Charmer with an eye for beauty

By Fiona Patricia S. Escandor |

JACQUELINE Tan has never joined a pageant in her life. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old entrepreneur deserves a title of her own, a crown, and a spot in the center stage for having brought the oldest pageant in the country, Mutya Ng Pilipinas, back to the limelight.

Since she assumed the pageant’s presidency in 2010, Mutya Ng Pilipinas, the training ground of international Filipina titlists in the past, has lately been making a buzz in the pageant circuit. Last year’s event—only the second staged by Jacqueline—produced Rizzini Gomez, who eventually bagged the Miss Tourism International crown.

Jacqueline has a flair for making things happen and more importantly, in spotting Filipinas who exemplify beauty inside and out. Despite having no background in pageantry, it is certainly not tedious for her, as she herself resonate the very traits she looks for: brilliant and hardworking, and charm that goes beyond the physique.

Her many scepters

The epitome of a modern and cosmopolitan working woman, Jacqueline carries a handful of roles with her varying ventures. Aside from the pageant, she manages the Sheridan chain of resorts and her dad’s financing biz, First Standard. She is also one of the partners of Formo Restaurant & Lounge.

True enough, not a week goes by that Jacqueline isn’t traveling to other cities, visiting their businesses. “Mondays and Tuesdays are my busiest because that’s when we have our meetings. Then on Wednesdays, I fly out,” she shared.

Sheridan alone has properties in Palawan, Boracay and Iloilo, and that’s not counting the 40 branches of their financing company. Although busy as she may be, she always makes it a point to be back in Cebu by the weekend to be with family and friends, and for a much deserved downtime.

Taking inspiration from her dad who is a self-made man, Jacqueline started working in her college years, when in between classes, instead of whiling away in the mall, she would dash off to her dad’s office to help out and, in the process, learn.

Learning curves

Jacqueline finished with a double degree in accountancy and management from the University of San Carlos. She managed one branch of their financing biz shortly after graduation, and a year later, all were turned over to her.

“Never stop learning, that’s my mantra,” she said. “Even when you get to the top, it’s very important to be humble and continue learning. You can never have enough knowledge, and there’s continuous learning in everything that’s happening.”

Her entry to the world of pageantry for example. With no background whatsoever, Jacqueline got thrown into the whirlwind of show biz, couture dresses and catwalks—and managed to make something out of it successfully.

“From financing, which was more on math and numbers, I went in Mutya, which had me dealing with TV production and so many types of people, some of them politicians and high-profile businessmen. I would say that that exposure really helped me mature,” she said.

The youngest and the first woman to ever hold the presidency, Jacqueline said that she’s certainly gone far from the first time she handled Mutya, and as always, is on the lookout for ways in making it better. Her target for next year is to reach more regions for the audition. It is a practice that is not usually done by nationwide pageants.

“I want to give every lady an opportunity to be part of it. Not only does it help them grow, but they also get a chance to expand their network. I think the Mutya Ng Pilipinas is something that they can mold their future with,” she said.

Jacqueline’s time

On her free time, Jacqueline said she spends it doing one of her passions, diving. She has been a licensed diver for over eight years, and has been into underwater photography for almost seven. Her favorite dive spots are Balicasag in Bohol and Tubbataha in Palawan, and of course, Mactan, where she usually is during the weekends.

“Mactan is my go-to dive spot,” she said. “There are so many beautiful dive spots there and it’s so near the city!”

Venturing in to the hospitality industry — also a first for Jacqueline and her family — was actually driven by their love for nature and traveling. The first Sheridan property was opened in July of 2011 in Puerto Princessa, and is a 20-minute boat ride away from one of their favorite sites, the underground river.

Although industries apart, Jacqueline’s two new ventures go hand in hand, as the main thrust of Mutya Ng Pilipinas is promoting beauty tourism. And with a simple reply that’s just as worthy of a crown and applause — she said, “I love the Philippines, I love the beauty of it and this is my way of helping the economy and tourism.”