An investigation of BITAG Multimedia Network (BMN) uncovered other irregularities behind the controversial Mrs. Universe Philippines pageant following the revelations of ‘crown fixing‘ and money-making by some of its beauty queens and contestants.
The BMN investigative team found out that the business address of Mrs. Universe Philippines Foundation (MUPF) registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was not an office but a mere resto-bar.
#ipaBITAGmo program host, Ben Tulfo, suspected that the pageant was using a non-registered institution with the SEC.
He said the BMN investigative team could not even get a certificate of registration at the SEC under the MUPF’s name.
Three beauty queens sought the help of Pambansang Sumbungan #ipaBITAGmo and revealed their shameful experience of participating in the Mrs. Universe Philippines pageant.
On October 24 and 25, Mrs. Jessa Macaraig, Ruth Adefuin, and Michelle Lucas visited the # ipaBITAGmo investigative team at BMN Headquarters, Timog Ave., Quezon City.
Allegedly, the event organizer and president of Mrs. Universe Philippines, Mrs. Charo Calalo-Uy asked for P50,000 as a registration fee for every contestant.
The complaining contestants also revealed that they had to sell tickets worth P5,000 per piece and were forced to invest P249,000 in a networking scheme to be in the Top 6 of the competition.
In 2021 and 2022, respectively, Lucas and Macaraig were crowned Mrs. Universe Philippines-Pacific Continental.
Macaraig was forced to surrender her crown for not complying with the pageant’s cash requirements.
“I was given 75 tickets to sell to my friends, family, sponsors, and acquaintances. It’s P5,000 per ticket, so I have to contribute at least P375,000, bukod pa dun sa mga gastos ko sa pagkain, pamasahe at yung P50,000 na registration fee ko. That’s very huge. We cannot afford to provide that amount of money,” Macaraig told #ipaBITAGmo.
Meanwhile, the other contestant, Adefuin, was not able to make it to the top 6 when she did not also comply with the monetary requirements of the pageant.
“Ginawa nilang money contest pinagkakitaan lang kami. Hindi po yun beauty pageant,” she said.
Moreover, Lucas revealed to BMN that she spent a total of P2.2 million on the pageant to bag a crown in 2021.
Calalo-Uy denied the accusations while challenging the complainants to bring the case to court.
She even told #ipaBITAGmo that Mrs. Universe Philippines registered as a foundation with the SEC. However, she could not present documents to the investigation of BMN.
The Pambansang Sumbungan #ipaBITAGmo vowed to pursue the case until justice was served to the victims.
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102 Timog Avenue, Quezon City
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In 2016, the company became a corporation. Started as a television production outfit in 2002, BMUI evolved from one television show titled “BITAG”.
