CEBU, Philippines — Cebu’s stellar record in the Reyna ng Aliwan pageant seems to have been soiled with the dethronement of reigning title-holder Nicole Yance Borromeo, who represented the Sinulog Festival in the tilt last April and is the ninth Cebuana to win the crown.
Roi Neeve Comada, Baguio City’s Panagbenga Festival representative, now assumes the title after a “simple but meaningful” ceremony at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The 20-year-old Tourism major at the University of Cordilleras is a Miss Baguio Tourism title-holder and finished second runner-up in Reyna ng Aliwan 2019.
The first runner-up, Aubrhie Cindyrelle Carpio of Bulacan, was not fit to replace since she, like Nicole, is joining Eat Bulaga’s Miss Millennial Philippines 2019, which is a violation of the contract that the Sinulog Festival Queen signed prior to winning Reyna ng Aliwan.
Replying to a comment on their Facebook page that bemoaned Nicole being stripped of the title, the Aliwan organization wrote, “It was Nicole’s second infraction. Her manager’s [Rabie Ian Pogoy of Shutter Models] attention was called in May. They promised to stick to Aliwan and we took their word for it, which they unfortunately did not honor. What you don’t get is that any pageant harnesses the candidates as if they were in-house talents.”
In another comment, Aliwan replied that Nicole was supposed to be “dethroned quietly” early this year.
It can be remembered that Nicole, 19, also immediately joined Miss Teen Philippines 2019 after Aliwan. Tomorrow, she and the rest of the Miss Millennial Philippines 2019 candidates will be launched in “Eat Bulaga!”
Nicole told The FREEMAN that she is set to release an official statement.