Sentidokomon

(Published 28th March)

A Filipina based in Larnaca named Jenalyn Calimag, the adjudged winner of Miss Valentine contest held at Zenario Disco pub on 15 February 2009 called up to Tinig Pinoy-Filipino Voice staff and expressed her lamentations over the prize which was supposed to be her reward for winning the contest. In an interview with Jenalyn, she said that contestants (10 Filipinas) were not told what prize they will win. It was only during the contest proper when the host of the program identified as Bong Jusi, announced that “A Trip to Egypt� prize will be awarded to Miss Valentine winner, yet, according to Jenalyn, the details about the said prize were not explained.So on the following days which turned into weeks, Jenalyn being the winner, called the organizers many times to claim her prize. She was told that the prize was then specified as  “A Cruise to Egypt� costing 120 euros. She asked the number of days for the cruise but no definite answer was given to her. Eventually, she was told that from the 120 euros cost of “A Cruise to Egypt� prize, the organizers deducted from it the cost of the 78 pieces of pictures which was pegged at one euro per copy. She said that she was given a “discount� of 18 euros so it was only 60 euros that was taken for the pictures plus another deduction for the video which costs 15 euros, a total of  75 euros all, hence from the 120 euros cost of her supposed “A Cruise to Egypt� prize, it  was reduced to 45 euros only. However, Jenalyn explained further in her statement that before the contest, one of the organizers named Magdalena took 40 euros from her which was said to pay a hired hairstylist. Since there was no fixing of hair by a hired hairstylist was done, Magdalena “returned� the 40 euros to Jenalyn. What confused her, she stated, was that, the 40 euros which was her own money taken supposedly for the hairstylist, was included in the mere 45 euros which she received as her prize. “Meaning, if you really make a proper accounting on it, it seemed that I won just 5 euros plus the pictures and the video! What a joke!� Jenalyn lamented.On 25^th March 2009, Jenalyn called Tinig Pinoy Staff Ester Beatty and said that if Magdalena has some decency left, she should give back the 40 euros personal money taken from her intended for the hairstylist but was not used as she already had her hair done in Larnaca before proceeding to Nicosia to compete with nine other Ms. Valentine hopefuls. In her report, Jenalyn further stated that Magdalena is yakking her because she does not want Tinig Pinoy to publish this story. Meanwhile, the first runner up reportedly received a cash prize of 100 euros while the second runner up got 25 euros. The other seven non-winner contestants received 20 euros each as consolation prize. Tinig Pinoy tried to get the side of the organizers and was able to interview Jane, a.k.a Inday,  who said that the supposed prize (Trip to Egypt) was promised by a donor who, during the program, allegedly “volunteered� to give the said prize to the winner. Tinig Pinoy likewise talked to the named “donor� who vehemently denied that he “volunteered� as Inday claimed he did, and said that the organizers solicited from him the first prize which was later specified as a Trip to Egypt, right there on the spot, during the contest, and so he agreed, with the promise that he will talk or send a letter to one of the travel agencies in Nicosia to grant it. Up to this writing, none is being heard about such promise.By the way, in the process of knowing the truth, the Tinig Pinoy staff who called the people involved were being threatened should this story will be printed, hence all calls and conversations were being recorded. “ It is my sincere request to Tinig Pinoy staff to publish this story so the people will know how I felt cheated by the organizers of said beauty contest!� Jenalyn blurted out. Indeed, Jenalyn Calimag’s smile turned into a frown shortly after winning the Ms. Valentine contest held at Zenario Disco Pub on 15 March 2009 due to non-delivery of a supposed “A Cruise to Egypt� prize. She ended to have received only a mere 5 euros cash.