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Two days away from the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 finals, all of the contestants were thinking about the upcoming pomp and pageantry showcasing the Philippines’ oldest existing beauty pageant. All but one as contestant number 13 seemed to be jinxed by the number she had donned for days. Instead of thinking the finals night, Sandra Seifert, the ill-fated girl no. 13, was fighting to stay in the pageant up to the point that the wise men of the law were summoned to smooth things out. In the end, Sandra, although a favorite of the pageant observers, was booted out from the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 contest.
The decision by the Bb. Pilipinas organizers sent shockwaves in the world of pageantry. How could they boot out a strong delegate when the country desperately needs an international crown? Already criticized for the poor showing of Philippine delegates at international pageants, Bb. Pilipinas found itself in its lowest point since its inception. The organization was pelted with stones of allegations and arrows of insults. The sphere of issues went beyond Sandra as former Bb. Pilipinas beauty queens revealed their wide-ranging frustrations towards the organization.
  It was a harrowing experience for Sandra. After days of participating in every event, her ultimate goal was suddenly snatched from her. The main reason of her disqualification is her “sexy” photos in the October 2007 issue of the FHM Philippines Magazine. Her photos however was way beyond the definition of being raunchy or daring as the swimsuits were neither shorter nor sexier than the ones used at the Bb. Pilipinas pageant. The dogmatic approach of Bb. Pilipinas Organization in dealing with the issue showed its inexplicable repugnance towards women who posed for FHM. Sandra’s case is not unique in Bb. Pilipinas and the organizers did not even care to counter-argue the accusations being hurled against them!
As one path closed its gate for Sandra another one was thrown wide open. It has been her dream to become a beauty queen and give pride to her country the Philippines. Representing Negros Occidental, Sandra competed at Miss Philippine 2009 contest. She showed an air confidence and she displayed her forte that is, the interview portion. At one point in the pageant, she displayed her clear grasp of the facts. This is after all a pageant where environmental issues are heavily accentuated and brains reign over beauty. At the final Q&A, she clearly aced it. Upon hearing her name as the winner and thereby cementing the fact that she is one of the beauty queens of the country, Sandra clenched her fists, her eyes closed savoring her conquests over her supposed failures. With her success she came out as a humble and open-minded person. According to her she held no ill-feelings against Bb. Pilipinas and revealed in a national TV interview that some of the staff at Bb. Pilipinas organization even gave her a congratulatory message via text. She believes God has a plan for her. Surely, her disqualification at Bb. Pilipinas on the last minute is part of the great divine plan. It is with little doubt that Sandra took the road towards vindication. She did not only prove that she is a beauty queen but also proved that everything happened for a reason. Now that she is the new Miss Philippines, she will embark in a mission to make a difference in the world. After all, part of her reign will be spent in spreading environmental awareness. She can now look towards a better future having no regrets whatsoever of the past.
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After she was booted out from the Bb. Pilipinas, Sandra found that she had far more allies than detractors. She was welcomed with open arms by the rival Miss Philippines pageant. The organizers of the Miss Philippines pageant see nothing wrong on the photos of Sandra published in the FHM Philippines.
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