Love, trust and respect are the key factors that make a marriage last
according to Miss Philippines- International 1962, Cynthia Ugalde Tan. The
former beauty queen/ actress and her husband, Dr. Oscar Pelaez Tan, renewed
their wedding vows at the Manila Cathedral last December 23 several days
after they celebrated their Ruby wedding anniversary.
In an intimate ceremony, the couple shared this blissful moment with close
friends and relatives. Wearing a beautiful red wedding gown, Cynthia still
exuded the charm that catapulted her into the limelight.
During a photo session outside the church, we overheard several spectators
silently arguing that the bride was either a former beauty queen or an
actress. A baby boomer among the spectators recognised Cynthia and told her
fellow spectators that she is a fan of the former beauty queen/ actress
during th 60’s.
It is interesting to note that Cynthia is one of the first national
titleholders who ventured into showbusiness. After winning a string of
beauty titles (Miss Philippine Airforce 1957, Miss Education 1960 in UST,
and the 1961 Miss Press Photography of the Philippines ) she was chosen as
the Philippine representative to the 1962 Miss International pageant in Long
Beach, California and went on to become the first Filipina to win a
photogenic citation (she was 4th runner up in the miss photogenic round) in
any international beauty pageant. Australia’s Tania Verstak won most
photogenic and eventually bagged the crown.
She was introduced in the film “Reynang Nakabakya” opposite the late Nestor
de Villa. After several movies she married Dr. Tan on December 17, 1965 and
moved to the US after two years. Their eldest child, Camille, was born in
1970 and the youngest, Omar, was born in 1978. Cynthia studied in the New
York School of Interior Design and John Robert Powers in Manhattan to
broaden her knowledge. The couple returned to Manila mid 2004 to settle here
for good.
PRIDE & PULCHRITUDE 