Ariella Arida, the 24-year-old beauty from Laguna, won third place in this year’s Miss Universe beauty pageant, held in Moscow.
And netizens are asking: could she have won the crown if she used an interpreter in the interview round? Among the top five contestants, she was the only one who didn’t use one.
She was asked what can be done about the lack of jobs for young people starting with their careers around the world, reports Chuck Smith on Philstar.com.
Her answer: “For the people who have lack of jobs, I do believe that we people should invest in education. And that is my primary advocacy, because if every one of us is educated and we‘re well aware of what we are doing, we could land into jobs and could land good careers in the future. So, education is a primary source and it is a ticket for a better future,” she said.
There is a global trend, especially in the West, of young graduates unable to land jobs despite having invested in fancy degrees.
With Miss Universe 3rd runner up Ariella Arida. So proud!:-) pic.twitter.com/bzl6wJwzQh
— jonas antonio gaffud (@jonasofmercator) November 9, 2013
Miss Venezuela Gabriella Isler, a 25-year-old television presenter, was crowned Miss Universe.
Judges, including rock star Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, picked the winner from a total of 86 contestants at the show.
Isler’s triumph was the seventh Miss Universe win for Venezuela, where beauty pageants are a source of national pride.
“I have a lot of emotions. I can’t describe all the things that I feel at this moment because I’m shaking,” she said. “I’m still in shock. I feel so blessed, so happy to be here”
In the decisive interview round that concludes the competition, Tyler asked Isler, who won Miss Venezuela last year, what her greatest fear was.
She did not give any details, but said: “I believe we should overcome all our fears and this in turn will make us stronger,” speaking in Spanish through an interpreter.
Co-host Thomas Roberts, an American television presenter, dedicated the show to the people suffering from the typhoon in the Philippines. “We send our very best, our thoughts. We dedicate tonight’s show to you,” he said. With reports from AFP.
Photo: The finalists of the 2013 Miss Universe competition, from left, are Gabriela Isler, Ariella Arida, Patricia Yurena Rodriguez, Jakelyne Oliveira and Constanza Baez as they wait for the judges’ decision in Moscow on Nov 9, 2013 (Alexander Nemenov/AFP).
