MISS Earth 2019, the highly anticipated beauty and environmental event of the year, kicked off with a bouquet of 85 fresh faces at the press presentation last week at Diamond Hotel.

Representing their national flowers, the 85 environment-savvy delegates introduced themselves and their chosen advocacies to members of media in casual attire. Later, they carried placards with environmental messages, handed tree saplings to the invitees, and had their poolside photo taken while wearing their official swimsuits by Ricky Abad.

“Their striking physical attributes already make them a standout. And once you hear them speak their minds, they become even more attractive,” observed Lorraine Schuck, executive vice president of Carousel Productions that have been staging Miss Earth annually since 2001. “They’re like flowers about to bloom,” she added, referring to the floral theme of the pageant’s 19th edition.

Miss Earth indeed is celebrating the flowers of the world, the symbols of beauty, purity and joy. As each delegate showcases her national flower, she brings with it a positive vibe and message that nature can bloom once again if people would do their part to protect it.

More significantly, Miss Earth 2019 also promotes the #MEandmytreecampaign in light of the alarming natural calamities, particularly the burning of the rainforests of Borneo, Africa and the Amazon, considered as the lungs of the Earth. Miss Earth and its delegates encourage people around the world to plant a tree within their surroundings to help alleviate the effects of these unfortunate incidents.

The Philippines’ delegate is Janelle Lazo Tee, a Davao-born TV host who is representing the sampaguita, our national flower.

One of the favorites to win succeed Vietnam’s Phuong Khanh, Janelle is aiming to be the fifth Pinay to win the tilt, along with other strong contenders, among them, Misses Puerto Rico, Colombia, India, USA and Ghana.

The 2-hour coronation pageant will be held at Cove Manila Okada on October 26, beginning at 4 p.m. to dramatically capture nature’s best pose yet – the world-famous Manila Bay sunset, telecast live on FoxLife, with a delayed local airing on October 27 on ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best.

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The 8th Mrs. Philippines, now spearheaded by its president Dr. Mildred Vitangcol and national director Carla Cabrera, will select its winners for the forthcoming Mrs. Globe (for married women and single mothers 23-43 years old) and Mrs Globe Classique (for married women 44-55 years old), to be held in Shenzhen, China in November and California, USA next year, respectively.

“The pageant celebrates beauty through their life stories, charitable acts, achievements and career, but more importantly, it promotes and supports the admirable strength of mothers and wives by giving them a chance to reinvent and unleash their greater versions, and to communicate the deeper strength of every woman,” according to Dr. Vitangcol.

This year, the tilt also added new activities like the national costume parade, and the improved empowerment sessions in order to embrace the “Empowerment is S.E.X.Y” guidelines by Mrs Globe owner and book author Dr. Tracy Kemble.

Twenty-five women from all over the country are vying for the coveted crowns at the coronation night on October 13 at 7 p.m. at Marquis Events Place, BGC, Taguig City.

The pageant is exclusively produced by MVVMCC International Co.

BINIBINING Pilipinas titlists Leren Mae Magnaye Bautista and Samantha Ashley Villar Lo will be the first queens of the premier beauty pageant to embark on their international pageant journeys this October.

Bautista, 26, from Los Baños, Laguna, will vie for the 48th Miss Globe finals to be held at Holiday Village Montenegro Amphitheater, Ulcinj, Montenegro on October 20.

Leren, who is a BS Marketing Management graduate of Colegio De San Juan De Letran Calamba, is vying for the same crown that has been won by fellow Binibini titlists Ann Lorraine Colis in 2015 and Maricar Balagtas in 2001.

Leren is also gunning for her second international crown after winning as Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International in Malaysia in 2015.

Lo, 26, from Cebu City, will compete at the 7th Miss Grand International to be held at the Poliedro in Caracas, Venezuela on October 25.

Born and raised in Lake Mary, Florida to a Filipino-Chinese father and Cuban-Nicaraguan mother, Sam, who is a nursing student and ESL instructor in Cebu, will aim to become the first Pinay to win in the tilt that has seen 4 runner-up finishes by Pinay beauties namely: Ali Forbes (3rd runner-up 2013), Parul Shah (3rd runner-up 2015), Nicole Cordoves (1st runner- up 2016) and Elizabeth Clenci (2nd runner-up 2017).

