92. 1974 MISS UNIVERSE ARUBA and SWEDEN, as Print Ad Models

THE TWO WHO STAYED. Ava Vieira and Roempke were two Miss Universe Beauties who found
love in the Philippines, and enjoyed short careers in the advertising and showbiz industry.

As the present Miss Universe mania continues to grip the country, we look back at  the very first time that the most prestigious pageant in the world was held in the Philippines-also the first time in Asia-- 43 years ago, thanks to the victory of Margie Moran. By a curious twist of faith, a Filipina crowned Amparo Muñoz, a daughter of Spain, the country's former colonizer.

But there were other delegates that made lasting impressions on Filipinos—one, was the petite and popular Miss Aruba, Maureen Ava Vieira (adjudged fifth in the contest ) and the blond 19 year-old, Spanish-speaking  Swedish beauty, Eva Christine Roempke. In fact, the two would similar destinies---they would win the hearts of two scions of affluent Filipino families, and would get married within the year--Ava Vieira to Philip Ysmael, Roempke to Marcos Prieto Roces. In the short time that they resided in the Philippines, Ava Vieira and Roempke did a bit of commercial modeling; the former forayed into movies as well.

BARBIZON AD, with Ava Vieira. 1974.

Ava Vieira showed off her curves in BARBIZON ads, that featured a line of brassieres, girdles and panties, distributed by Bonito Enterprises in Divisoria. From 1974-75, BARBIZON stuck to this format, using beauty queens that included Ava Vieira from the Miss Universe Contest, and winners of Miss Asia Quest, as signature models.  This is the only known ad that Ava Vieira appeared in.

MAGNOLIA YOGHOURT AD, with Eva Roempke, 1975.

MAGNOLIA YOGHOURT, on the other hand,  featured the lithe and slim Roempke  in bigger testimonial ads that saw print in select women’s magazines. The previous year had Miss Universe Margie Moran endorsing the same product.

Unfortunately, the marriages of Ava Vieira and Roempke proved to be short-lived. These two ads—one for BARBIZON intimate apparel for Ava Vieira and MAGNOLIA YOGHOURT for Roempke—are  the only surviving reminders of their brief modelling career here in the Philippines. The products, on the other had, are still very much around.

PHOTO SOURCES:
2016 photo of M. Ava Vieira: Marcos Hirakawa FB photo post
2016 photo of E. Roempke: Townee Paat, E.C. Roempke-Stefan FB page.