Miss Teen Philippines 2014 bares 20 Central Visayas finalists

CEBU, Philippines - This time around, Miss Teen Philippines (MTP) partnered with DepEd to inspire teens “to be globally ready through education.”

The winner of Miss Teen Philippines 2014 will be DepEd’s Ambassadress for Education and will serve to inspire and actively engage the youth to value education while promoting the various DepEd youth-directed priority programs. She will also be a member of the Philippine Delegation to the Southeast Asian Youth Program and to the National Youth Parliament and will undergo the same training and preparation as the other members of the national team prior to their international travel.

Furthermore, the winner will get a chance to dialogue and consult with WAFW’s (World Academy for the Future of Women) Board of Directors and Advisors and other female global change makers in order to help her chart her future path as another woman change maker of her generation. One of their pre-pageant activities will have the finalists attending seminars with DepEd so they will further understand the value of education.

Among 55 girls who screened from Central Visayas for MTP 2014, they were pared down to 20 during the March 15 regional screening held at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel.

The 20 Central Visayas regional candidates are: Donah Mae Latonio (14 years old, Cebu Normal University), Dae Narah Garcia (18, Silliman University), Amyrrha Estolloso (18, Silliman University), Naomi Fujii (16, Indiana Aerospace University), Marian Jane Great (13, Saint Louis College), Denby Perez (15, Sotero B. Cabahug FORUM for Literacy), Trisha Marie Apa-ap (16, Bright Academy), Charisse Claire Lanchinebre (15, Maya National High School Daanbantayan),Tasha Baster Cabrera (16, Talisay Science High School), Quir Nicole Maghuyop (15, Holy Name University), Ana Andrea Cabulao (17, University of San Carlos), Elizabeth Renee Scheer (16, Southwestern University), Alexandra Ocampo Yu (16, St. Joseph’s Academy M.C.), Karen Kate Ting (17, Consolacion National High School), Melody Hodgson (18, University of San Carlos), Victoria Leslie Ingram (17, Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy), Kisha Sofia Zosas (14, Advance Institute of Technology), Princess Jayme (17, Cebu Normal University), Nicole Jordan (15, Little Angels Montessori School), and Bianca Wilhelmina Willemsen (15, San Roque Child Development School).

The regional finals is set on April 27 at the SM City Cebu Event Centre. Five girls will be chosen to move on to the MTP national pageant, which will have its grand coronation on May 30 at the Philippine International Convention in Manila.

The winner will take home a grand prize that has a combined value of P2.6 million, which includes a four-year college scholarship.

To further mold the candidates, MTP 2014 got on board mentors that make up the pageant’s advisory council, namely, actress Jasmine Curtis Smith (Miss Teen Philippines Ambassadress), Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman, Miss World 1993 second runner-up and actress Ruffa Guiterrez, makeup artist extraordinaire Robbie Piñera, premier hair stylist Jing Monis, popular fashion blogger Laureen Uy and model/personality development coach Bianca Valerio.

MTP 2014’s fashion team is composed of 17 top Filipino young designers offered to create the MTP national candidates’ long gowns for the formal wear competition on coronation night. They are: Martin Bautista, Veejay Floresca, Jot Losa, Pablo Cabahug, Anthony Ramirez, Tina Daniac, Cherry Veric, Rajo Laurel, Eric delos Santos, Frederick Peralta, Jaz Cerezo, Mark Tamayo, Vania Romoff and John Herrera.