MANILA, Philippines?Why does the Mandalay Bay Events Center smell of ?adobo?? Because so many Filipinos have turned up to watch Bb. Pilipinas Venus Raj make her final bid for the Miss Universe 2010 title on Tuesday.

And that?s a giddy Pinoy reporting one of the best-selling jokes from the pageant venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Members of the huge Filipino contingent that cheered Venus during the preliminary contest on Thursday have been buoyed by her top ranking in Miss U watch polls.

Expect them to be waving Philippine flags whenever they can throughout the show. A delegation from Raj?s hometown, Bato, Camarines Sur, led by Mayor Jeanette Bernaldez, brought most of the flags.

Apart from Raj?s dusky good looks and regal bearing, her focus and steely determination are proving to be strong factors in her favor.

Why, she even won a chicken wing-eating contest at the Diablo?s Cantina in Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on Aug. 15, finishing a plateful!

Mentally prepared

Yari Paris, a Los Angeles-based Filipino-American beauty pageant expert, told the Inquirer that polls conducted by at least five leading beauty derby websites, including globalbeauties.com, placed Raj in the top five contenders.

Pointing out that these websites are not run by Filipinos, Paris added: ?One more thing going for Venus is that she?s mentally prepared to compete and do well.?

The reigning Miss Universe, Venezuela?s Stefania Fernandez, has been quoted as saying it was clear in her mind who the most likely winner was out of 83 contenders from six continents.

She wouldn?t divulge her choice, but this year?s Miss Venezuela is ranked by pageant fans as being in the top 5, several slots down from Venus.

Paris said the Filipino support for Raj was the strongest he had seen in all his years as a Miss U aficionado. Raj got the loudest cheers in the Thursday preliminaries.

Even online betting sites, from Nevada to the United Kingdom, have listed Miss Philippines among the favorites to win the title, which has eluded the country since Margie Moran Floirendo won in 1973. Gloria Diaz, who took the crown in 1969, has also expressed optimism about Raj?s chances. One sports book put Raj?s chances at 5-1; another, at 6-1.

Impressive showing

An early stunner, Raj gained momentum with her impressive showing on Thursday, dazzling spectators?fans and new admirers alike?in the swimsuit and evening gown segments.

Maxi Tone, also known as Antonio Guino Maxino, a Fil-Am makeup artist to Hollywood celebrities, watched Raj compete in the event that determined the 15 semifinalists to be announced during Tuesday?s show.

His observation: ?There are a lot of beautiful candidates [this year] but they didn?t shine onstage. Venus outshone most of them. She stood out because of the color of her skin, her height, her pleasant disposition, which few of the girls seemed to have. Best of all, she came across as intelligent and humble.?

Like Paris and Tone, Venus? supporters often cited her humble background among the reasons that they had gone all out to cheer for her.

These Filipinos explained that, when they learned of the Bicol native?s modest means?especially when she was briefly dethroned due to questions about her birth history?she won their loyalty. Many of them brought gifts of clothes and financial assistance for Bb. Pilipinas.

Tone offered his makeup services for free when Venus spent a few days in Los Angeles before proceeding to Las Vegas. She was one of six contenders picked by the organizers to promote the contest in LA.

Pageant watchers believed this was proof of her good standing. She also appeared prominently in video clips released to the media.

Mirian Buena, Raj?s aunt who resides in Kansas City, may be the only relative who will watch Tuesday?s pageant.

Chicken feed

Buena was reportedly amused that Venus had won the chicken wing-eating contest, and told a journalist that, as a little girl, her niece was very good at catching live chickens to be cooked for the family meal.

Buena also recalled how the young Venus had practiced her ?beauty queen walk? on rice paddies. The girl grew up to be a beauty with brains, graduating cum laude from Bicol University, and a heart in the right place.

Venus always said she was proud of her provincial upbringing, and posed for snapshots beside the nipa hut that she called home.

A sad note amid Venus? strong showing was the sudden death of her close friend, Binibining Pilipinas International 2009 Melody Gersbach, in a car accident.

Gersbach, who also hailed from Bicol, was among those who encouraged Venus to join the Binibining Pilipinas tilt and then helped prepare her for Miss Universe. An interview in which Venus was asked to comment on Gersbach?s death was reportedly halted when she became emotional.

Observers believe the tragedy would push the Philippine candidate even more to win the crown and scepter on Tuesday.

The program, hosted by rocker Bret Michaels and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales, airs live on NBC (which co-owns the pageant with Donald Trump) and Telemundo, and will be distributed in some 190 countries and territories.

In Manila, the pageant airs live on Star World starting at 9 a.m., and on ABS-CBN starting at 9:30 a.m. With a report from the Associated Press