NEW EARTH MAIDENS CROWNED

By Raphael Porciuncula

In a ceremony befitting pomp, glitz and glamour, Miss Philippines-Earth 2012 was crowned at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage last April 27, 2012. Five lovely ladies of varying convictions and persuasions but they were united in their purpose of saving Mother Earth. They were crowned to represent the different elements of our planet and one that signifies the need for ecological balance in tourism. The Top 3 winners were known pageant participants in the past while the last two winners are neophytes in the national pageant scene.

Crowned Miss Philippines-Earth 2012 is Miss Quezon City, Stephany Dianne Stefanowitz, a 22-year old, model, designer and singer-host with Filipino-German heritage. She commands attention of everyone not only because of her fair skin and mestiza beauty but also because of height. She towers at around 5’10-1/2” Miss Stefanowitz, participated in the 2010 edition of the pageant wherein she represented Butuan City and managed to be among the Top 10 semi-finalists. She was not lucky though and this time, she represented Quezon City and she took the title this time with a Special Award of Best in Evening gown to boot. She believes that beauty queens should not only be epitome of beauty but also vanguards in the protection of the environment. As the chosen one, she is there to lead in educating and informing the populace in the preservation and protection of our environmental resources.

Miss Philippines-Air, 2012 is Glennifer Perido who represented the City of Tabuk, Kalinga. Glennifer’s mother is from Pinukpuk, Kalinga and her father is from San Pablo City, Laguna. Hence, if you look at the pageant biography of Glennifer, her titles which started in 2009 were Miss San Pablo City, Miss Laguna, and Flores de Laguna. She is also Miss STAWD (Southern Tagalog Association of Water Districts)  in the same year. In 2011, Glennifer tried her aces at the Binibining Pilipinas but with no luck. She joined the contest at Miss Casino Filipino  2011 and finished runner-up. She was also tapped to represent the country at the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International. This year, Glennifer topped the total score sheet of the challenges that the candidates of the Miss Philippines-Earth 2012 had. However, many felt that she is not up for the bigger challenge as they put her lower in rank. But she proved her detractors. She was able to ventilate her thoughts in the Question and Answer segment of the pageant and she almost did it. She was the Air Maiden in this year’s pageant edition.

Our Water Maiden is another alumna of the Binibining Pilipinas 2011 and Miss World Philippines 2011 – Miss Samantha Purvor of San Juan City. Samantha was chosen as Miss Friendship at the Binibining Pilipinas and one of the semifinalists at the Miss World Philippines. This time when she joined the Miss Philippines-Earth Beauty Pageant, she was a recipient of different special awards and thus was one of the early favorites to win the crown. Samantha is full of vigor and fluidity and thus she is a very appropriate winner for this title.

She breathes fire like that of a dragon but with gentility. Miss Puerto Princesa City, Thoreen Halvorsen was adjudged as the Fire Maiden of the year’s pageant. She was the surprise of the Top 5 as most pundits did not have her name in most listing. Thoreen’s name indicates to everyone that she has foreign blood running in her veins. A quick look to the Halvorsen name in the internet indicates that she is of Norwegian heritage?  Well, Thoreen advocates renewable energy and as a 19-year old tourism student she would like to exact a balance between touristic activities and preservation of the beauty of nature. She expounds her thoughts on this by saying what is there for tourism if the environment has been totally destroyed by man’s folly. This lady also wants to be a lawyer someday.

This year’s winner of the Miss Philippines-Earth Eco-Tourism is from the vintage city in the north, Vigan City and she is Miss Mary Candice Ramos, a 24-year old Tourism student of the University of the Philippines. Just recently, Candice was crowned as Saniata ti Ylocos Environment in Vigan, Ilocos in a pageant last February 13, 2012. (Saniata means Miss). This paved the way for Candice to represent Vigan City in the Miss Philippines-Earth Beauty Pageant and be crowned this time as the Miss Eco-Tourism. Candice advocates the use of social media for the furtherance of issues regarding sustainable energy. 

Stephany Dianne, the winner of this local search will represent the Philippines on October 18, 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia for the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant. See you in Jakarta this October.

Photo Credits: Miss Philippines-Earth.com