I was a judge at Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel’s Bikini Open 2008!

Although quite belatedly, am posting here the pictures which my partner took of the Bikini Open 2008 held last April 19, 2008 at the Dolores Tropicana Resort Hotel, a subsidiary of the RD Group at Barangay Tambler, here in Gen. Santos City.

I would have loved to take shots myself of the 16 or so candidates while doing their thing but I had my hands full as the Chairman of the Board of Judges that evening. The competition was divided into three parts but surprisingly, the criteria were the same for all the categories. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do and so I just sat back, started to diligently perform my job and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Still, for a bikini affair (at the beach at that), I found the pacing of the whole thing sooooo slow that it was difficult trying to keep myself awake at times. The concept however, by director Al-nezzar Ali was something not to be sneezed at and maybe with a more conscious effort to speed up stagings of events like this and some tweaks here or there, he will definitely soon turn out to be Socsksargen’s most acclaimed director.

There were no exceptional standouts from among the male candidates this year and most were lanky, had underdeveloped bods and lacked the prerequisite hunk factor. They looked like little boys standing side by side last year’s Bikini Hunk Winner.

But the girls were another thing though. Anybody could be a runaway winner among them at first glance and am sure, just like myself, the other judges had a hard time choosing the sexiest from among this batch.

Eventually, we all unanimously agreed that this year’s 2008 Bikini Babe had to be Ms. Joy Gumanay who had the best physical attributes, spunk and winningest personality among them. The Bikini Hunk 2008 Title went to Jolo Garcia of Davao, he who had a strong stage presence and was the tallest.

Now the photos (click on each one for a larger view please)….

Below are Bikini Babe and Hunk 3rd Runners-up Aeza Faeldona and Michael Roda.

Next are Bikini Babe and Hunk 2nd Runners-up Winners Marissa Laura Ramos and Michael Jabiles.

1st Runners-up Bikini Babe and Hunk Leah Avelino and Wilson Bernasor below…

The 2008 Bikini Hunk Jolo Garcia and Bikini Babe Joy Gumanay!!!

The 2008 Bikini Hunk & Babe with their court below.

Thanks to RD Hotels VP Tata Mondido for the invitation and her staff for warm welcome they afforded me and my posse that evening. I was with Tata during the 1st incarnation of this competition 8 years ago (as a member of NBC’s Anna 97.5‘s event team) and I must say, their Bikini Open which started with just a small budget and minimal fanfare has now grown into the summer institution that it is right now, eagerly awaited and anticipated all across Socsksargen.