CEBU, Philippines — Despite only two weeks to prepare, the local government of Toledo City, Cebu culminated its first hosting of a national pageant without any hitches as 28 candidates from all over the country and Filipino communities abroad vied for the Miss Philippines Earth 2023 crown, April 29, at the Toledo City Sports Center.
Opening with a festive number by the award-winning Toledo City Dance Company with the luminous outgoing title-holder Jenny Ramp of Tarlac front and center, Saturday’s straightforward program is being praised for ending by 9 pm in a rare turn among coronations that usually stretch up until the wee hours.
It was in January when organizer Mario Colmenares asked Toledo City Mayor Marjorie Perales if her LGU was willing to host the competition’s grand finals, but it was only on April 7 that contracts were approved.
“Even with the small time, the event was realized. That’s how adaptable we are here,” said Perales, whose LGU shelled out P3 million to host the event.
Perales added that for the “sake of the promotion of our environment and Toledo,” her city is willing to be a finals venue for Miss Philippines Earth again.
“We are usually bashed for the presence of coal-fired powered plants and mines here, but we are still earth-friendly and environment-friendly here in Toledo City,” said Perales. “Last year in fact we received a certificate as the Most Sustainable and Livable City in the Philippines [from the 2022 Nation Builders and MOSLIV Awards).”
Yllana Marie Aduana of Siniloan, Laguna as the main winner was all but a given, with the 24-year-old having been compared to Catriona Gray for being “determined, focused, and a well-rounded candidate who took full control of their respective games.”
Another netizen noted of Aduana, “She left no stone unturned, like Catriona in her MU fight. Sana ganito lagi – perfect body, perfect skin, perfect posture, perfect wardrobe, perfect hair and makeup, perfect presentation.”
The model and medical laboratory scientist was consistent in all pre-pageant competition’s, and described by one in the Cebu organizing team as always camera-ready and savvy on standing out.
During the hashtag Q&A segment for the Top 10 finalists, Aduana picked the word “safety” which she expounded on with, “Safety plays a very salient role in our lives. We have to always be secured…also in terms of water security and food security because as Miss Philippines Earth, I know that I am a hardworking person and I can always incorporate this in order for us to achieve safety at all costs and protect Mother Earth the way she protects us all with all safety.”
In the final Q&A where the Top 5 candidates were asked what they think people in the future would say about their generation, Aduana answered, “I would definitely say our generation, although misconstrued, is very ardent. We use our voice for a reason and that is to always speak up for the things that we know are right and we know we deserve.”
“That is why we are very ardent about it. That is why I’m also conducting colloquiums on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their interconnectedness to nature in hopes to precipitate people’s eco-consciousness because our future are the linebackers and the pioneers of environmental amelioration, and we should always take advantage of it at all costs.”
Aduana, who was unplaced at last year’s Binibining Pilipinas, will compete later this year for Miss Earth 2023 at Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa, Vietnam, where South Korea’s Mina Sue Choi will crown her successor.
Her elemental court is made up of Kerri Reilley (Mangatarem, Pangasinan) as Miss Philippines-Air, Jemimah Joy Zabala (Puerto Princesa City) as Miss Philippines-Water, Sha’uri Livori (Fil-Com Melbourne, Australia) as Miss Philippines-Fire, and hometown girl Athena Claire Auxillo (Toledo City) as Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism.
Auxillo, a Psychology student at the University of San Carlos, is the reigning Binibining Toledo.
Jamie Angelique Armada, a civil engineering major also at USC who represented Tuburan, Cebu, was among the Top 15 finalists.
Saturday night’s judges were Carousel Productions’ Lorraine Schuck, Miss Earth 2019 Nellys Pimentel of Puerto Rico, Cary Santiago, Jhett Tolentino, Mario Colmenares, Maybelle Padillo, Caloy Bacani, and Anna Magkawas. Cebuana Miss Earth title-holders Karla Henry-Ammann (2008) and Jamie Herrell (2014) joined ABS-CBN’s Robi Domingo as pro-gram hosts.