Profile
Birth name Maria Venus Bayonito Raj
Birth date July 7, 1988
Birth place Doha, Qatar
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Measurements 35-22-35
Hair color Black
Eye color Brown
Title(s) Miss Philippines Eco Tourism 2008
Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010
Major competition(s) Miss Philippines Earth 2008
Miss Universe 2010 (Fourth Runner-Up)
Maria Venus Bayonito Raj is a Filipina beauty queen. She was crowned Binibining Pilipinas(Miss Philippines)-Universe on March 6, 2010 during the pageant's Grand Coronation Night at the Araneta Coliseum. She represented the Philippines in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, and placed fourth runner-up to Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.
Maria Venus Raj was born to an Indian father and a Filipina mother. Raj was taken by her mother to Bato, Camarines Sur in Bicol Region, Philippines as an infant and was registered by an aunt as a Philippine-born child to Roman Catholic parents. Raj grew up with her mother, a former tenant farmer and dressmaker who brought Maria Venus Raj up as a child.
Raj lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bamboo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural Bato town for more than twenty years. She allegedly used rice paddy dikes for her early training where she eventually developed her distinct catwalk.
The youngest among five children, Maria Venus Raj started joining local beauty pageants. She also joined oratorical contests at San Vicente High School where her English teacher served as her coach. With her victories in major contests, Venus Raj had started to buy land on installment basis for her mother as a means of improving their livelihood.
Raj obtained her Diploma in Communications Arts, major in Journalism, at Bicol University in Albay, with Latin honors (Cum Laude). She graduated through the scholarship that she received from the Francis Papica Foundation. Back in the Philippines, she works as an Information Assistant for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region V. In addition to this, she also works as a part-time fashion model in her native Bicol and Manila.
Following her victory as Miss Bicolandia ref name="dreamfighter"/> Raj represented Legazpi City and competed in the Miss Philippines-Earth 2008, and was named as Miss Philippines Earth Eco Tourism 2008, and fourth runner-up to eventual Miss Earth 2008 winner Karla Henry on May 11, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria, Manila.
Binibining Pilipinas-Universe
After joining Miss Philippines-Earth in 2008, Raj took a break from beauty contests and worked as an Information Assistant at the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. In 2010, Raj screened for the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant and made it to the official list of candidates. On March 6, 2010, she was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe during the pageant's Grand Coronation Night at the Araneta Coliseum. She won the right to represent the Philippines in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. She also won the special awards Best in Long Gown, Best in Philippine Terno, and was a co-winner for Miss Friendship - a rare feat for a major title winner.
Career
Prior and post-Miss Universe, Raj guested on multiple networks as guests. On January 14, 2011, Raj signed up an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN, including the airing rights of the Binibining Pilipinas for at least five years.
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