FILCORE CLOSES CHAPTER OF ELEVEN YEAR BEAUTY COMPETITION

THE WINNERS OF FILCORE'S FINALE MISS CAREGIVER COMPETITION

I hate goodbyes. Anything that means "end" is really difficult in my psyche. I remember how closed I was with my mother that a pending departure was always a terrible feeling. So I resort to disappearing to avoid that "moment" when I have to kiss her hands to bid goodbye. I will only tell them where I was in a letter, because by then, Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg was still struggling as a kid.

The Filcore Beauty Pageant Competition has been going on for 11 years. I bet the Organizers went through a lot of difficult times building it. But knowing Judith Gonzales, nothing can stop her and her burning spirit to see it through. Knowing this woman, is knowing what Filcore Beauty Competition is all about. 

Eleven years is a long time and ending it must be one of Judith Gonzales and Filcore's hardest decision to make. I already heard that last July 15th's Caregiver Pageant was the last. I was aware that this event was important, memorable and significant. I wouldn't want to miss a thing on this competition.

Filcore's Caregiver Pageant was not all about glamour. It was founded on noble grounds by donating its proceeds to a specific project each year. It is well documented where and who benefits from this event annually. This is also a platform for development which is akin to its Founder, Judith Gonzales' well- anchored Advocacy to develop women under the Live-In Caregiver Program to re-enter into the mainstream where working under the LCP hugely diminished one's self- esteem. Caregivers are women who bravely leave their homes and loved ones to find a better future. Working in a household; cleaning floors, doing the laundry, preparing meals and rushing at an employer's call, working in a lowly servant's clothing is the ultimate agony of women holding degree diplomas from home. Filcore, under the helm of Judith Gonzales, made sure these women find their true selves again.

These are the things that I am a big supporter of Ms. Judith Gonzales and all her efforts in the community and with Filcore. These are the essence of why we need to stand up for groups of people, institutions, organizations and anything that promotes dignity and transformations of our women in general. And I salute Judith Gonzales, her team and Filcore members who made tremendous sacrifices to make things better for Caregivers in this part of Canada.

So I was seated in the middle row at St. Michael's Centre for the Arts in Bathurst last weekend for the Finale of the Caregivers Pageant. I blog a lot and my experience as a trained Private Investigator and Retail Investigator tremendously helped my craft as a writer. I just don't write inaccurate narratives, I also do research on where I am and what event I will be. I think I am always visible on beauty pageants. But with Filcore, there is that sense of calm where Candidates do not poke each other's elbow when confronted with the word "Crown" because they wanna win it for glory and glamour. I am also a fan of brainy presentations. I need to know how selections are made and who the Judges are, although I don't need to individually mention them here, because then I will be promoting them. It's not my job.

Five judges sat on the long table of where I was. At this closed proximity, you see the whole thing. Besides, I am aware of the criteria that Filcore drafted to ensure a fair and intelligent process in selecting who the winners will be.

The criteria are as follows; Initiatives, Resourcefulness , People Skills, Communication Skills. Filcore also gave out special awards which is really fair. I like the intelligent manner in which they choose the Criteria. It leans on self- development and skills. Sometime before the event, I was also aware that two Candidates were guests only and therefore were not part of the selection process to ensure fairness,  # 1 and # 3. They were there to fill the number of Contestants. Sitting on my spot, the show began without any pronouncement of such. Their participations were arranged to complete the number appropriate for the competition. It wasn't pronounced. I think it was an error. They clearly overlooked the pronouncement.

In any competitions, judges played the role to ensure their judgments are based on the criteria. Audience and fans of the Candidates must also respect the judges decision irregardless of how they pick the winners. How will we do that when we thought our own choice and perspective collides with people in authority of picking the winners? We will go back to the basic question of who the Organizers are, their standing in the community and who they are and then you build your trust that these people will not paint their own faces with dirt for a very decent and noble competition. It doesn't benefit any of them.

I said noble, because an AETA community will be drinking clean water out of this competition. The thing that we need to ask when things started to get muddy is this, "What benefits so and so if she/he does this?"

I hate biases. I hate a clear favouritism from the panel of judges sitting there entrusted to make a fair decision. And trust me that I will cut and dice irregardless of who the Organizers are when I perceived an unfair outcome. But as spectators and supporters of an event, we need to solicit clarity and explanation first before firing that bullet.

And I did this morning satisfactorily and that the winners were deserving winners. The crtieria was fairly implemented. The only thing is, we are humans where error is a part of us. The non- pronouncements of guests candidates was the only reason where biased opinions were formed. Otherwise, it was an awesome and credible competition worthy of pulling the curtain down of Filcore's 11 year old undertaking.

Congratulations to all the Candidates who help a community be provided with clean water as this closing event will build an artificial wheel for an Aeta community.

KUDOS to Judith Gonzales, her Officers and members of Filcore...You will not stop doing what you are doing because we need people like you in the community carrying torches to lighten up the lives of people who are less fortunates than us.

Good luck!!!