Meet the 16 candidates of Miss Mandaue 2019

CEBU, Philippines —  As Mandaue City celebrates its 50th Charter Day this year, the city has brought forth only the finest and most meaningful events fit for a golden celebration.

With this comes a bigger Miss Mandaue staging than ever before. For the occasion, the beauty pageant has been dubbed Miss Mandaue 2019: The Gold Edition.

Kicking off the Midyear Cultural Summit during a launch yesterday at the Session Hall of Mandaue City Hall, the city revealed their plans for the highly anticipated Miss Mandaue competition, one of the summit's highlights.

Mandaue City Treasurer Regal Oliva said that this year's Miss Mandaue staging will definitely be most remarkable, owing to the fact that Miss Mandaue has made a name for itself as an essential stop in an aspiring beauty queen's pageant journey.

"The whole Philippines is now watching Miss Mandaue. It has become a choice of pageant launching pad for candidates. I'm sure the pressure is heavy on their [candidates] shoulders," Oliva quipped of the competition, noting that pageant enthusiasts are aware of Miss Mandaue's reputation and religiously follow the results to keep tabs on rising Bisaya and Cebuana beauty queens.

The pageant, said to be the longest-running beauty competition in the province with title-holder claims that go as far back as the 30s and documentation from the 70s, Miss Mandaue has since launched the pageant careers of many beauty queens.

Oliva said that the Midyear Cultural Summit budget is at three million more than last year's to afford a grander scheme which also includes the rest of the planned activities.

Of the 37 who screened, 16 make up the final Miss Mandaue 2019 roster, four more than the usual dozen candidates.

The candidates are 18-year-old Physical Therapy student Lorraine Hann, 20-year-old BS Psychology major Kristine Gillamac, 17-year-old HUMMS student Rhean Caruana, 19-year-old Tourism Management student R-Jane Lugod, 20-year-old BS Architecture student Angel Mae Dakay, 19-year-old BS Chemical Engineering major Rica Mae Pitogo, 22-year-old news reporter Lorraine Mitzi Ambrad, and 21-year-old Hotel and Restaurant Management major Aijeleth Borja.

Also vying for the crown are 18-year-old Accountancy and Business Management student Cristine Rudolph, 20-year-old Optometry student Umayma Alrawahi, 18-year-old STEM student Julienne Dabon, 18-year-old GAS student Charlotte Stuck, 19-year-old Tourism Management student Jesselle Daniel, 18-year-old graduating senior high student Angeli Navarro, 25-year-old Finance Management graduate Karla Lasquite, and 17-year-old STEM student Amanda Basnillo.

The ladies will go through personality development and catwalk workshops, as well as a heritage tour. 

Pre-pageant events include the Fitness Competition which took place last March 30 in Balamban, the Swimsuit Competition and Media's Choice on April 24, the Talent Competition on April 27, and the Pre-Judging on the morning of the coronation, to be held May 7 at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

From the 16, only eight will be chosen as finalists where the trio of winners making up the Miss Mandaue court will be chosen from.

Miss Mandaue will take home P100,000 in cash and P500,000 for the implementation of her chosen advocacy which will benefit Mandaue City. She will also enjoy one-year free tuition from wherever school in Metro Cebu she will be attending.

The first runner-up will win P50,000 and enjoy 75 percent off on tuition, while the third runner-up will become P30,000 richer along with a 50 percent off on tuition expenses.

"Mandaue City has always been a pageant of advocacy. Last year, we are very happy that the 2018 court had so many activities on proper waste disposal. They have been going around schools, teaching kids in a fun way on how to segregate garbage. We're very happy that the court has been very active," Oliva said of Miss Mandaue 2018 Gabriela Carballo's Green Wave initiative which she did with her first runner-up Nicole Borromeo and second runner-up Regine Garcia.

"This is a challenge also to the winning Miss Mandaue not to leave Mandaue City after they get the cash prize. Their advocacy is also important for Mandaue City," said Oliva.

Carballo told the candidates to relish the experience, leaving them with a five-step advice.

"First, cherish every single part of the journey, because I swear you'll miss it right after coronation night! Second, keep updated on current events, not only in Mandaue! You never know what you could be asked during the Media's Choice Competition or the final Q&A," she began.

'Third, find time to work out and eat well. This isn't just for the swimsuit competition, but working out always helps me have presence and clarity of mind. Fourth, act like a queen in and out of practice even if the winners haven't been crowned yet - dress properly, act properly, watch what you post on social media - these affect your chances, even if it might not seem like it."

"And fifth, be yourself, and never forget to always have respect for everyone you work with. From the Miss Mandaue Chairman and Co-Chairman, to all government officials, the director and team for coronation night, choreographers, and even your own glam team - always treat everyone with respect and be grateful, because your actions reflect who you really are. Mandaue wants a queen who respects herself and others."

Mandaue City will also host The Golden Gala Night where past Miss Mandaue winners and those instrumental in the city's 50-year legacy have been invited.

Other activities announced in yesterday's launch is the opening of a food park at the Mandaue City Heritage Plaza this April 5, this year’s Sotero Cabahug Day celebration on April 22, the “Raid Your Golden Closet: A Flea Market” event on April 26 to 28 at the Mandaue City Heritage Plaza, the “GOLDogathon” on April 27 at the Mandaue City Heritage Plaza, the Miss Gay Jurassic–The Golden Era pageant on May 2, the Mandaue Gay Pageant 2019 on May 4, the “BULAWAN: Bisaya Music Festival” on May 6 and more.

Bearing the theme "A Tribute to Gold," this year's cultural summit thrust is not only aimed at the new generation of Mandauehanons, but is also dedicated to those who have seen Mandaue City rise from the ground up five decades ago.