).
Super typhoon Yolanda devastated Tacloban on November 8. The following day, November 9, Ariella Arida represented the Philippines in Miss Universe 2013 in Russia.

“Miss Universe was my biggest motivation. After the typhoon I thought wala na lahat ng dream, I thought I was failing. During night time in Tacloban, I would just look up and see the stars in the sky. Parang there was hope para bumangon ulit (to rise again),” he said.

It was his passion for pageantry that led him to hope again after experiencing the typhoon’s wrath.

Crowns

In 2014, after 27 years of dreaming, Matthew attended his first national pageant.

In 2016, he fulfilled another dream: watch the Miss Universe pageant in Manila.

Matthew refers to this as “passion for pageantry”.

“When it is your passion, the right people will come to you,” he said.

The same story goes for the two replicas of Miss Universe crowns in his possession.

He owns the Classic and Mikimoto crowns.

The classic crown was worn by Miss Universe winners Margie Moran (1974), Dayanara Torres (1993), Sushmita Sen (1994), Lara Dutta (2000) and Denise Quiñones (2001).

The classic crown replica was a 2011 Christmas gift by his friend, Richard White.

Richard is his childhood friend from Taft. Richard, who is now based in the US, has since become a pageant organizer in California. He donated the Miss Tacloban crown in 2011.

He said the crown designer was George Wittels, who also designed the crown of Miss Venezuela.

When the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) decided to use the Mikimoto crown last year, Matthew immediately searched for an online seller and ordered it.

Asked how much money he shelled out for the crown, he replied: “It’s priceless!”

Matthew’s ultimate dream is to visit New York and tour the Miss Universe headquarters with MUO president Paula Shugart.

Relevance

Matthew refused to pay attention to bashers who criticize pageant enthusiasts for supporting events which are labeled as superficial and as forms of escapism.

“Maybe kasi there are a lot of controversies sa pageants… that is why there are many bashers. But I know there is a reason why pageants are held,” he said.

“Pageants do not only showcase beauty and talent, they are there to help these girls become confident and serve as stepping stones to believe in themselves to reach their dreams,” added Matthew.

Like Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta, Matthew believes that pageants like Miss Universe gives “young women a platform to foray in the fields that they want to… to voice out their choices and opinions.”

“Miss Universe is about diversity, inclusivity and acceptance. To transform these beautiful ladies to become confident, independent and strong women in the society. It gives them the platform to raise their voices and become influencers and inspiration to the rest of the women in the world living the definition of women who are confidently beautiful with a heart,” he said.

On December 17 here in Bangkok, Matthew will be wearing his Philippine sash and waving the Philippine flag to cheer on Catriona Gray.

“I feel a different energy with her. She is the total package. Beauty, brain plus the aura. Effortless sya sa rampa pero ang ganda pa rin,” he said.

For his first time to fly out of the country to witness a live beauty pageant, Matthew sure came prepared.

On December 17, he will wear his Mikimoto crown as he wishes Catriona Gray the best of luck to bring home the Philippines its fourth Miss
Universe title.