CEBU, Philippines - The cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Toledo will be represented in the first Miss World-Philippines beauty pageant next month, after our Southern belles made the top 25 cut from among 54 nationwide aspirants.
Miss Cebu 2010 third runner-up and Reyna ng Aliwan 2011 Rogelie Catacutan (Cebu City); Miss Mandaue 2011 Donna Maricel Cardino (Mandaue City); and Miss Toledo 2008 runner-up and Miss CESAFI 2008 Richelle Therese Borja (Toledo City) passed the screening panel’s scrutiny and are now undergoing a series of trainings in Manila including personality development, catwalk modeling and language lessons.
Catacutan, a 20-year-old Nursing grad from USJ-R, is managed by AD Models of Dexter Alazas. She was also a Miss Mandaue 2007 first runner-up, Miss CESAFI 2007 and Mutya ng PRISAA 2008. Cardino and Borja, both aged 22 and Ozar models under Danny Booc, are joined in the official Miss World-Philippines roster by another Ozar find Gaydra Rama (her father is the half-brother of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama) who will be representing General Santos City where she grew up and studied. She was once crowned Miss Sarangani and had also joined quite a few pageant and modeling contests.
Back in May, 15 females participated in the regional search at SM City Cebu graced by new Miss World-Philippines license holder Cory Quirino. Seven of them were called back for another round of screening in Manila, until only the four ladies mentioned above remained as finalists.
Although Quirino earlier announced that they will give chance to fresh faces and will thus exclude pageant veterans, this first batch is a mix of the old and new.
Some familiar top 25 contenders include Christine Kate Adi of Baguio City, who was Catacutan’s first runner-up in Reyna ng Aliwan 2011. There’s also former Miss Philippines Earth candidate Gwendoline Rauis (Muntinlupa City), Deal or No Deal 26K girl Martha Chloe McCulley (Parañaque City), Bb. Pilipinas 2010 second runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson of San Fernando, Pampanga (When Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 Venus Raj was briefly dethroned after questions on her birth records surfaced, she took over the title since first runner-up Dianne Necio was still 17 and thus too young to compete for Miss Universe. Had Raj not fought for her crown, Henson would have then represented the country last year.) and two-time Bb. Pilipinas candidate Ma. Paula Bianca Paz of Nueva Ecija (in 2009, she placed sixth overall in the final standings, while she was disqualified from the official list this year for previously posing in a sexy calendar).
The rest of the candidates are: Samantha Nerville Purvor (Quezon City), Julian Savard (Mabalacat, Pampanga), Karen Joyce Peñaueva (Davao City), Irene Gabriel (Puerto Princesa), Charlotte Melissa Tyler (Quezon City), Princess Tiffany Carbungco (Angeles City, Pampanga), Mercry Malaluan (Camarines Norte), Elaine Kay Moll (Naga City), Joey Albert Short (Zamboanga City), Jaysel Arrozal (Valenzuela City), Loucelle de Jesus (Angeles City, Pampanga), Erin Dolores Lane (Taguig), Mica Angela Angeles (Sta. Rosa, Laguna), Jayanne Marie Aldanese (Pasay City), Mae Liezel Ramos (Camarines Sur, Bicol) and Erina Ann Lightholder (Los Angeles, California, USA).
Miss World Philippines used to be under Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. headed by Stella Marquez-Araneta, until the franchise was awarded last January to Quirino, a tri-media personality and wellness guru.
With her behind the steering wheel, the pageant will be making history as having the biggest cash purse among beauty contests in the country. The winner will receive, among others, P1 million tax-free, a condominium unit courtesy of SM Development Corporation and, if qualified, a management contract with GMA 7.
The grand coronation night is on September 18 at the Philippine International Convention Center Plenary Hall of Pasay City, and will be aired over GMA Network.
Now on its 60th year, Miss World is considered the longest-running international beauty pageant. The Philippines has yet to win the title though, with Evangeline Pascual achieving the highest rank so far by a Filipina when she was declared first runner-up in 1973.
Miss World 2011 will be held in London this October. (FREEMAN)