Personal Facts:Birth name: Maria Venus Bayonito Raj
Birthplace: Doha, Qatar
Birth date: July 7, 1988 (22 yrs. Old)
Measurements: 35-22-35
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Title(s): Miss Philippines-Universe 2010
Major competition(s): Miss Philippines Earth 2008 (Eco-tourism)
Ms. Bicolandia 2007
Maria Venus Bayonito Raj (born July 7, 1988) is one of the three reigning 2010 Binibining Pilipinas winners. She was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe on March 06, 2010 during the pageant's Grand Coronation Night at the Araneta Coliseum [1]. However, on March 29, 2010, Ms. Raj was dethroned by the pageant's organizers (BPCI) citing "inconsistencies" between her birth certificate and the personal account of her birth. Ms. Raj was briefly replaced by second runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson. Ms. Raj's sudden dethronement caused an uproar among her Filipino supporters in Bicol, Metro Manila, and other cities including pageant fans in other countries that she was encouraged to fight to reclaim her crown. Some conducted online petitions, signature campaigns, Facebook fan pages, blogs, demand letters to BPCI and some even went on up to writing the Miss Universe Organization. So much so that on April 10, 2010, after days of uproar by many pageant fans, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) reversed their decision.
Citing "humanitarian reasons" the BPCI allowed Ms. Raj to reclaim her title pending correction of the minor technicalities or clerical error contained on her birth record and her obtainment of a valid Philippine passport. On May 19, 2010, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a Philippine passport to Ms. Raj. The DFA stated that Ms. Raj is, indeed, a Philippine citizen by virtue of the jus sanguinis principle (“right of blood”), a basic right provided by the Philippine Constitution which bestows upon a person the citizenship of his father or mother regardless of where the person was born. Based on this constitutional principle, along with interviews and documents provided by Ms. Raj, the DFA's Citizenship Evaluation Committee decided to grant Ms. Raj a Philippine passport, clearing the way for her reinstatement as the Philippines' official candidate to the Miss Universe 2010 pageant.
Early life
Raj was born out of wedlock in Doha, Qatar, but she was taken to Bato, Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region, Philippines as an infant when her Filipino mother and Indian father separated. It was her mother, a tenant farmer and dressmaker, who solely brought her up as a child.
Raj had lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bamboo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural Bato town for more than 20 years. She claimed that walking on a rice paddy dike was her early training for walking on fashion runways.
The youngest in a brood of five children, Raj started joining local beauty pageants when she was 17 years old, as well as oratorical contests at San Vicente High School. Maria Lourdes Pili, her English teacher, served as her coach for the oratorical contests. With her winnings in major contests, she started to buy land on installment basis for her mother.
Education and Work
Raj finished her bachelor's degree in Communications Arts, major in Journalism, at Bicol University in Albay, with Latin honors (cum laude). She was able to finish college thru the scholarship that she received from Francis Papica Foundation. Currently, she is working as an Information Assistant for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region IV. In addition, she works as a fashion model and shuttles between Bicol and Manila for modeling assignments.
Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism title
Following her winning as Ms. Bicolandia 2007,[6] Raj competed in the Miss Philippines-Earth 2008, and was named as Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism 2008. She was crowned on May 11, 2008 at Crowne Plaza Galleria, Manila, by the previous year's winner, Anna Katrina Bautista.
Dethronement as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe
In the days leading up to the dethronement, questions about Raj's birth certificate were posed by Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) officials. She was later invited to sit down with BPCI's lawyers. Raj was told that there were inconsistencies between her birth certificate which listed the Philippines as her birthplace and her own personal account in which she said she was born in Qatar, in addition to other inconsistencies in her birth documents. At that meeting, Raj was given two options: resign or be dethroned. Raj refused either option and sought legal counsel.
Chairwoman Leila de Lima of the Commission on Human Rights, Senator Loren Legarda, Ms. Bicolandia organization, Representative Liza Maza of Gabriela, Albay Governor Joey Salceda and Dante Jimenez of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) deplored the decision made by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and expressed their desire to help Raj. On the social networking site Facebook, thousands of her friends and fans expressed frustration and anger at the pageant organizer’s decision to take back the crown from Raj.
Raj planned to take legal action to combat BPCI's decision in court, but she also weighed in on her decision because of its potential impact to her future career. Lawyer Francis Padua Papica, who sponsored Raj’s college education, and another counsel volunteered to defend her for free. Through Rafa Delfin, director of the website www.criticalbeauty.com, an appeal regarding Raj's case was sent to the Miss Universe Organization regarding the issue.
In a local TV appearance, Raj stated that a representative from Miss Universe Organization talked to her and looked into her case. In the same interview, she said, “My fight is now more than just chasing a dream. It is about clearing my soiled reputation. It is about standing up for people who are poor and born out of wedlock. It is a fight for acceptance."
Former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz had earlier advised Raj to "let go" of the title and just join again in 2011 on the basis that BPCI speaks with finality and always has the last say. Yet true to Ms. Raj's being Miss Friendship title, she was very amiable in saying that although she respect Ms. Diaz's opinion, she was not willing to let go and still would persist in reclaiming her title.
Reinstatement as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe
In a seeming effort to appease the public, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) announced on April 10, 2010, that it will allow the reinstatement of dethroned 2010 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj if she would be able to secure a "valid Philippine passport. All measures were undertaken by Ms. Raj's camp at the Department of Foreign Affairs with optimism that this rather trivial condition is met. With this development, Ms. Venus Raj now holds the record as the first-ever dethroned Miss Philippines to have successfully staged an attempt for a reinstatement of the Binibibining Pilipinas crown.
