Ariella Arida of Laguna wins Bb. Pilipinas Gold!

Laguna's pride, 24 year old Ariella Arida from Alaminos won the title of Miss Universe Philippines 2013 during the Binibining Pilipinas Gold celebration held last April 14 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. She was crowned by last year's winner and Miss Universe 1st run-up Janine Tugonon.

Ara stands 5'7.5" tall once competed in Miss Philippines Earth 2012. She will now represent the Philippines in Miss Universe 2012 pageant to be held later this year.

Crowned as Bb. Pilipinas International 2013 was 23 year old Bea Rose Santiago representing Masbate City. She was crowned by Nicole Schmitz together with the chairman of the Miss International Beauty Pageant Hirofumi Hashimoto.

Bea Rose stands 5'9" tall participated before in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 and was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 Overseas Communities. She will now enter the Miss International 2013 contest.

Named as Bb. Pilipinas Tourism 2013 was Joanna Cindy Miranda from Nueva Ecija. She was awarded by Katrina Jayne Dimaranan.

23 year old Cindy represented Baguio City in Miss Philippines Earth 2008 and once worked as a host in TV 5's Wil Time Big Time show. She will compete in an international competition to be announced by BPCI soon.

A new title was added this year, the Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 2013 crown was given to 20 year old Mutya Johanna Datul from Isabela province. She was crowned by last year's 1st run-up and Miss Supranational 2012 3rd run-up Elaine Kay Moll.

Mutya stands 5'8" tall and was one of the top 10 semi-finalist in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2012. She will enter the Miss Supranational 2013 in Sport's Palace of Minsk in Belarus on September 6.

Completing the top 5 and finished as the 1st run-up was the actress Pia Wurtzbach also known as Pia Romero.

Completing the Top 15 Finalists were:

* Camille Carla Nazar

* Charmaine Elima

* Ellore Noelle Punzalan

* Merry Joice Respicio

* Maria Angelica de Leon

* Parul Shah

* Grace Yann Apuad

* Rhea Nakpil

* Imelda Schweighart

* Amanda Noelle Navasero

SPECIAL AWARDS:

* Bb. Friendship: Lourenz Grace Remetillo

* Best in Talent: Anna Carmela Aquino

* Best in National Costume: Maria Teresita Alaine Baccay[3]

* Manila Bulletin Readers' Choice Award: Ellore Noelle Punzalan

* Bb. Petron: Joanna Cindy Miranda

* Bb. Photogenic: Mutya Johanna Datul

* Cream Silk Beyond Beautiful Woman Award: Joanna Cindy Miranda

* Bb. San Miguel Zero Fit and Sexy Body: Pia Wurtzbach

* Bb. Avon: Bea Rose Santiago

* Ms. Philippine Airlines: Nicole Kim Donesa

* Bb. Pilipinas - PAGCOR Award: Imelda Schweighart

* Best in Swimsuit: Ariella Arida

* Best in Long Gown: Mutya Johanna Datul

PANEL OF JUDGES:

* James Younghusband - Midfielder for the Philippines national football team

* Boy Abunda - Talk show host and TV personality

* Eugenio Lopez III - Chairman of ABS-CBN Corporation

* General Alan Purisima - Director General of the Philippine National Police

* Gloria Diaz - Miss Universe 1969

* Liliana Marquez Zawadsky

* Hirofumi Hashimoto - Chairman of Miss International

* Louis Ng - Macau businessman

* Roberto Mayorga - Chilean Ambassador to the Philippines

* Massimo Roscigno - Italian Ambassador to the Philippines

* Jose Rene Almendras - Cabinet Secretary of the Philippines

The Binibining Pilipinas celebrates it's 50 Glorious Years of being the most prestigious and grandest local pageant of the Philippines. Past titleholders paraded and opened the event followed by the 50 Official Gold Candidates. A special commemoration of the departed queens were also one of the highlights of the pageant.

The most memorable part of the evening was the tribute to BPCI's chairperson Madam Stella Marquez de Araneta, who states that even though she is from South America (Colombia), she still managed to take in charge of the Organization. She said that she also built lasting friendship to some of her beauty queens, and feels good that the Bb. Pilipinas had changed lives of the girls who dreams big.