Seeing off Leren and Sam and giving them their best wishes at the despedida party at Novotel Hotel at Araneta City were their fellow Binibini titlists Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados, Bb. Pilipinas International Patricia Magtanong, Bb. Pilipinas

Intercontinental Emma Tiglao, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Resham Hameed and runners-up Aya Abesamis and Samantha Bernardo, as well as representatives of the Bb. Pilipinas Executive Committee and members of media.

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Two homegrown international pageants, Miss Asia Pacific International and Miss Earth, are concurrently being held in Manila to select their new queens on October 9 and 26, respectively.

Miss Asia Pacific International presented its 55 delegates worldwide at the press presentation at Marriott Hotel last Tuesday while Miss Earth, now on its 19th year, introduced its 85 contestants from around the world at Diamond Hotel last Wednesday.
We will have an extensive report on these global tilts in next issues.

CYRILLE Dominguez Payumo, 22, from Porac, Pampanga is the new Mutya Pilipinas Tourism International 2019.

Cyrille is a BS Tourism Management graduate of Holy Angel University in Angeles City, Pampanga and was originally elected as the first runner-up at the 51st Mutya Pilipinas Pageant. The erstwhile Mutya for Miss Tourism International Tyra Rae Florito Goldman, who represented the Filipino community of Nevada, USA, was disallowed to compete by the Miss Tourism International Organization headed by Chinese-Malaysian impresario Datum Danny Ooi in Malaysia because of her dual citizenship, which violates their new rules that the delegate to be sent must be “naturally-born in the country the candidate represents and no-dual citizenship.”

“However, so as not to deprive Ms. Goldman of her opportunity to compete, we are presently studying possible options for her in other respectable international competitions.

She is a gem of a beauty queen who can proudly and ably represent the Philippines,” stressed Mutya Pilipinas president Cory Quirino.

Cyrille will vie alongside delegates worldwide for the Miss Tourism International world finals to be held at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia on November 8.

Four Filipinas have been crowned as winner in the annual international tilt namely: Peachy Manzano in 2000, the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2012, Angeli Dione Gomez in 2013 and Jan-Jannie Alipo-on in 2017.

AFTER having successfully staged the 10th edition of the Mr. World contest in Manila last August 23, the Miss World Philippines Organization has gathered 40 of the country’s beauteous, purpose-driven women, all raring to win one of six titles at stake, all aiming to surpass the national tilt’s track record for the last nine years, the last three under the stewardship of Arnold L. Vegafria.

The top winner will represent the Philippines at the 69th Miss World Pageant in London on December 14.

The other winners will vie for Reina Hispanoamericana, Miss Eco International, Miss Multinational, and the latest additions, Miss Eco Teen International and Miss Philippines Tourism.

Pageant Watch has picked its likely contenders for the coveted crowns: Michelle Dee, Ilene De Vera, Kelley Day, Michelle Thorlund, Michelle Arceo and Glyssa Leiann Perez.

Last Wednesday, Miss World Philippines 2019 held its traditional gala dinner at Novotel Hotel where the contestants paraded in evening gowns (for the Top Model Challenge) created by some of the country’s most talented and esteemed designers, among them, Nat Manilag, Rosenthal Tee, Mark Bumgarner, Cherry Veric, Albert Andrada, Rhett Eala and Mikki Andrei.

Kayesha Chua of Albay, Michelle Marquez Dee of Makati City, Michelle Thorlund of Laguna, Katrina Llegado of Taguig City and Justiene Ortega of Manila emerged as the top Five Model finalists.

The winner of this fast track challenge, along with those from other fast track events (Sports, Talent, Multi Media and Beauty with a Purpose) will be announced on Sunday’s grand coronation night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to be aired live via GMA’s “Sunday Night Box Office” at 10 p.m.

TWENTY-TWO gentlemen from around the archipelago and Filipino communities abroad, all contestants of the 7th Misters of Filipinas, were presented to members of media at Fernwood Gardens in Quezon City last Wednesday.