A feat that disqualied Filipina beauties like Anjanette Abayari, Janelle Bautista, Tisha Silang (all Binibining Pilipinas - Universe titlist) and even Binibining Pilipinas- World 2008, Janina San Miguel who allegedly "resigned", all failed to accomplish. Other previous controversies which did not merit the attention of BPCI and the public include the ouster of stunning beauties like fashion models Joey Mead and Sandra Siefert and dusky actress Juliana Palermo. Also, the stir (allegedly due to massive irregularities and unfulfilled promises) that gorgeous actress Janine Barredo raised after losing at the Binibining Pilipinas 1994 never stunned the once invincible BPCI.
Citing "humanitarian reasons" the BPCI allowed Ms. Raj to reclaim her title pending correction of the minor technicalities or clerical error contained on her birth record and her obtainment of a valid Philippine passport. On May 19, 2010, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a Philippine passport to Ms. Raj. The DFA stated that Ms. Raj is, indeed, a Philippine citizen by virtue of the jus sanguinis principle (“right of blood”), a basic right provided by the Philippine Constitution which bestows upon a person the citizenship of his father or mother regardless of where the person was born. Based on this constitutional principle, along with interviews and documents provided by Ms. Raj, the DFA's Citizenship Evaluation Committee decided to grant Ms. Raj a Philippine passport, clearing the way for her reinstatement as the Philippines' official candidate to the Miss Universe 2010 pageant.
Early life
Raj was born out of wedlock in Doha, Qatar, but she was taken to Bato, Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region, Philippines as an infant when her Filipino mother and Indian father separated. It was her mother, a tenant farmer and dressmaker, who solely brought her up as a child.
Raj had lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bamboo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural Bato town for more than 20 years. She claimed that walking on a rice paddy dike was her early training for walking on fashion runways.
The youngest in a brood of five children, Raj started joining local beauty pageants when she was 17 years old, as well as oratorical contests at San Vicente High School. Maria Lourdes Pili, her English teacher, served as her coach for the oratorical contests. With her winnings in major contests, she started to buy land on installment basis for her mother.
Education and Work
Raj finished her bachelor's degree in Communications Arts, major in Journalism, at Bicol University in Albay, with Latin honors (cum laude). She was able to finish college thru the scholarship that she received from Francis Papica Foundation. Currently, she is working as an Information Assistant for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region IV. In addition, she works as a fashion model and shuttles between Bicol and Manila for modeling assignments.
Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism title
Following her winning as Ms. Bicolandia 2007,[6] Raj competed in the Miss Philippines-Earth 2008, and was named as Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism 2008. She was crowned on May 11, 2008 at Crowne Plaza Galleria, Manila, by the previous year's winner, Anna Katrina Bautista.
Dethronement as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe
In the days leading up to the dethronement, questions about Raj's birth certificate were posed by Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) officials. She was later invited to sit down with BPCI's lawyers. Raj was told that there were inconsistencies between her birth certificate which listed the Philippines as her birthplace and her own personal account in which she said she was born in Qatar, in addition to other inconsistencies in her birth documents. At that meeting, Raj was given two options: resign or be dethroned. Raj refused either option and sought legal counsel.
Chairwoman Leila de Lima of the Commission on Human Rights, Senator Loren Legarda, Ms. Bicolandia organization, Representative Liza Maza of Gabriela, Albay Governor Joey Salceda and Dante Jimenez of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) deplored the decision made by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and expressed their desire to help Raj. On the social networking site Facebook, thousands of her friends and fans expressed frustration and anger at the pageant organizer’s decision to take back the crown from Raj.
Raj planned to take legal action to combat BPCI's decision in court, but she also weighed in on her decision because of its potential impact to her future career. Lawyer Francis Padua Papica, who sponsored Raj’s college education, and another counsel volunteered to defend her for free. Through Rafa Delfin, director of the website www.criticalbeauty.com, an appeal regarding Raj's case was sent to the Miss Universe Organization regarding the issue.
In a local TV appearance, Raj stated that a representative from Miss Universe Organization talked to her and looked into her case. In the same interview, she said, “My fight is now more than just chasing a dream. It is about clearing my soiled reputation. It is about standing up for people who are poor and born out of wedlock. It is a fight for acceptance."
Former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz had earlier advised Raj to "let go" of the title and just join again in 2011 on the basis that BPCI speaks with finality and always has the last say. Yet true to Ms. Raj's being Miss Friendship title, she was very amiable in saying that although she respect Ms. Diaz's opinion, she was not willing to let go and still would persist in reclaiming her title.
Reinstatement as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe
In a seeming effort to appease the public, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) announced on April 10, 2010, that it will allow the reinstatement of dethroned 2010 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj if she would be able to secure a "valid Philippine passport. All measures were undertaken by Ms. Raj's camp at the Department of Foreign Affairs with optimism that this rather trivial condition is met. With this development, Ms. Venus Raj now holds the record as the first-ever dethroned Miss Philippines to have successfully staged an attempt for a reinstatement of the Binibibining Pilipinas crown.
A feat that disqualied Filipina beauties like Anjanette Abayari, Janelle Bautista, Tisha Silang (all Binibining Pilipinas - Universe titlist) and even Binibining Pilipinas- World 2008, Janina San Miguel who allegedly "resigned", all failed to accomplish. Other previous controversies which did not merit the attention of BPCI and the public include the ouster of stunning beauties like fashion models Joey Mead and Sandra Siefert and dusky actress Juliana Palermo. Also, the stir (allegedly due to massive irregularities and unfulfilled promises) that gorgeous actress Janine Barredo raised after losing at the Binibining Pilipinas 1994 never stunned the once invincible BPCI.
Profile Source: Wikipedia.org
Photo Source: mariavenusraj.com
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