MANILA, Philippines—Binibining Pilipinas Jennifer Barrientos is currently in Vietnam for the 57th annual Miss Universe beauty pageant, confident she’ll bring home the crown on July 14.

“I know I will win,” Barrientos told members of the press during her send-off party at the posh Mandarin Oriental Suites at the Gateway Mall in Quezon City.

The 5-foot-8 University of Sto. Tomas Tourism graduate declared she still possessed the same confidence that helped make her Bb. Pilipinas victory possible.

Barrientos, 22, stole the show from heavy favorites in the local pageant last March, winning the coveted title even if she had not won any special awards.

Pre-pageant favorite Danielle Castaño, who bagged the lion’s share of awards, finished second.

Unperturbed

There are also early favorites in the Miss Universe contest, with Latin American candidates who trained months ahead of Barrientos topping pre-pageant polls.

But Barrientos said she remained unperturbed, as she had made the necessary preparations.

She was not sent to Colombia for beauty pageant workshops like her predecessors. But she had hair and makeup sessions with David’s Salon, foreign language training with Berlitz, personality development courses with Dale Carnegie, and dance lessons with Powerdance artistic director Douglas Nierras. The German ambassador’s Vietnamese wife taught Barrientos how to converse with the locals in Vietnam.

And her preparations still included a Colombia-patterned training designed for international tilts.

Binibining Pilipinas Karen Agustin, who trained in Colombia for the 2002 Miss Universe, gave Barrientos a sample of “Pasarela” or catwalk lessons. Colombia-trained queens Lia Andrea Ramos and Gionna Cabrera, Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman and Binibining Pilipinas-International Nadia Lee Cien Shami also shared tips.