Wearing Mens’s Club by Avon, the 22 contestants introduced themselves to the audience which also included the officers of Prime Events Productions Philippines Foundation Inc. (PEPPS) headed by Carlo Morris Galang and partner Profiles Entertainment Productions Inc. (PEPS), as well as this year’s sponsors, among them Sha-Wraps and L’Oreal Professionnel Techni Art.

Voted as Media’s Choices were Kevin Jay Secoya of Cebu City, Tommy Peñaflor II of Bataan and Levin Arguelles of Tarlac.

Misters of Filipinas has 5 titles at stake this year namely: Mister International Philippines, Man of the World Philippines, Mister Model Worldwide Philippines, and its two newest franchises Mister Tourism and Culture Universe (TCU) and Mister Model Universe.

Notably, Misters of Filipinas 2017 winner Yves Campos won the Mister TCU 2019 title in Myanmar last week.

Other international winners who are Misters of Filipinas alumni are Mister International Neil Perez, Man of the Year Karan Singhdole, Mister Tourism Universe Ion Perez and reigning Mr. Model Worldwide Carlo Pasion.

The candidates this year are: Bonjour Veloso Adaza Jr. (Misamis Oriental), Peter Mendijar (Bagong Silang, Caloocan City), Ramil Palaje (Guinobatan, Albay), Gianluca Lanta (Filipino Community of Italy), Vandave Paragas (Pasig City), Louie Lapenas (Mandaluyong City), Tommy Peñaflor II (Bataan), Joy Jerome Garcia Evangelista (Hagonoy, Bulacan), Arjun Gange (Caloocan City), Matthew Louie Arbole (Pangantucan, Bukidnon), Joshua Felimiano (Castillejos, Zambales), Yas Pangandaman (Iligan City), Jesus Norbert Macaraeg (Malasiqui, Pangasinan), Julius Christian David Buenafe (Biliran), Ruben Segundo (Isabela), Kevin Jay Secoya (Cebu City), Ain James Vega (Filipino Community of the USA), Joseph Xavier Pili (Tabaco City, Albay), Kyle Sean Sallidao (Baguio City), Levin Arguelles (Tarlac), Jade Anthony Dulay (Angeles City) and Lex Akihiro Julian (Laguna).

Pre-pageant activities will take the delegates to Davao City; Kapalong, Davao del Norte and Bataan while a gala fashion show will be held at House Manila before the grand finale at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City on September 21.

PHILIPPINE delegates to the 2nd Miss and Mister Tourism and Culture Universe won convincingly at the grand finale held in Yangon, Myanmar last Saturday night, winning the male division and placing second in the female category.

Yves Lyrey Campos, a 26-year-old Cebu-born registered nurse now based in Las Vegas, Nevada, bested delegates worldwide to win as Mister Tourism and Culture Universe 2019 to succeed Soojae Wu of Korea, last year’s winner.

Aside from the coveted title, Campos also won as Mister Popularity, garnering the most votes on social media that fast-tracked him to the semi-finals. He also won the Best in National Costume award for his sarimanok-inspired ensemble.

It was the second time that Campos competed internationally; he was a top 20 semifinalist at Mister Supranational 2017 after winning at the national search for Misters of Filipinas that same year.

Runners-up to Campos, in order, were: Quach Tranh Lam of Vietnam, Donghun Chun of South Korea, Ronnev Rajput of India, Francisco Roberto Martinez Galvez of El Salvador and Guillaume Florent Canada of France.

In the female division, Roxanne Allison Baeyens, a 22-year-old Belgian-Filipino beauty from Baguio City, placed second to eventual Miss Tourism and Culture Universe 2019 winner Olivia Gunawan of Indonesia.

Baeyens, who also won as Miss Popularity, was sent to the pageant in her capacity as the winner of the Face of Tourism Philippines Pageant organized by Unica Hija Events of the mother-daughter tandem of Annie and  Roanne Refrea, and sponsored by World Master International Travel CEO Dr. Climacosa Agana.

The other runners-up to Gunawan, in order, were: Wenanita Augang of Malaysia, Audrey Wafack of Cameroon, Milissa Grande of Canada and Sonia Ait Mansour of France.

The international pageant, celebrating tourism and culture of countries of the world, brought delegates from all corners of the globe in two-week long activities that brought them to the fascinating tourism sites of the Land of Golden Pagodas particularly in Yangon, Bagan City and the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw.