F.A.R.M. supports the 2010 Miss Universe!

The most interesting F.A.R.M. trivia: Did you know that our super famous "F.A.R.M. bride" evolved from the original piece first worn and modeled by no less than...

Our very own Venus Raj, the hottest and strongest contender for the 2010 Miss Universe crown?

Take home the gold Venus, for you deserve the gold.

With our F.A.R.M. brides, let's watch the Miss Universe Pageant on August 23 and see her victory.

Learn more about Venus on the F.A.R.M. blog.

A F.A.R.M.er fights for her dream

And we are all for it. Venus, we support you from the button of our hearts!

Dethroned Bicol beauty queen fights for dream
By Ephraim AguilarInquirer Southern Luzon, PDI
First Posted 02:35:00 04/09/2010

BATO, CAMARINES SUR—Streamers of congratulations still hang in Barangay San Vicente here for its instant celebrity-daughter, Maria Venus Raj, who would have represented the country in the Miss Universe pageant in August after winning the most coveted Binibining Pilipinas title.

But her reign had been cut short by organizers less than a month ago.

“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,” Raj said in an interview at her house made of wood, bamboo and “anahaw” leaves.

She has been living in the house without electricity for 21 years.

Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) took back her crown when it discovered false information in her birth certificate—that she was born in San Vicente, Bato, Camarines Sur, when she and her mother said she was actually born in Doha, Qatar; that her father is a Catholic Filipino when, in fact, he is an Indian; and that her parents were married when they were actually not.

Mother is OFW

During the pre-pageant’s panel and individual interviews in November last year, Raj had said she was born in Qatar, where her mother, Ester Bayonito, had worked as a domestic helper from 1986 to 1988, and was brought to the Philippines a month later.

Raj has professed her innocence, saying she had nothing to do with the information her aunt put in the document when her birth was registered three years after. She discovered the inconsistency when she applied for a college scholarship at the Francis Papica Foundation, which had not been corrected until she was dethroned.

Raj said she and her mother had no idea that she would someday be joining a national beauty pageant and that they were not able to correct the errors in her birth certificate because this would entail extra expenses.

Local contests

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.

“Whenever I won, I would give the prize money to my mother, who saved it up to buy seeds for the planting season,” she said. Her mother, now 59, is a tenant farmer, dressmaker and “hilot” in their village.

“My dream, more than to be a beauty queen or a model, is to just really give my family a comfortable life,” said Raj, who graduated, cum laude, with a journalism degree at Bicol University.

Raj was Miss Bicolandia in 2007 and Miss Philippines-Ecotourism in the Miss Philippines Earth pageant in 2008. With her winnings, she started buying land on installment basis for her mother.

“We moved from one place to another … about four times. It was hard not to have your own place. When there were conflicts we were always forced to leave,” Raj said in Bicol.
Ma. Lourdes Pili, Raj’s English teacher at San Vicente High School, said she used to coach Raj for oratorical contests.

“What always amazed me about Venus was her determination to succeed. Whenever she joined contests, we would borrow uniform and shoes because hers were old and faded. But she was never discouraged,” Pili said.

Resign or be dethroned

In a press conference in Naga City on Wednesday, Raj recalled how hard she cried when she was told about the decision of BPCI officials to strip her of her title.

Her predicament, she said, started a day after she was crowned on March 6 when Stella Marquez de Araneta, pageant head, supposedly expressed shock when she learned that she was born in Doha.

Raj said she was given two options—resign or be dethroned.

She said she was coaxed to sign a letter of resignation and was advised not to talk about the reason for it to protect her and her family from “judgmental people who would belittle them because of her past.”

When she told the organizers that she could not just sign a document without the presence of a lawyer, they met again for several hours only to tell her that she would be dethroned, she said.
Raj’s replacement will be the contest’s second runner-up, Helen Nicolette Henson, as the first runner-up, Dianne Necio was only 17 years old then.

According to Miss Universe pageant rules, the winner of the title must be 18 years old.

Poor girls’ dreams

Anjo Santos, Raj’s talent manager and mentor, said he was shocked at the sudden decision of BPCI. “It killed the dreams of poor beautiful girls like her who came from poor families to pursue their ambitions to succeed.”

She was never given due process, he added.

Because of embarrassment over her dethronement less than a month after she was crowned and the fear of being the talk of the town, Raj and her mother would not go out of their house.

Raj’s name is now all over the blogosphere. Fan pages on the social networking site Facebook were created to petition her reinstatement as the “country’s rightful candidate in the Miss Universe pageant.”

Free legal support

Lawyer Francis Padua Papica, who sponsored Raj’s college education, and another counsel volunteered to defend her for free.

A netizen, who requested to be identified only as King and a student of Bicol University, said his fan page would average around 300 interactions a day and had more than a thousand members.
One of Raj’s friends, Christian Jay Millena, 21, of Daraga town in Albay, believes BPCI has not dealt with Raj’s case with tact and decency.

“Take note that the BPCI even failed to properly inform the public and even the persons concerned of the real issue why Venus was dethroned,” he said.

Even Dante Jimenez, chair of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and also a Bicolano, pledged his group’s full legal support during the press conference held at Avenue Plaza Hotel
in Naga.

‘Handiwork of losers’

“I think this is the handiwork of losers who wanted to dethrone a legitimate winner,” Jimenez said.

Some 50 children from poor communities welcomed Raj with flowers to dramatize her roots and support from fellow Bicolanos. Before leaving, she told them not to give up on their dreams even though how poor they were.

“She is an inspiration to ordinary girls with beauty and brains who are just daughters of poor farmers or fisherfolk. She is a perfect inspiration to ordinary Filipinos who can tell the whole world that economic status is not a hindrance to fulfill a career using their God-given talent,” said Santos, Raj’s talent manager.

With a report from Juan Escandor Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon

See earlier post: A F.A.R.M.er wins the crown

A F.A.R.M.er wins the Crown!

"Three of the country’s most dazzling beauties were proclaimed as this year’s Binibining Pilipinas during the Coronation Night held March 6 at the Araneta Coliseum. The three candidates bested 21 other aspirants and will represent the country in the prestigious Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International pageants.

Getting the judges’ nod for the three most coveted titles are candidate no.11, Krista Arietta Kleiner, as Bb. Pilipinas-International, candidate no.10, Maria Venus Raj, as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, and candidate no.21, Czarina Catherine Gatbonton, with candidate no.22, Dianne Necio, and candidate no.18, Helen Nicolette Henson, as first and second runners-up, respectively. The winners were constant favorites during the series of exciting pre-pageant activities, showing winning forms especially during the first-ever Pre-Pageant, which showcased the swimsuit and long gown competitions, and a Question and Answer portion with the judges."

"21-year old Venus stands at five feet and nine inches tall and hails from Bato, Camarines Sur. Currently working as an Information Assistant at the DENR Region IV, she has a degree in B.C.A. Major in Journalism. Aside from playing volleyball and basketball, she is also into singing.Vital Statistics: 35-22-35Weight: 110lbs"

- Bb. Pilipinas website

Congratulations Venus for this remarkable feat! You shine among the rest!

Your beauty and F.A.R.M combined is simply divine! You are without a doubt, the loveliest!

We are so proud of you. From the button of our hearts!

(See more photos of Venus on the runway, with F.A.R.M.)

Emily Morales F.A.R.M.s to Stardom!

Emily Britanico-Morales, a true-blue Baaoeña, is paving her way to Broadway stardom as a very stylish young celebrity. She's got talent. Class. Style.

Leave the comments to the experts. All we know is that she is the best.

On Miss Saigon performance:

“As the Vietnamese woman Kim, forsaken by her American serviceman lover, Emily Morales is an appealing dramatic powerhouse. Her voice is as intense and powerful as her acting, and she controls it well over the extremely wide range demanded by the role.”

-The Post Standard, Chuck Klaus

On The King And I performance:

“It’s impossible to overpraise Emily Morales’ lovely and lyrical Tuptim, enchanting in “I Have Dreamed” and “We Kiss in Shadow” with handsome Richard Manera as her doomed beloved.”

-Chicago Free Press, Lawrence Bommer

www.emilymorales.com

She knows fashion. And a F.A.R.M.er, she absolutely is!

Road Trip to F.A.R.M.

F.A.R.M. has started small, almost unnoticed.

Now it's touching people's hearts. Changing lives. Building dreams.

Award-winning director Ray Defante Gibraltar takes the road trip and joins the journey to change.

Our Hero

"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within; you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

"So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

From us F.A.R.M.ers to Efren Peñaflorida, the CNN Hero of the Year, we campaigned, we voted and we won! You are our inspiration! We salute you, we hail you, and we love you from the button of our hearts!

Big Win for Wanted: Border

Wanted: Border emerged victorious during the 15th Cinema One Originals Awards, bagging seven trophies for:

Best Production Design (Al Alacapa, Winston Lazaro and Allan Hilado), Best Music (Malik Lopez and Eric Romulo),Best Cinematography (Ogie Sugatan), Best Screenplay (Ray Gibraltar), Best Actress (Rosanna Roces), Best Director (Ray Gibraltar) and Best Film: Wanted: Border.

The awards night was held on November 15 at the Dolphy Theater, ABS-CBN, Quezon City.

"The big winner of this year’s festival is Ray Gibratar’s Wanted: Border. And what a film it is. Gibraltar had previously directed the sublime comedy When Timawa Meets Delgado, and so expectations were already pretty high. But with this film, Gibraltar goes in the complete opposite direction, showcasing an understanding of the craft that his previous film had only hinted at. The movie is probably one of the darkest movies I’ve seen all year, delving deep into the lives of people who have completely given in to their most primal urges. Here is a movie about people driven completely by the Ids, living in a stylized world where violence is commonplace, and some level of abuse is always expected. There’s some magnificent storytelling at play here, Gibraltar weighing the bleakness of his subject with some of the sharpest gallows humor to have come out of Philippine cinema. A great lead performance from Rosanna Roces only adds to the mastery. As the winner of this year’s festival, the movie will get an Indiesine run later this year, and I truly hope that people will go see it. It is a harrowing film experience that I would recommend to anyone." Click the City.

Rosanna Roces is the first celebrity to wear F.A.R.M. in a movie.

Award-winning director Ray Gibraltar, who's got affection for Baao, its people, and their advocacies is doing a project with Buttons to Hope soon. We pray for the good Lord to allow it to happen.

Congratulations Direk Ray and the beautiful cast of Wanted: Border, from the button of our hearts!

F.A.R.M.'s Tribute to MJ

Make the world a better place. There are ways to get there. Just care enough.

We could fly so high. Our spirits never die. Create a world with no fear. This place could be much brighter than tomorrow. Let's make the world a better place.

F.A.R.M. Sightings (3)

Thank you Sandy for sending this photo. You look awesome and F.A.R.M. is absolutely gorgeous on you!

Like KC who got to wear it first, equally beautiful tita Sandy Arellano is another celebrity F.A.R.M.er!

Now we're suddenly craving for Sandy's pizza!

F.A.R.M. Sightings (2)

It's flattering to know that these famous young celebrities really liked the F.A.R.M. bracelets that they wanted more!

You see, F.A.R.M. gets the extra oomph when worn by beautiful people. Thanks Nadine and Yasmien for the nice little gesture you did for F.A.R.M.!