15 overseas bets in Mutya Gold Edition

Mutya ng Pilipinas, one of the country’s long-running prestigious pageants, is celebrating its golden year with a bang.

For its 50th edition, the pageant will have 50 official candidates vying for the crown ­— nine from Metro Manila, 18 from Luzon, eight from the Visayas and Mindanao, and 15 from Filipino overseas communities (showcased on this page). The hopefuls share the struggles and victories to be a queen in a series of “Queens Get Real” videos online.

Four major crowns are at stake during the grand coronation night on Sept. 16 grand coronation night at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena: Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Asia Pacific International 2018 which will be held in Manila on Sept. 14 to Oct. 4; Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Tourism International 2018 (reigning title-holder is the Philippines’ Jan Jannie Alipo-on who will return to Kuala Lumpur with new titlist for the international competition); Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Global Beauty Queen 2018 scheduled from Oct. 10 to 28 in Incheon, Korea; and Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2018 (won by another Filipina from Laguna, Leren Mae Bautista in 2015) end of this year.  

Here are the 15 aspirants from Filipino overseas communities:

1. Mutya ng Australia, Jade Roberts

2. Mutya ng Bahrain, Arianne Desiree Viardo

3. Mutya ng Iceland, Hulda Margret Sigurdardottir

4. Mutya ng Germany, Sabrina Binder

5. Mutya ng Southern California, Allison Lorenzo

6. Mutya ng Arizona, Jessica Duhay

7. Mutya ng Northern California, Jeserey Sanchez

8. Mutya ng Melbourne, Ebony Bangit

9. Mutya ng Los Angeles CA, Nina Ancheta

10. Mutya ng Japan, Mayuko Hanawa

11. Mutya ng Florida, Harmony Matson

12. Mutya ng Denmark, Lady Russel Panaguiton

13. Mutya ng East Coast, Canada, Marselaise Perkins

14. Mutya ng West Coast, Canada, Anne Natalie Ruth Longakit

15. Mutya ng Netherlands, Bettina Reloj Dingemans

The 50th Mutya pre-pageant activities start on Aug. 28. A series of “beauty tourism” and socio-economic advocacies will be highlighted in various landmarks in and out of Manila and nearby provinces.  

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)