MWP 2012 Notes: Contestant #18 Rufaida Babudin
Rufaida Babudin at the Final Screening of Miss World Philippines 2012
RUFAIDA BABUDIN’S WINNING ASSET: Dark Beauty from the Tribes
I first came across Rufaida Babudin at the Miss Lions Clubs International 2012 beauty pageant where she won the Lions Mutya title giving her the right to compete in the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant. But why are we seeing her in the Miss World Philippines? Because MWP Head Cory Quirino, who was one of the judges in the Lions beauty pageant personally invited Rufaida Babudin to join.
The biggest attraction of this girl is that she is a beautiful Molbog tribe woman from Palawan. A rare find, I must say. On her info sheet in Miss World Philippines she describes her father as a tribe farmer and her mother, a tribe housewife. Rufaida Babudin speaks only Bisaya and Molbog but I hear that she is quickly learning how to converse with other contestants in Pilipino. Nope, she reportedly doesn’t speak a stitch of English. And yes, if she wins MWP 2012, pageant organizers will make sure she has a translator.
A bit of history on the Molbog Tribe: they are primarily a Muslim minority living mostly on Balabac Island. Livelihood is mainly farming, fishing and barter trading. It is interesting to note that in her MWP file, Rufaida Babudin says her hobbies include, “pag-akyat ng puno, pagtanim ng palay at mais at manghuli ng isda.” (climbing trees, planting rice and corn and catching fish.) If this was Survivor, Rufaida Babudin would SURELY win!
But seriously, I have a heart for this girl; after the Lion’s Clubs pageant, I saw her backstage crying while two other contestants were patting her back. I asked what was wrong and the two girls informed me that Rufaida Babudin was so overwhelmed because the prize money she won meant she could continue her education. She is currently a graduate of Balabac National High School with dreams of finishing college and helping her Tribe through educational programs.
Rufaida Babudin at the Press Presenation of Miss World Philippines 2012 in Manila Hotel
Rufaida Babudin wins Miss Lions Clubs International Mutya 2012
Rufaida hindi ka man nanalo bilang Miss World Phil.2012.Panalo ka naman sa puso ng marami dahil kung sa ginto ikaw ay puro o lantay na ginto walang halo ni katiting. Hangad ko o namin ang iyong tagumpay sa hinaharap…Pagpalain ka…
Salamat Ted, kahanga-hanga nga talaga si Rufaida!
wish ko lang FB page brought me here. Nakakatuwa naman si Rufaida Babudin. Sana mas marami pang katulad nyang sumali sa mga ganitong beauty pageants. Yan ang tunay na kagandahan. Hindi yung nababalutan ang mga palamuti o magagandang damit lang.
Thanks for visiting my blog
amazing talaga si Rufaida! God bless 
It’s like Venus Raj’s competed on Bb.Pilipinas’10,(Venus R.with distinctive charm), two years after her first attempt in a nat’l.beauty pageant via Ms.Earth-Phils. and hailed as Ms.Phils.-Eco Tourism’08 and the rest was history
Hello ulit Ma’am Joyce..Yung M.W.P.candidate#2 na si Vanessa Amman of Cebu City na napansin naming mag-Cousins habang nanood sa t.v., kakaiba ang aura ni Vanessa Amman at may tsansa rin sa future national pageants, I guess…:)
yes she won many special awards! kakaibang aura nga…
You’re welcome Ma’am Joyce and Thank you po…Yup, may tsansa si Miss Rufaida Babudin pag sasali sa future national pageant(s) just like Gwendoline & Queenierich both from Bb.Pilipinas 2010 & 2011 Semi-finalists respectively and also Mary Jean Lastimosa may tsansa din sa next pageantries..Hello Ma’am, sana po ma add nyo na po ako sa inyong FB.Thanks a lot. God bless you Ma’am Joyce and your Family.
Good morning Ma’am Joyce! Rufaida Babudin has a husky voice and one of two M.W.P.official candidates speak in Tagalog.Kung nanalo siya, it will be the first time my translator na ang ating pambato sa pandaigdigang patimpalak sa kagandahan…I watched the live final night over TV5 (Channel 2 dito sa Lungsod ng Dabaw)..When Sir Eduardo Manzano asked the audience, ang kauna-unahang natanong nya ay taga Mati, Davao Oriental, bestfriend pala ni Rufaida (I wonder if Rufaida’s bestfriend might joined M.W.P.’12 but not included sa Final Top 25, I guess…Magaganda talaga ang mga prinsesa sa Mandaya tribe ng Davao Oriental at may sumali noong 2004 Mutya ng Pilipinas via ABC5 (na naging TV5) at kauna-unahang Beauty Queen teleserye at pasok siya sa Top 15 Semi-Finalist.Ang natural national pageant ay may mga Coaches kagaya ng 1973 Miss World 1st runner-up-turned-Actress na si Ma’am Evangeline Pascual…Si Jeddah Hernandez ang nanalo sa patimpalak na nagkakahalaga ng isang milyon and represented sa ating bansa sa Miss Asia Pacific-Int’l.’05 na ang Chairwoman sa Panel of Judges ang pangalawang Filipina naging Miss Universe noong 1973 nanggaling sa Rosales, Pangasinan at apo sa dating Pangulo ng Pilipinas na si Sir Manuel Roxas at Davao businesswoman na si Ma’am Maria Margarita Roxas Moran-Floirendo). Si Jeddah, nanalo ng Best in Long Gown at 4th runner-up sa Ms.Asia Pacific-Int’l.’05 held in China na pinalunan ng Costa Rican beauty pero hindi nagtagal nagresigned at sumali sa Miss World’05 pero hindi nakuha ang Semi-Final Round pero si Carlene Ang Aguilar,ang isa sa tatlong Asian Beauties aside sa India at Korea ang iilan sa pumasok sa Semi-final round ng Ms.World’05 pero ang taga Iceland ang nanalo bilang Ms.World…)
thanks Ronron, kakaiba talaga si Rufaida Babudin! sana sumali uli siya sa mwp two years from now…
Rufaida Babudin says her hobbies include, “pag-akyat ng puno, pagtanim ng palay at mais at manghuli ng isda.” (climbing trees, planting rice and corn and catching fish.) If this was Survivor, Rufaida Babudin would SURELY win!
Rufaida Babudin is Love!
and we love her!
I think it’s refreshing o see girls like Rufaida compete at a national level and I give Cory Quirino credit for that. Typically, girls who don’t speak English or Tagalog are automatically shut out from competing nationally. I hope Rufaida’s example will open more doors, and minds, as well.
Minds should have been opened decades ago when we first discovered the Tasaday Tribe (which turned out to be a hoax, LOL!) But truly, Thank God for Cory Quirino – the first MWP might not have been a WOW presentation – many complained about the show. But no one complained about the CONTESTANTS! Because when it comes to choosing beauties, Cory has the gift. AND she is not kuripot – the cash prize is seriously big and even the designers get cash prizes!
And Cory Quirino knows how to draw people to her and to her causes. She literally had only a couple of months to pool her candidates for this year’s pageant and I’m very impressed with the caliber of the final 25 she’s selected. She is quite something.
very correct!!!!!