Miss Philippines Ma. Venus Raj proudly shows off her passport which was processed and issued at the new Department of Foreign Affairs consular building in Parañaque City. (Photo by KJ ROSALES)

It’s all systems go for Ma. Venus Raj, the country’s representative to the 2010 Miss Universe beauty pageant in USA, after she finally got her passport from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Consular Office in Parañaque City Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m so happy and excited! Finally, tuloy na tuloy na ang pag-sali ko sa Miss Universe,’’ Raj said in an exclusive telephone interview moments before she went to the DFA. (“Finally, I’ll be joining the Miss Universe contest.”)

The 59th Miss Universe beauty contest will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on August 23, 2010.

Raj, 21, said she was sleeping when her lawyer, Atty. Gigi Berberabe-Martinez, called her up at about 9:30 a.m. and told her to fix herself because they were going to the DFA to get her passport. The passport was supposed to be issued at noon but she arrived at the DFA office at 12:30 p.m.

Obtaining the passport was the condition the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) presented so the dethroned beauty queen can be reinstated as the reigning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe.

The Bicolana beauty was stripped of her crown when the BPCI said in a statement last March 29 that they discovered inconsistencies contained in her birth records, in contrast to her personal account of her birth.

Later, second runner-up Nicolette Henson was announced as the country’s representative to the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. But on April 10, the BCPI said that Raj can be reinstated “for humanitarian reasons” if she can get a Philippine passport.

Raj said that she will do everything and discipline herself in the training for the competition.

The people at the BPCI were the first people who congratulated her when she said that she will finally get a passport. “We are happy for her! We couldn’t be happier!’’ said Genny Marcial, corporate public relations officer of the Araneta Group of Companies in an interview.

Raj said that all is well that ends well for her and the Bb. Pilipinas. She said that while waiting for her passport, she and the other reigning beauties attend classes and seminars on beauty, modelling, language, and poise sponsored by the BPCI. A month before the contest, she will undergo trainings abroad.

“I’ve gone to a lot of troubles and tears when I was dethroned because allegedly on inconsistencies of my birth certificate and my citizenship,’’ Raj said.

She said that she has already surpassed all the troubles she has gone through.

But observers expressed apprehensions that Raj may experience difficulties with the Miss Universe organizations abroad due to the problems she encountered in the country.

Raj said: “Palagay ko po wala na sigurong problema pagdating sa Miss Universe organization kasi na-settle na lahat dito sa Pilipinas.’’ (“I think we will not have any problems with the Miss Universe organization because the issue has been settled here.”)

She also said that she has seen the other contestants in the Internet for this year’s pageant. “Okay naman sila.’’ (They’re OK).

Raj added that the issue was a blessing in disguise in terms of media mileage among candidates for the Miss Universe pageant.

If she wins the 2010 Miss Universe contest, Raj will be the third winner from the Philippines. The previous winners were Gloria Diaz (1969) and Margie Moran (1973).

But for 10 years now, the country has not been lucky to have a place in the most prestigious beauty contest.

The last time the Philippines entered the semi-finals was in 1999 when Miriam Quiambao was named first-runner up.