LAST week I tuned in to Louie Castro's programme, How Are You Today? During the programme, on 104 FM Select, he talked about the Miss Asia Pacific pageant which was held in the Philippines, saying that the amount of money won by the winner was too little. Mr Castro, although the prize money on offer was considerably less than for the Miss Universe beauty pageant, that did not deter contestants from participating in the contest. Poor as my beloved country is, it also offers a lot of wonderful things, like the politeness and hospitality of the people - something money can't buy. The prestige and honour my country has garnered through various beauty pageants far outweighs the monetary considerations. Does Mr Castro always weigh everything in terms of 'how much' - perhaps this attitude illustrates why so few women from Hong Kong have won international beauty competitions. ELISSE TOLENTINO Tuen Mun
