ENTERTAINMENT
| February 27, 2019
 |
| (Image Source: Starmometer/ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Stand-up
comedian Mitch Montecarlo Suansane proved to the intertalaktic universe and even
herself that her wit and humor are the right instruments of making her dreams come
true when she bagged the crown of Miss Q&A Intertalaktic 2019 in a grand
finale that took place last February 23, 2019 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Hailing
from Bataan, Suansane impressed the judges and even the crowd inside the Big
Dome on her brave response to the final question "What is the main reason
why society finds it hard to fully accept your gender or sexual
orientation?" She attributed the prejudice against the LGBTQIA+ community
to the Philippines being a predominantly Catholic nation and explained that
Filipinos are raised on the idea that only men and women are acknowledged by the
Bible. She also added that gay people are "part of everything" and
reiterated that all people are created equally by God. This statement gained Mitch
the highest score from the esteemed judges among other grand finalists.
As
the grand winner of Miss Q&A Intertalaktic 2019, Mitch won a huge bevy of
prizes including Php2 million cash, a "pampa-fresh" package worth
Php200,000, a livelihood package worth Php200,000, an all-expense paid trip for
two to South Korea, a "retoke" package worth Php500,000, a brand new
car and Php50,000 worth of products from Aficionado plus a throne, trophy and
crown valued at Php450,000. Meanwhile, the season's only hall of famer Czedy Rodriguez
and Lipa City's pride Chad Kinis Lustre-Reid finish first and second runners-up
in the competition, respectively.
Mitch
is known for her Celine Dion impersonation and was among the wildcard finalists
prior to the competition's finale week where she made it from the semifinals
all the way to the finals. After making the top six, Mitch outshone crowd
favorite and Beshie ng Bayan awardee Brenda Mage in the second round of the
grand coronation showdown dubbed "DeBattle". Meanwhile, special
awards were given prior to the start of the grand finals. Aside from Mage,
other awardees include Elthon Bequio for Beks in Costume, Dionesia Clara Dela
Fuentes for Best in Chukchak (Introduction), Ayesha Lopez for Beks in Costume
and Anne Patricia Lorenzo receiving the "Ganda Ka?" award for being
the most photogenic.
Asia's
phenomenal star Vice Ganda opened the grand coronation day known as "Miss
Q&A Intertalaktic 2019: The Final Chukachak.....Vaklang Twooo!!" wearing
a statement yellow gown that says "You don't gain anything from hurting
us" and introduced the candidates in their red, blue and yellow costumes
symbolizing the colors of the Philippine flag. The competition's esteemed panel
of judges is comprised of Jugs Jugueta and Teddy Corpuz, Karylle, Nicole
Cordoves, Ricci Rivero, Maymay Entrata, James Reid, Bea Alonzo, Joel Cruz, Boy Abunda
and ABS-CBN Corporation chief content officer Ms. Charo Santos-Concio. Several
groups representing the Philippine LGBTQIA+ community were also there to
support the competition and cheer for their favorite finalists as well.
The
grand coronation day of one of It's Showtime's staple segments was a top
trending topic on social media and enjoyed by many Filipino households as the second
most watched show in the Philippines. Based on data from Kantar Media Philippines,
the event scored a huge national TV rating of 27.4% which is higher than the
rating of its rival network's programs airing on its timeslot. With the second
season of Miss Q&A in the banks, ABS-CBN's longest-running and consistently
trending noontime show continues its countdown to its tenth year anniversary
with the launch of "KapareWHO", a compability game featuring single and
widowed people aged 40 and older looking for a second chance, friendship and companionship.
