Precious Lara Quigaman is No. 15 Most Beautiful Filipina

Born on January 3,1983, Precious Lara Quigaman is a model and freelance webpage writer who won the 2005 Miss International beauty pageant held at Tokyo, Japan. She is the fourth Filipina to have won the crown, after Gemma Cruz in 1964, Aurora Pijuan in 1970, and Melanie Marquez in 1979. She was also the Binibining Pilipinas-International title holder for 2005.

Based in Bristol, United Kingdom, she is the eldest among the four children of the late Nelson Quigaman and the former Princesita San Agustin, a registered nurse. She was born in Taguig, Philippines and spent her growing years in Biñan, Laguna and eventually in Bahrain where her father worked. After five years, she returned to Biñan and finished high school at La Consolacion College.Before moving in Baharain she studied for two years at The University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, She attended Filton College where she studied media production and communications. She also took up Bachelor of Arts in childhood and youth studies at Bristol University.

In late 2005, the purported content of her Miss International speech was posted and spread as a miniature Internet phenomenon. The speaker was asked “what do you say to the people of the world who have typecasted Filipinos as nannies?” and upheld the reputation as nannies as being consistent with the loving and caring culture of the Philippines. This has been roundly denied by Precious, who, though admiring the speech, noted that it could not have fit within the time constraints imposed by the contest. Her own speech, in response to the question, “What will you do if you become Miss International 2005?” concerned child education, deviating from her original intention of speaking on terrorism and poverty.

During the media launch of her endorsement of Centrum vitamins, Precious stated that she once had to threaten to step down from her Binibining Pilipinas title rather than endorse an alcoholic beverage to which a BP rep had committed her.

Precious Lara Quigaman is voted no. 15 Most Beautiful Filipina of 2006.