USC stude is new Miss Cebu 2006

Her winning the Miss Cebu 2006 title would perhaps bring a halt to the family's quest for the coveted crown. Or maybe not.

Monina Basubas, aunt of newly crowned Miss Cebu Stephanie Rose Señires, shared to The FREEMAN shortly after Señires' crowning that they never intended to give up on the crown until another belle from their family of beauty queens eventually reaps it.

The other night, 18-year-old Señires brought home the crown in a revealing yellow evening gown that also brought her the Best in Evening Gown award and local designer Wendell Quisido as Best Designer. Señires was also named Miss Fuji YKL Photogenic through online voting.

Señires, a psychology student at the University of San Carlos, bested 11 other hopefuls in a three-hour pageant at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel that adopted as concept nature's main elements - air, water, earth, and fire.

Señires clinched the final question when she chose former South African President Nelson Mandela, Pope Benedict 16th, Saddam Hussein, and US President George Bush as the two achievers and notorious people she would invite for dinner.

She explained she wanted Mandela and the Pope for their influence and inspiration to the people and Hussein and Bush for the two to realize that life is too beautiful to be spent in the war zones.

Señires' court includes 19-year-old nursing student Angel Wella Luzano, 19-year-old tourism student Karla Paula Ginteroy, 21-year-old nursing student Elane Lourdes Gica, and 18-year-old business administration student Jan Marie Aliño.

Ginteroy was named Miss Waterfront Friendship while 19-year-old computer engineering student Carmen Victoria Tiu was named Miss Myra-E.

This year's pageant was hosted by celebrity brothers TJ and Borgy Manotoc and was graced by balladeer Luke Mijares and local songbirds Maria Donna and Rizza Navales. - Joeberth M. Ocao